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yun_miyake) wrote2018-03-06 12:44 pm
Those Unheard Are Sweeter
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shoexchange 2017 and a gift fic for berrybuttboy A bunch of thanks to the Mod and Beta Reader
The daylight had changed into slight darkness when the sun set on the western sky. Sho slowly walked towards the lodge which was located at the end of the grape farm. Today was a particularly tiring day for him; there were two groups of visitors who kept him busy. They kept on asking unimportant questions regarding the grapes, some of them even asked him unrelated things which were rather private, like why he decided to become a farmer or if he had a girlfriend or if it wouldn't be better for him to choose a profession which suited his looks.
Sho wasn’t a very patient person; sometimes he would ignore the questions and explain about the grapes instead. Like, when the best time to grow them was, how many kinds they did have or how they were proceeded to become wine. He knew that some of the visitors (or most of them, like Jun told him) came to the farm just to flirt with him. Since he came here three months ago, the amount of female visitors had increased rapidly. Sho didn’t know whether he should be glad or annoyed about that.
He used to be in Tokyo for all this time, until his father’s health didn’t permit him to continue his work at the farm. Sho’s younger brother was still in university and his sister had just married a man from another prefecture which meant that Sho had to take the responsibility to continue their family business.
His mother begged him to come back to Yamanashi to run their farm and after a lot of arguments and despite the unwillingness to leave his current job, Sho finally agreed to come back. It wasn’t easy for Sho to adapt to the work at the farm; it was too different compared to his work at the office building. He learnt everything about grapes, but how things really were on the fields wasn't written in any books.
Sho spent the whole month to grasp everything he needed to know how to run a farm. His father used the old-style management which Sho had to change in order to adjust to the current development, particularly in promoting the farm effectively. His father’s most trusted employee, Matsumoto Jun was there to help him. Sho had known Jun since they were children. Unlike Sho who went to the university in Tokyo and started working there afterwards, Jun chose to stay in Yamanashi and worked at Sho’s father's farm after he graduated from high school.
Six months had passed and without him realizing it, Sho began to enjoy his new profession as a farmer little by little. Still, he missed his life in Tokyo, he missed the concrete jungle, he missed the pubs, and he missed the night life. Sometimes, he wondered whether there would be a time he could go back to the life he used to have in that city.
Sho continued his steps towards the lodge at the front end of the farm. When he got closer, he saw Jun’s figure at the veranda. Sho paused his steps and looked back at the farm which was almost hidden in the darkness. The harvest time had approached and according to Jun, their main customer from the wine production house would come in a couple of days to inspect the situation.
The grapes they sold to the wine production house were the best ones; the farm itself was separated from the usual farm which they opened for visitors. Sho’s father's only consumer was the company named Grace Wine. The company was well known as one of the best wine producers in Japan. It would be Sho’s first encounter with them since he had started running the farm.
“Sho-kun, would you like a cup of tea?” Jun asked from the veranda of the lodge.
Jun was a fine 33-year-old man, he was tall and muscular. He had a pair of thick eyebrows and big eyes. He gained weight recently, which made his cheeks look rather full, so different from the Jun a few years ago who was skinny and looked unhealthy.
“No, I’m heading straight home and have dinner,” Sho answered, entering the lodge to take his stuff and put everything into his rucksack.
Jun was sitting in a wooden chair with a mug in his hands. He gave Sho a weak smile as he joined him on the chair.
“It’s quite a tiring day,” Sho said, wiping the sweat on his forehead with a towel.
“We are understaffed,” Jun answered. “I think we should open job vacancy for young men and women.”
“It’s not easy to find new employees, the work at the farm isn’t something for youngsters these days,” Sho shook his head, glancing at Jun.
“Well, maybe we haven’t tried our best,” Jun mumbled an answer.
“Good luck then,” Sho said, leaning his head against the chair. “I never imagined myself working at this farm. Sometimes, I really want to go back to Tokyo.”
“I understand,” Jun replied. “I would have thought the same thing if I were you. Will you go back there when your father gets better?”
“I don’t know,” Sho shook his head. “My father always wanted me to take care of this farm. He was disappointed when I decided to work in Tokyo. But in the end, I’ve returned here. I think he’s happy now.” Sho remembered his father's sad look when he announced that he was accepted to work at one of the biggest construction companies in Japan. He was just promoted as a supervisor when his mother came to his apartment, bursting in tears and begging him to come back home.
“I think it’s healthier to work here,” Jun said. “I mean, we are surrounded by nature and there is no need to commute in a full-packed subway every morning.”
“You’re right,” Sho answered. He glanced at his watch and told Jun that he would go back home.
Jun handed him the planner for the next day and bid him goodbye.
Sho lived in one of the different houses belonging to the farm, separated from his parents who lived in another one". They had three houses nearby the farm and the one in which Sho lived was the largest. It was an old Japanese-styled house. The floor was made from wood, and there were too many windows which Sho sometimes forgot to close. There were cherry blossom trees in the backyard and a few chickens which used to wake Sho up more effective than his alarm in the mornings. During the first month of his stay, Sho couldn’t sleep well. The place was too quiet for his liking and sometimes he thought he heard someone inside the house. He hated the ghost stories and always pretended that they didn't exist, but it was hard to ignore it here.
Sho drove their old Mitsubishi truck towards his house, which was located 10 minutes from the farm. The street was empty, and there was only one convenient store at the end of the street which closed at nine in the evening. Sho admired himself for surviving in this place without much complaining. He usually bought lunch and dinner at the same convenient store. The shopkeeper was someone Sho knew from high school. He was surprised when Sho told him that he returned to take care of the farm.
He parked his truck ing the garage and closed the door. Sho mumbled ‘I’m home’ to the empty house and turned on the lights. He slumped on the tatami floor and slid out the planner Jun had given to him. Someone named Ninomiya Kazunari had called their farm today, informing that the owner of Grace Wine Company would come within the next two days for the grapes they would purchase. Jun had given some notes on who this Ninomiya Kazunari was. He was the secretary of the wine production house owner, an old man named Ohno Mamoru.
Sho had met Ohno Mamoru a few times when he was still in college. The old man was a great person,so no wonder everyone respected him and loved doing business with him. He often sent a couple bottles of the finished wine to Sho’s father or invited them for dinner.
Sho copied the schedule to his phone as a reminder and made another note for the upcoming weeks which included a group visit from high school students. Sho yawned widely; he was extremely exhausted today and needed a long bath. He put down his phone and headed to the bathroom, perhaps he would skip dinner again and go to bed straightly.
***
“Sho, it’s for you,” Jun said, handing him the phone.
Sho took it and attached the receiver to his ear. “Sakurai here, how may I help you?”
“Sakurai-san,” the voice on the other side replied, Sho could tell that it was the one of a young man. “This is Ninomiya speaking, we’ve met a few times before. I’m so surprised that you agreed to replace your father at the farm. By the way, I would like to inform you that Ohno-san will come to your farm tomorrow afternoon. Is it fine for you?”
“Sure, we’ve been expecting him to come,” Sho answered, glancing at the calendar on the wall. He had handed the other visitors to Jun that day, so he could focus to handle the business meeting with Ohno.
“Good,” Ninomiya said. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Have a nice day, Sakurai-san.”
“Thank you. You too,” Sho said and ended the call.
He clutched the phone for minutes before handing it back to Jun. It would be Sho’s first meeting with Ohno Mamoru since he started running the farm. Somehow, it made him nervous.
“Sho, do you have a minute?” Jun asked. “There’s something I need to talk to you about,” he continued.
“Sure,” Sho said, following Jun towards the veranda of the lodge.
Jun had made two cups of coffee for them, a box of biscuit accompanied. Sho sipped his coffee carefully and took one of the biscuits. He watched Jun as the man spread a bundle of papers on the table.
“Someone applied to work here,” Jun said, handing him a piece of paper from the piles.
Sho took it and read it quickly. The person who applied for the job was a man in his thirties. Sho read the kanji characters ‘Aiba Masaki’, he came from a nearby village and loved farming. He was looking for a new job since the farm he used to work for went bankrupt. Sho looked at the man’s photo which was attached on the top right of the paper, he was quite handsome with thick black hair and a pair of pretty eyes.
“You can call him to come tomorrow,” Sho said. “We are lacking of employees after all.”
“Don’t you want to interview him first?” Jun asked.
“You’re better at it,” Sho replied. “You’re here longer than me. I leave it to you.”
Jun gave him an amusing look and nodded. It was rare to get an application from a young man and perhaps it was a good sign. They needed more energetic people to work at the farm and with Aiba’s good looks, Sho was sure that they would get even more female visitors.
Sho and Jun continued their work at the farm for the day, cleaned the falling leaves, checked the ripe grapes, counted the sick ones and got rid of the dead grape plants. It was near
dinner time when they finished.
Both of them headed towards the lodge and had dinner consisting of some remaining onigiri from their lunch, which Jun usually made by himself.
“It’s much better than buying random dinner at the convenient store,” Jun said, smiling at Sho.
“Thanks,” Sho replied, eating the onigiri gratefully.
Sho had never been a cook, he always relied on the convenient store lunch boxes, which were awful, but they were still better than his cooking.
They stayed for another two hours before bidding good bye to each other. Jun’s house was located about 20 minutes away from the farm, he lived alone there after his parents moved to Hokkaido. He chose to stay because he didn’t like cold places. The two men almost never talked about things aside from work, despite Sho having known Jun for a long time already. Both of them had reached their thirties; Sho himself was 34 years old and still single. He simply had no time to think of a romantic life when he lived in Tokyo. His days were all about work; he went drinking with his friends, but he wasn’t in the mood to look for a partner. He slept with a few men for one-night stands and joined sex parties once in a while but that was it.
The first thing his mother asked him when he came back to Yamanashi was whether he was dating someone or not. He wasn’t in a hurry, though. Having a love life wasn’t his priority for now, he still had plenty of time.
Sho was wearing a polo shirt on the next day, the name of the farm printed on its back. He thought that he had to dress up to welcome Ohno to his farm. He drove his truck towards the farm and found Jun with the new guy – Aiba Masaki – on the lodge veranda. Aiba bowed at him when Sho approached the lodge.
“Good morning, Sakurai-san. My name is Aiba Masaki,” he said.
“Good morning, Aiba-san. Please continue your interview with Matsumoto-san, we’re looking forward to working with you,” Sho said while entering the lodge.
The clock pointed to ten in the morning when he heard the car arriving at the front part of the farm. Sho walked outside and was ready to welcome Ohno Mamoru, but the old man was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the man who exited the car after the secretary Ninomiya, was a man who seemed to be at the same age with Sho.
“Sakurai-san, it’s good to see you,” Ninomiya said, extending his hand to Sho to offer a handshake.
“Welcome to our humble farm, Ninomiya-san and…,” Sho glanced at the man who stood still behind Ninomiya. He didn’t take off his sunglasses which looked too big for his face.
“This is Ohno Mamoru’s son, Ohno Satoshi. He has just returned from France after finishing his journey to learn everything about wine. He’s in charge now for the wine production house after his father decided to retire,” Ninomiya explained.
Sho shifted his gaze to the young Ohno and tried not to stare. Was it a pure coincidence that Ohno Mamoru decided to retire at the same time as Sho’s father? This Ohno resembled his father, except for his ignorance since he still looked away towards the farm instead of Sho. He had no choice than approaching the man first.
“Nice to meet you, Ohno-san,” Sho extended his hand to shake Ohno’s. “I’m Sakurai Sho,” he introduced himself.
The man finally took off his sunglasses and gave Sho a slight smile which made him look like having a toothache.
“Ohno Satoshi,” he mumbled. “How are you, Sho-kun?”
“Fine, thanks,” Sho answered, feeling uncomfortable as Ohno scanned him from his head to toes.
Ohno was shorter than him, his skin was sun tanned, his hair was dyed light brown and he was wearing a sleepy look. He was dressed in a simple navy-blue shirt combined with a pair of black trousers, the shirt rolled up to his elbows, and a watch decorated his left wrist. He looked like one of the young professionals Sho used to meet in Tokyo frequently. Somehow, Ohno’s outfit seemed out of place here at the farm, however, all of a sudden, Sho felt stupid in his ugly polo shirt compared to the finely dressed up man. Why the hell didn’t Ninomiya inform him that the one who came was the good-looking son of Ohno Mamoru.
“Shall we go now? I don't have much time,” Ohno said while glancing at his watch.
The straightforward, almost impolite statement left Sho speechless, he rarely met this kind of man in Japan, especially when they were doing business. He glanced at Ninomiya who shrugged and grinned at him.
“This way, please,” Sho guided the way.
Ohno and Ninomiya followed behind him. They talked about Ohno’s next appointments according to his schedule and argued whether he still had time to attend the wedding ceremony of an old friend. The conversation reminded Sho of his days in Tokyo where he always had been chased by deadlines and a tight schedule. Those days seemed far away, a life that seemed to belong to someone else.
“Your polo shirt design is horrible,” Ohno suddenly said in a plain tone as if mocking someone’s outfit wasn’t a big deal.
Sho ignored him. There would be nothing good if he replied to Ohno. Ninomiya approached him and whispered something to him.
“He doesn’t mean to mock you.”
Sho didn’t answer; instead, he gave a weak nod at Ninomiya and continued walking ahead of them.
“These are the special grapes we’ve been providing for your wine production,” Sho said as they arrived at the special farm.
Ohno extended his hands to touch the fruits with his long fingers which looked almost unnatural. Somehow, they reminded Sho of the main villain in Harry Potter – Lord Voldemort. Those long fingers touched the grapes lightly as if making sure they were real.
“We need these grapes by the end of this week,” Ohno said, turning at Sho.
“It’s no problem for us,” Sho replied, trying to offer a smile, but all he could provide was a stiff grin. “I’ll have my employees deliver them to you as soon as possible.”
“Very well then,” Ohno nodded. “I’ll give you a phone call if there’s a change,” he continued.
“That would be great,” Sho answered.
“You’d better wear something else next time, Sho-kun,” Ohno said.
Sho tried to keep his voice neutral when he answered. “I’ll keep that in mind, Ohno-san, and thank you for your advice.”
Sho had met many business men during his time in Tokyo, and he had learnt how to keep the clients happy, nonetheless, Ohno’s plain critics left an unpleasant impression for him personally.
They walked back towards the lodge while Ohno was talking on the phone all the time in fluent French. He would glance back at Sho once in a while to make sure that he was still there. Ninomiya was beside him, walking in silence. Sho felt sorry for the young man, working under someone like Ohno must be very tough.
Ohno shook Sho’s hand with a strong grip and told him that they would meet again very soon as they parted. Sho hoped the word ‘soon’ meant next month or something even further away since he thought he couldn’t stand meeting someone like Ohno too often.
However, sometimes life offered something of the exact opposite from what he wished for.
***
“How was it?” Jun asked when Sho returned to the lodge after telling the employees to harvest the grapes for the Grace Wine production house. He had noted Ohno’s detailed request on how to pack the grapes and that he would only accept fruits freshly picked in the morning.
“That young Ohno is awful,” Sho shook his head. “He probably can do business, but he doesn’t have any social skills. I mean, what kind of people would criticize somebody’s polo shirt when they first meet?”
Jun laughed when he heard that.
“Do you think my polo shirt is horrible?”
“Frankly speaking, yes,” Jun said, trying to suppress his amused expression. “By the way, that Aiba guy is good. He has enough working experience at a farm, I think we should accept him.”
“Alright, if you said so,” Sho answered.
“Ah, and you got an invitation from the wine production association of Yamanashi,” Jun searched for something among the piles of paper on his desk and handed it to Sho. “It’s a working dinner.”
Sho took the invitation; his name was printed in a golden letters. The official dinner would take place in a hotel at the centre of the city on Saturday night. It had been a while for Sho to attend something official like this; it was kind of exciting since he would meet another farmers and wine makers.
“Thanks,” Sho said to Jun.
He headed towards his working desk and switched his laptop on. He felt isolated since he came to Yamanashi. He used to work on deadlines; met clients every now and then and attended many work lunch and dinner meetings. Toma sent him an e-mail the night before, telling him that the office was in a chaos since Sho left. Toma wasn’t the only one who was disappointed by Sho’s decision. Sho's superior, Nagase Tomoya, let Sho go with a heavy heart and told him that he could come back anytime if he felt the farm job wasn’t his cup of tea.
Sho opened his new e-mails one by one, most of them were about appointments from people who wanted to pick grapes. He forwarded the new ones to Jun and asked him to reply, meanwhile he browsed for the Yamanashi Wine Maker Association. Sho had heard of them, but he didn’t really know what they were doing.
He found his father’s photos on the album of their activities from a year ago; the man was standing next to Ohno senior. Sho wondered whether he and Ohno Satoshi could do the same. Their first encounter didn’t leave a good impression. Ohno’s complaint about his polo shirt resounded in Sho's head. He sighed deeply, perhaps it was really awful.
***
Sho decided to buy a new tie and a pair of shoes for the working dinner. He went to the nearest shopping centre which – of course – was quite small compared to the malls in Tokyo. It was around eight in the evening, the shopping centre was not that crowded, and the men’s clothes section was almost empty.
The man walked towards the necktie section and chose some of them. He should have dragged Jun with him to get his advice. Sho was about to put back the dark red tie when he almost bumped someone’s shoulder.
“Sorry, I didn’t…,” he stopped halfway when he recognized Ohno before him.
Ohno looked completely different in his casual attire. He was wearing a pair of knee length pants, a plain T-shirt and a blue cardigan above it.
“Sho-kun,” Ohno said, glancing at the dark red object in Sho’s hand. “You’re buying a new tie, I presume.”
“I haven’t decided,” Sho replied.
Why on earth did he have to meet Ohno here? He was the last man on earth he wanted to meet right now. Sho clearly hadn’t recovered from his shock of Ohno’s insult during their first encounter. He was about to say that he had something else to do and needed to hurry when Ohno spoke up.
“I’m here to look for a new tie too, maybe we can choose some together.”
“No,” Sho said without thinking any further. “I mean, it’s not a bad idea,” he continued, biting his lower lip.
Ohno looked at him with the same gaze like he did on the day they first met. He scowled like a kid but then grinned when he saw Sho’s stiff expression.
“Dark red suits you,” he said.
“I don’t think so,” Sho replied.
“I’m serious, it’s way better than this disgusting strip,” Ohno pointed at the tie which Sho planned to try on, glad that he didn’t touch it yet.
“Aren’t you too busy to choose a tie by yourself?” Sho asked before he could control himself from asking the question.
“I told Nino to clear my schedule until next week. I need time to taste the wine and check the grapes you’ve sent me,” Ohno answered.
Sho felt stupid for asking Ohno about his schedule, it was none of his business if Ohno was too busy, he wouldn’t care if the man even had no time to take a damn shower. Besides, he didn’t like the way Ohno looked at him, it was some kind of underestimating gaze.
He chose the dark red tie and excused himself from Ohno, telling him that he needed to go to the hospital to visit his father. It was a lie since his father had already returned home. Ohno bid good bye to him and said that he was looking forward to the working dinner of the Yamanashi wine production association.
Sho drove his car away from the shopping centre, glancing hopelessly at the box with his new tie on the passenger seat. He sighed, considering that he would never ever wear that thing, unless it was the last tie on earth. His mood was in a chaos for no reason after his brief meeting with Ohno. Perhaps that man carried a bad omen with him which could make people fall into a gloomy mood.
Sho wrote an e-mail to Toma, telling him about his meeting with Ohno and how the man didn’t act like a businessman, but more like a critic who was looking down on other people.
‘None of our clients act like him, it’s unbelievable,’ Sho wrote.
The clock was pointing to eleven in the evening when he finished writing his e-mail to Toma. Sho yawned and lazily walked to the bathroom. He didn’t remember that he turned on the lamp in the bathroom, but maybe he forgot since he had been thinking of Ohno too much.
***
Sho checked his reflection in the mirror once again before leaving for the hotel where the working dinner would take place. He was wearing one of his old ties, a green coloured one with black dots. He always considered it as his charm tie and hoped that it would make him lucky, so that he didn’t have to talk with Ohno during the dinner.
He had booked a room for the night in the hotel, so he didn’t need to limit himself from drinking too much wine. When he arrived at the hall, most of the guests were already present. He was welcomed by a young lady who led him towards the main table and gestured him to help himself.
“Welcome, Sakurai-san,” a man approached him. His name was Okada if Sho wasn't mistaken, and he was the vice president of the association. “We hope you enjoy your night.”
“Thank you, Okada-san,” Sho bowed at the man. “I will definitely enjoy it.”
Sho walked around to greet other guests who were consisted of grape farmers and wine makers. Sho had met them a few times when he accompanied his father to the gathering a long time ago when he returned home from Tokyo to Yamanashi. It seems that his father wanted to introduce him to his business partners for future reference. They were rather surprised when Sho told them that the farm was now under his responsibility. They spoke their well wishes for Sho's father and wished himself the best luck for running the business.
“Satoshi-kun, how are you?” Sho heard Okada’s voice coming from one of the tables.
Sho turned around and saw Okada and Ohno shaking hands – they looked like old friends reunited. Ohno was wearing navy blue suits and a nice blue necktie. It was almost like a coincidence that he lifted his face and his gaze met Sho’s at that very moment.
Sho averted his eyes as fast as he could. He moved away from the table with a glass of wine in his hand, trying to find someone to talk with, but everyone was occupied. Hopelessly, he walked towards the veranda where a few men were smoking, and looked outside at the night scene.
“You are not wearing your new tie,” Sho heard Ohno’s voice from his left side.
Sho released a deep sigh. It seemed that Ohno really enjoyed pinpointing how horrible Sho was in choosing his outfits.
“I couldn’t find it. I forgot where I put it,” Sho answered, taking a sip from his glass of white wine and returning his sight to the night scene before him.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” Ohno asked.
“Go ahead,” Sho replied.
Ohno slid out a box of cigarettes from his pocket, taking one and putting it between his lips. He offered one to Sho, but the latter shook his head and said that he had quit smoking.
“Where is your secretary?” Sho asked, looking around as if expecting Ninomiya to appear from nowhere.
“He’s not here, he doesn’t drink alcohol, funny isn’t it? A secretary in a wine house production doesn’t drink wine,” Ohno replied with a smile on his lips. “Are you alone? Where is your handsome boyfriend?”
Sho almost choked on his wine when he heard what Ohno said. How did Ohno know that he was gay? And who was that ‘handsome boyfriend’ referred to?
“That guy at your lodge, isn’t he your boyfriend?” Ohno continued when Sho didn’t answer.
“You mean Matsmoto Jun? He’s one of my staff members, but he’s not my boyfriend,” Sho said, feeling stupid for explaining it to Ohno. His private life had nothing to do with this guy and Ohno could accuse him dating Jun all he liked.
“Mmmm,” Ohno hummed while exhaling the smoke to the air. “I will visit your farm in three days, is that okay?”
“I’ll confirm it with you tomorrow. Jun is the one who arranges the schedule. I’m sorry if you feel rejected, I guess you don’t like being ignored,” Sho said.
Ohno unexpectedly smiled. “I just want to pick some grapes for fun. It’s not for business purpose, so I guess your staff can accompany me.”
Sho was taken aback, he couldn’t imagine Ohno picked grapes with his shiny leather shoes.
“Aren’t you too busy to do something like that?” Sho asked out of his will.
“I need a break too sometimes,” Ohno answered, pushing the glasses he was wearing up the bridge of his nose. Sho was still amused by Ohno’s unnatural long fingers, and tried not to stare at them.
The party ended at ten in the evening. The guests bid good bye in formal ways to each other, the hotel staff started cleaning the ballroom and it didn’t need a long time for them to empty it. Sho was the last who left the venue since he would stay at the hotel anyway. He took his bag from the concierge and headed the elevator and was about to push the button when Ohno appeared from the male toilet. He said something to Sho which sent him sleepless that night.
“There’s a ghost in your room, so don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
***
Sho told Jun about his unpleasant encounter with Ohno and how that man had thought that they were dating. Jun laughed and told Sho that probably Ohno was interested in him.
“That is the last thing I want,” Sho snapped. He didn’t need the ill-mannered Ohno (at least for Sho’s standard) as his date, it would bring him to an endless agony.
“I will help Aiba-kun cleaning the northern farm,” Jun said, changing the topic back to work. He put on his boots and disappeared from Sho’s sight.
Sho slumped on the chair and checked his e-mails. Toma had replied, he wrote that the clients he met recently were also assholes. He planned to visit Sho’s farm in Yamanashi next month and requested the most delicious wine as a souvenir.
Sho closed his laptop and stood up. He had nothing to do for the rest of the day. A group from Akita had rescheduled their visit until next two days and for the time being, he could relax and read some books. He glanced at the calendar on the wall, it was in the middle of September, the air was still humid and the rain often poured all day long.
He tried not to think about Ohno’s visit tomorrow afternoon and focused his concentration on the book in his hand. However, the image of Ohno’s face flashed inside his head. Sho had never met someone like Ohno before. He had an ordinary look despite his stylish clothes, but was also somewhat charming at the same time. He was laid back, but also appeared strict and stoic, he seemed to be straightforward, but also mysterious. Sho shook his head. He didn’t want to think about Ohno right now, he had a bunch of more important things to be taken care of. In the end though, he gave up on his book and walked out of his lodge towards the northern farm.
Sho was about to call Jun when he saw the man talking with Aiba with compromised closeness. Jun’s smile was so bright, a kind of smile Sho had never seen on him before. Sho decided not to bother them, so he turned around and walked towards the lodge.
***
Sho was waiting for Ohno on the veranda of his lodge. He had asked the other employees to accompany Ohno picking the grapes, but none of them was available. Jun and Aiba were out for delivery and the others were busy with the newly planted grapes. Sho was the only one left and no matter how reluctant he was to meet Ohno – he had to do it.
The man came alone, he drove an old-model Nissan which was modified with soft blue paint. Ohno’s outfit today was again an extremely casual one, he was wearing a pair of flowery sandals which attracted Sho’s attention immediately when the man got off his car. Sho approached the man and tried to smile, but the muscles on his face turned stiff and all he could do was giving Ohno an awkward grin.
“I bring you wine,” Ohno said as his first greeting, handing Sho a bottle of red wine with a ribbon wrapped around.
“Thanks,” Sho took the bottle from Ohno’s hand. “How about a cup of coffee before we proceed to the farm?” he offered, gesturing towards the lodge.
“I don’t drink coffee,” Ohno answered. “Just kidding,” he added when he saw Sho’s expression.
“The farm is rather far from here,” Sho explained. “Is it okay for you to wear those sandals?”
“I’m fine,” Ohno said.
“Okay, let’s go then,” Sho took two baskets from the piles beside the lodge and gave one to Ohno.
Sho walked ahead of Ohno who hummed along the way. The song sounded like a soundtrack of an anime. Once or twice Ohno would stop and give a light touch to the unripe grapes. Sho waited for him and tried not to state any critics to the man before him. In fact, he couldn’t even find any.
Ohno’s tanned skin looked flashy under his red T-shirt; his brown hair was sticking everywhere, his thin lips still hummed the unclear song and when his gaze met Sho’s, he grinned. Ohno’s smile was innocent, and somehow, Sho felt guilty for bashing him.
They picked the grapes together and talked about the other farms and the other wine production houses. Ohno talked about his experience in France and because he was surprisingly good in telling his story, Sho laughed unintentionally. Their baskets were still empty since they talked all the time. Then, when they were finally about to resume their grapes picking, the rain suddenly started pouring.
“This is bad, the lodge is quite far, we’ll be soaking wet in no time,” Sho said.
“You’re absolutely right,” Ohno replied in a calm voice. “That’s why I'm wearing sandals,” he continued, glancing at Sho’s shoes.
Sho shook his head, not knowing how to answer to Ohno’s statement. He walked ahead of the man, the rain was so hard that it blocked their vision. They were drenched in no time and when Sho stopped to look back at Ohno; the man was far behind him.
“Sorry, I can’t see very well,” Ohno said. “My glasses are wet and my sight is so helpless.”
Sho walked back and took Ohno by the elbow. “Come on,” he said, leading the way.
Ohno grinned at him and followed his steps. When Sho’s grip on his elbow loosened, he held Sho’s wrist instead.
“It’s better this way,” Ohno said.
When they reached the lodge, both of them were completely wet. The rain was still pouring hard, there was no sign of stopping. Sho was shivering and sneezed. He glanced at Ohno who still tried to dry his glasses.
“Did you bring extra clothes?” Sho asked.
“No,” Ohno answered shortly.
“How far is your place from here?”
“About an hour,” Ohno replied. His clothes shrunk in size because it stuck to his body.
“You’ll catch a cold if you don’t change your clothes immediately,” Sho said. He actually didn’t want to be involved with Ohno further than this, but he couldn’t let the man drive his Nissan in this condition. “Let’s go to my house.”
“Are you going to rape me?” Ohno asked in a plain serious tone.
Sho rolled his eyes. It was certainly not the right time for jokes. “Yes, I’m thinking about it now.”
Ohno gave him an amused look which made Sho nearly blush. “Let’s go then.”
They entered Sho’s truck with their wet clothes. Ohno sneezed a few times and shivering he mumbled that he hated September rain very much. Sho was no better, the air temperature was colder than he thought.
They reached Sho’s house ten minutes later. Sho parked his truck in front of the gate and gestured to Ohno to go inside first.
“You don’t lock the door?” Ohno asked in a surprised tone.
“There’s nothing worth in this house except an old jar which is very heavy, so I guess nobody will steal it,” Sho answered.
“This is so traditional,” Ohno commented when they entered the house, looking around everywhere. “There are ghosts here,” he continued. His tone was no different, as if seeing a ghost was the most ordinary thing in his daily life.
“You can explain that to me later, after you changed your clothes,” Sho handed the man a towel, a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.
Ohno took it and disappeared towards where Sho showed him the bathroom. Sho used his own towel to dry his hair, changed his clothes in front of the washing machine and threw the wet T-shirt and trousers just like that into it. Ohno got out from the bathroom right when Sho finished changing.
“I don’t have any underwear,” Ohno mumbled innocently.
Sho really wanted to comment that there was no way on earth he could lend Ohno his underwear, but he gulped down the words and told Ohno to wait in the living room before he walked towards his kitchen to make coffee.
He accidentally saw the outlines of Ohno’s crotch through the fabric of his sweatpants as Ohno passed him on his way towards the couch in the living room. The size was surprisingly massive. Sho shook his head. It wasn’t the best timing to admire someone’s crotch, particularly not when that someone was Ohno.
Sho made two cups of coffee and brought them to the living room where Ohno was seated on the couch, his eyes locked on the TV even though it was switched off.
“So you can see ghosts,” Sho wanted to confirm when he sat down besides the other man.
“Sort of,” Ohno replied. “Creepy, isn’t it?”
“How many are here?” Sho asked, looking around the house as if expecting one of the ghosts would appear all of a sudden.
“Two,” Ohno answered. “Are you scared?”
Sho couldn’t categorize himself as the bravest, but he didn’t want to look pathetic in front of Ohno by saying that he was afraid of ghosts in his own house.
“No, as long as they don’t hurt me,” Sho shrugged.
The rain was still pouring and when they had nothing more to talk about, Sho busied himself with reading books while Ohno took a nap on his couch. Sho never had a visitor in this house before. Ohno was the first person he brought here since he moved in. The house indeed was too big to live in it all alone, but this wasn’t Tokyo where he could easily find a roommate by advertising it on the internet. Sho stole a glance at Ohno’s sleeping figure, the man curled up like a cat on his couch, his lips slightly parted. Sho unconsciously smiled, feeling weird that the man he badmouthed was now lying on his couch. He took a blanket from his bedroom and covered Ohno with it. He didn’t want to give a bad impression after all by letting his guest catch a cold. Besides, it would be better to hide what was between Ohno’s leg which kept on attracting Sho’s attention.
The night had already fallen when the rain finally stopped. Ohno had woken up from his nap and washed up. Sho drove him back towards the lodge to get his Nissan and his grapes. Jun and Aiba were at the lodge veranda when Sho arrived, both of them greeting Ohno respectfully.
“I hope you enjoyed your visit, Ohno-san,” Jun said, smiling at the man.
“Thanks, errr Jun-kun,” Ohno replied, taking the box of grapes and putting it inside the trunk of his own car.
“Please be careful on your way home,” Aiba said.
Ohno started the engine and waved his hand and when his gaze met Sho’s, the man smiled broadly at him. When he was out of their sight, Jun touched Sho’s elbow lightly.
“I wonder where his underwear is,” Jun said, giggling.
Sho opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn’t find the right words, so he stopped. Even Jun could tell that Ohno had not been wearing underwear.
***
Ohno’s brief stay at Sho’s house had brought another problem. Sho tried to forget what Ohno said about the presence of ghosts in his house and tried to consider that Ohno was just kidding. Another problem though was that he was thinking of Ohno more than he should. Well, Ohno was his business partner after all and Sho tried to make himself believe that it was because he wanted to keep Ohno happy as a client. However, after three days passed since that rainy day, Sho began to question whether he was thinking of Ohno as a mere business partner or probably something more.
“You’re daydreaming,” Jun’s voice woke him up from his trance. Sho confusedly returned his concentration on the calculation he was doing.
“I’m just taking a break from these numbers,” Sho answered, avoiding Jun’s eyes.
“You know what?” Jun mumbled, “I think that Ohno-san is charming.”
Sho paused his hands from typing another number and looked at his friend. “What do you mean by charming?”
“I mean, he’s handsome and he knows how to dress,” he shrugged.
“I agree about that,” Sho said. “But he's still a little bit ill-mannered.”
“Maybe it’s because he wants to tease you,” Jun said, winking at Sho before he left him behind, heading towards the veranda.
Sho shook his head. He shouldn’t feel like this towards a client. Besides, he had barricaded himself from any complicated stuff, so-called romance, and Ohno wasn’t his type of man, anyway. Sho had not been seeing someone since he broke up with a man from another section in his office. His type of man was definitely not someone like Ohno, Sho's thoughts found their way back to the other man, but maybe, he still was considering having sex with him, just like what he did when he was still in Tokyo where he wandered the bars to find random man to have sex with.
Coming to think of it, Sho hadn’t had sex for quite a long time and as a healthy man, he needed it. However, the idea of sleeping with a random guy didn’t wake his interest recently. Those guys would keep asking many things that he didn’t really want to answer such as where did he live, what kind of job he had, what kind of man his type was.
He returned his attention to his work and pushed away the thought of Ohno. When he had finished calculating the sale and what they needed for next month's production, his phone vibrated. Sho extended his hand to take it and picked up the call when he saw Ninomiya’s name on the screen.
“Hello, Sho-san,” Ninomiya’s voice was laid back as always and as always he did not use any formal Japanese with Sho, contrary to how he would do in other business conversations.
“Hello, Ninomiya-san, how are you?”
“Ohno-san would like to invite you for dinner this weekend,” Ninomiya continued, ignoring Sho’s chit-chat. “Are you available?”
“Why didn’t he call me by himself?” Sho asked before he could keep himself from asking, perhaps it was a vibration of his disappointment.
“He’s drowning in work for these past three days. He collapsed from over exhausting himself and so I am calling you on his behalf,” Ninomiya answered flatly.
“Wait, he collapsed? Do you mean like losing conscious?” Sho asked.
“Of course not, he’s just too tired and fell asleep for long hours, but he reminded me before that to invite you. So, are you available?”
Sho checked his calendar, but for as much as he could remember, he had nothing scheduled for the weekend. After confirming his suspicion, he gave Ninomiya a short yes and ended the call. He kept on staring at his phone as if expecting Ohno to call him, but of course it didn’t happen, the only message which popped up was from his phone's provider – a commercial about a new internet package. Sho put down his phone after creating a reminder, even though he didn’t really need it.
The weekend was still four days away. It was just dinner, nothing too serious about it, but Sho found himself nervous each passing day. He didn’t know what kind of clothes he should wear or what he should bring Ohno as a hospitality gift. He was also worried that they had nothing to talk about and that the dinner would end up in awkwardness. Maybe, Sho should try to collect some emergency topics, just in case.
***
Sho didn’t know whether he should wear a suit for the dinner since it was private, but he almost didn’t possess any proper clothes beside suits in correlation to his former work – his casual attire was hopeless. Now he regretted how he never went shopping in Tokyo just to buy the branded shirt. He spent almost half an hour in front of the mirror, making sure that he was presentable in front of Ohno.
He drove his truck towards Ohno’s house – Ninomiya had given him the man’s address. Just like Sho, Ohno’s household possessed a few houses and the one where Ohno stayed was the furthest. He listened to the radio along the way and the songs were all about love. Sho changed the channel, but most of the stations were talking about the most memorable date on Saturday night. He gave up and listened to the male announcer who kept on giggling when he read the letter from one of his listeners who told him about his date in an aquarium. Nothing was funny about it, Sho thought.
Ninomiya was ready at the front gate when Sho arrived at Ohno’s house, he opened the car's door for Sho and offered to park his car in the back garage. Sho thanked him and adjusted his tie as he stepped inside the house. Ohno’s house was like the typical big house at the village. It had many large rooms where most of them were used to keep the finished wine. The wine production house was located at the back.
“Sho-kun,” Ohno called from the direction where the kitchen was. “You’re…overdressed,” he commented.
Sho had prepared himself for Ohno’s insult, so it didn’t really hurt him.
“It’s better than being underdressed,” Sho answered, walking towards the kitchen and surprised, he found Ohno with an apron around his waist.
The man was sweating, his hands were dusty from soba powder, and there was a plate of soba that he had already cut, in front of him.
“I’m not finished yet,” Ohno said, grinning.
“You make soba by yourself?” Sho asked surprisingly. He kind of expected that they would have dinner with two waiters and a bartender.
Ohno looked at him with raised eyebrows as if asking him what was wrong with making soba by himself. He washed his hands, checked the soup on the stove and stirred it a little before scooping it. He blew it and extended his hand to Sho.
“Try it,” he said.
Sho was about to take the spoon when Ohno drew his hand away while shaking his head. Sho could feel the heat crawling into his face when he realized what Ohno was intending to do. He opened his mouth shyly and let Ohno feed him. The soup was amazingly delicious.
“It’s very yummy,” Sho complimented. He was afraid that he would explode from embarrassment when his gaze met Ohno’s.
“I know,” Ohno said with a childish smile on his lips. “Now, would you wait for me at the dining table?”
“Alright,” Sho obeyed.
He loosened his tie, took off his jacket and hanged it on the porch. He sat down and waited for Ohno while looking around the room. There was a shelf at the corner which was full of wine bottles, a table was beside it, Ohno’s picture when he was younger decorating it.
“Here you go,” Ohno appeared from the kitchen with a tray in his hands, he put down the soup in front of Sho and the plate full of soba.
“Thank you,” Sho said.
“You’re welcome,” Ohno answered and disappeared again towards the kitchen to get his own plate.
“Do you want me to light some candles?” Ohno asked from the kitchen.
“What for?”
“We’re having dinner, aren’t we? People usually light some candles.”
Sho laughed. “I think your lamp is enough,” he said.
Ohno came from the kitchen with another tray, put the soba and the soup down and then sat across from Sho.
Sho took the chopsticks and began eating the soba, it was more delicious than he expected. Ohno watched him as he chewed it.
“How is it?”
“It’s probably the most delicious soba I have ever tasted,” Sho answered with full mouth.
“Really?” Ohno beamed happily.
His smug face was cute, that man was a real riddle to Sho. He could be anything, depending on the situation. Tonight, he played an innocent kid who coincidentally could cook.
They ate in silence until all soba was gone. Ohno stood up and walked towards the wine shelf from which he took a bottle and brought it to the table.
“Stay over here tonight,” Ohno said while pouring the wine to the glass.
“What?” Sho was surprised by that sudden invitation.
“I mean, you can’t drive home if you drink some wine and I can tell that you will drink many glasses. Nino already went home, he can’t drive you back, so it’s better if you stay,” Ohno said while pushing the glass to Sho.
“I didn't bring any clothes or toothbrush,” Sho shrugged.
“Your sweatpants is still here, the one I borrowed from you,” Ohno answered. He sat down and gestured to Sho to drink the wine. “Don't worry about the toothbrush, I have a new spare one you can have.
Sho didn’t answer. He sipped the wine and closed his eyes to enjoy the taste. Ohno’s wine was different from any other wine he had drunk before. The warmth went down his throat into his stomach, he liked its sensation very much. When he opened his eyes, Ohno’s face was very close to him.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m just enjoying the wine,” Sho replied surprised.
He wanted to draw further, but he couldn’t. Ohno’s shady eyes were looking at him, they seemed to possess some kind of magic power which freoze him. Ohno’s nice shaped nose was almost touching his since it was too close.
“I thought you’re having a heart attack,” Ohno said, offering an innocent smile to Sho.
Sho took another sip and tried to avert his eyes, but his muscles didn't want move. Instead, he looked right into Ohno’s brown eyes for as long as he could.
“I have a guest room and there’s no ghost here, you know,” Ohno finally drew further and downed his own wine in one gulp as if it was just a glass of water.
“So glad to hear that,” Sho answered.
They drank more wine and without them realizing it, they both were slightly drunk.
“I think you look best in suits,” Ohno commented.
“I can’t work on the farm in such an outfit, it's unhandy and everyone would laugh at me,” Sho shook the glass a little before drinking the wine. Ohno chuckled lightly, a kind of laughter which could send a pleasant warmth to Sho’s heart – even more than the liquor he drank.
“Can I change into my sweatpants now?” Sho asked.
“Here?” Ohno rolled his eyes.
“Only if you want to see my underwear,” Sho replied with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
Maybe it was because he drank too much alcohol that Sho felt so relax and cosy. He talked about a lot of stuff with Ohno who surprisingly had a good sense of humour and they did not go to bed before the clock pointed to midnight. Sho didn’t remember whether he and Ohno slept in the same room that night, his memories were vague, but when he woke up the next day, he was on Ohno’s bed. The man was nowhere to be seen, though.
Sho climbed down the bed and went out towards the living room, his head heavy from a hangover. He searched for Ohno, but the one who welcomed him was Ninomiya.
“Good morning, Sho-san.”
He looked around, searching for Ohno before replying Ninomiya’s greeting.
“Ohno-san went on a trip to Shanghai this morning,” Ninomiya said as if reading Sho’s mind.
“Shanghai?” Sho wasn’t fully awake, he still tried to lprocess Ninomiya's words.
“He’ll be back in five days. Would you like to have breakfast here?” Ninomiya asked, gesturing Sho to sit down at the table.
Sho slumped on a chair at the dining table and glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing that it was almost 10 in the morning. He couldn’t grasp the situation very well, Ohno went to Shanghai – the way Ninomiya explained it sounded like something casual as going to Osaka or Kyoto, not abroad.
Sho couldn’t remember his schedule for today and hoped that Jun would take care of everything. He still struggled to recall what he had to do.
Why did Ohno invite him for dinner the night before he went on a trip to Shanghai? .
He watched Ninomiya as the man busily prepared breakfast for him and tried not to think of Ohno. That man was weird and Sho didn’t know why he agreed to come here in the first place, dressed up in suits and tie.
Ninomiya made a cup of coffee and toasted bread for him. He told Sho about the event Ohno had to attend in Shanghai which didn’t relate to work; Ohno was there to attend an art exhibition. The man loved arts and would even go to an exhibition abroad, if he found the time for it.
“He didn’t mention about his departure,” Sho mumbled.
“Well, maybe he thinks that it has no correlation with you. By the way, did you guys sleep together?” Ninomiya asked plainly.
“What?” Sho stuttered.
He didn’t really remember what happened last night. They went to bed rather late and he couldn’t tell whether they slept together or not. Besides, he wouldn’t share that kind of information with Ninomiya anyway.
“Never mind,” Ninomiya shrugged.
Sho drove his car towards the farm while listening to Tailor Swift’s newest songs. He didn’t bother to change his pants, the weather was warm and he would only meet Jun today, so there was no need to wear a proper outfit.
Jun welcomed him with a wide grin when Sho entered the lodge, asking Sho whether he and Ohno had kissed or perhaps even slipped into each other’s pants.
“We’re not in that kind of relationship,” Sho said, blushing.
“So, what did you do all night with him? Playing trump cards?” Jun asked, grinning from ear to ear.
“He made soba by himself for dinner, we ate and drank wine,” Sho replied, remembering Ohno’s appearance when he pushed the soba powder with pouting lips. Those veined arms were amazing and Sho suddenly wanted to see them again.
“Oh, I thought you had dinner in a fancy restaurant,” Jun laughed.
“It was rather casual. I feel so stupid for wearing suits last night,” Sho said, folding his arms over his chest while waiting for his computer to boot.
“Did you enjoy it?” Jun asked.
Sho was about to say yes, but then he remembered that he still couldn’t guess what was going on inside Ohno’s head and it was impossible for him to understand someone like Ohno who didn’t sleep for days because he was drowned in his work or fly off to Shanghai for an art exhibition after drinking nearly two bottles of wine the night before.
“I don’t know,” Sho said, opening his e-mails one by one without really reading them.
Sho spent his day with calculating the sales for that month and walked around on the nearest grapes plantation. He returned home when it was dark and took a bath immediately. He drank a glass of whiskey before going to bed and curled up under the blanket while thinking of Ohno.
Meanwhile, Sho had already given up blocking his head from thinking about the man because every time he was idle, Ohno’s face would appear. He had just realized that Ohno had nice lips and a pretty nose. He tried to deny that he was experiencing a ‘falling in love syndrome’, but each evidence was pointing to that direction, no matter how hard he rejected it. He was a 34 year old man, he wasn’t a teenager anymore, but love didn’t count how old you or how mature people were. Love would turn everyone into a moron, making them lose any sense of logic.
His phone rang when Sho was about to doze off. He took it and attached it to his ear without checking the caller’s ID.
“Sho-kun, did I wake you up?” Ohno’s voice could be heard from the other side.
“No,” Sho answered, clutching the phone tighter in his left hand. He hated it when his heart started beating rapidly just by hearing Ohno’s voice from the distance.
“I want to apologize that I didn’t say anything before leaving for Shanghai. I’ll buy you souvenirs,” Ohno said.
“Ninomiya explained the situation to me, so no worries. Thanks for the souvenir,” Sho replied, trying to sound not too excited.
“Alright, see you soon, Sho-kun.”
“See you, Ohno-san,” Sho said.
Ohno was the one who ended the call and Sho found himself staring at the phone screen long after Ohno cut the line. He leaned against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. Maybe it was alright for him to feel this way and with that thought he fell asleep.
***
Toma visited the farm on Sunday morning. He attracted attention in the village with his stylish appearance (he lost the way and Sho had to pick him up at the nearest fruit store). He was impressed by Sho’s farm and told his friend that he would consider to quit his job and work here too, instead.
“You’re not the right type to work on a farm,” Sho said, guiding Toma towards the lodge and gestured him to sit down. “Coffee or tea?” he asked.
“Coffee would be nice, thanks,” Toma said, looking around the lodge and stopping at the picture at the corner.
“How’s Tokyo?” Sho asked.
“Busy as always,” Toma replied. “There's too much working over time, you’re lucky that you could escape from a place like that.”
“I miss it sometimes,” Sho said, putting the cup in front of Toma. “I think city life suits me better.”
Toma sipped the coffee carefully and gave Sho an understanding smile. “Is it confirmed that you can’t return there?”
“I don’t know,” Sho shook his head.
In fact, there was no way for him to return to Tokyo if his father’s health would stay in the same state as it was right now, and he wasn’t sure he could leave this place any longer, even if his father’s condition would return to normal.
“It’s not too bad to live with the nature,” Toma said. “You don’t need to worry about Tokyo’s rush hour anymore.”
“You’re right,” Sho said.
Both of them walked towards the farm while talking about random stuff. Toma told Sho about the new management and how the managers wanted the target to be fulfilled in such a short time that it demanded them to do even more over time work.
The weather was surprisingly hot, so they ended up taking off their shirts, remaining only in tank tops. Toma wrapped his right hand around Sho’s shoulder in a friendly way and told him that Sho had done a great job as a farmer. When they walked back towards the lodge, a familiar Nissan was parked in front of the lodge. Sho knew exactly, who the owner was. Ohno had sent him a short message that he had returned to Yamanashi, but the man didn’t inform him that he would come visit the farm today.
Ohno was sitting on the veranda with Jun and Aiba when Sho and Toma arrived. A box of souvenirs was placed on the table. The three of them looked at Sho and then at Toma. Jun was the one who already knew Toma, so both of them exchanged a smile, and so did Aiba, but Ohno’s expression was plain, his brows raised as he saw the two men only in their tank tops
“Hi, Toma-kun, how are you?” Jun greeted the man.
“Great, how are you?” Toma replied.
Sho looked at Ohno who averted his gaze on purpose. He stood up and approached Sho, gripping Sho’s hand out of the blue and without any words dragging him towards the Nissan.
“Wait, Ohno-san, what…?”
“We’re driving,” Ohno answered briefly.
“Where to? Now?”
Ohno looked through Sho’s eyes and nodded, “Now.”
“But…”
Ohno entered the car and gestured to Sho to do the same. He should have denied since Toma was still there and he had to say a proper good bye to his friend, but shortly after, Sho found himself in the passenger’s seat, with Ohno driving seemingly without any real goal. They didn’t exchange any words, until they were far enough from the farm.
“Nice tank top,” was the first words Ohno said.
“Thanks,” Sho replied.
He felt stupid for missing Ohno. That man was a weirdo after all. So was his reaction. Was it jealousy towards Toma? But Ohno had neither reason nor right to feel jealous since he and Sho weren’t in a relationship and he knew nothing about Toma at all. It would be unfair if he judged Sho just because they both had only been wearing tank tops. Wasn't that absurd?
The odd silence was hanging above them like a heavy balloon and when Sho was sure that they wouldn’t talk anymore for the rest of their aimless trip, Ohno opened his mouth again.
“I missed you, Sho-kun,” he said.
Sho didn’t answer immediately, he was hopeless when Ohno was right beside him and talked to him with that carefree attitude. He felt that he was the one who thought deeply of this strange relationship.
“Thanks,” Sho answered, not knowing how to respond to Ohno’s statement.
Ohno stopped at the hillside where they could see Mount Fuji clearly. He got off the car and leaned against the fence while waiting for Sho to do the same. Sho approached him and stood beside the other man. They looked at the panorama before them for minutes, Sho could feel the breeze on his bare skin. It felt so good.
Ohno extended his hand to take Sho’s, his eyes were locked to the scene in front of him. Sho glanced at their intertwined hands and smiled amusingly. He heaved a deep sigh and squished Ohno’s hand softly. Maybe they didn’t need any words to be said at the moment. Ohno’s long fingers wrapped around Sho’s, the latter shifted closer and their shoulders met. Sho was taller than Ohno, if Ohno turned to him, he would be able to lean his head perfectly against Sho’s chest. But Ohno didn’t do it, he just gripped Sho’s hand tightly and looked at Mount Fuji for long enough until the darkness came.
“Let’s go back,” Sho said.
Ohno nodded and released Sho’s hand.
“Let me drive,” Sho offered. “You must be tired from your trip.”
Ohno agreed and handed the keys to Sho. He told him a little about his trip to Shanghai, but mostly they drove in silence.
“Sho-kun, may I stay over at your place tonight?” Ohno asked when they were about to arrive at the lodge.
“Sure, I think the ghosts missed you,” Sho answered teasingly.
Ohno smiled for the first time when he heard that.
Jun told Sho that Toma had already left. He had thanked them for having him that day and was glad that Sho was doing well. Jun and Aiba left shortly after finishing their stuff at the lodge. Sho was wearing his shirt again, switched off his computer and closed all of the windows and doors of the lodge before leaving for his house. Ohno was waiting outside the lodge for him while looking into the darkness of the farm. His right hand was holding a cigarette.
“Are there any ghosts?” Sho asked.
Ohno shook his head. “Sho-kun, is that Toma guy your boyfriend?”
Sho couldn’t help but smile when he heard that straightforward question.
“We worked together in Tokyo,” Sho answered.
Ohno pouted his lips like a little child, as if telling Sho that he didn’t believe what he just said.
“Shall we go now?”
Ohno finished his cigarette and threw it into the trash bin. Sho drove the Nissan towards his house while humming softly. Perhaps he should make something clear between them. It seemed that Ohno wasn’t someone who could start and with that attitude, Sho was sure that everything would become more complicated if he didn’t make the first move.
However, he couldn’t bring himself to talk to Ohno and so, the night passed without any happenings. Ohno dozed off on the couch and Sho didn’t have the heart to wake him up. He covered Ohno with a blanket and left him behind when heading towards his bedroom. Let it be, he thought.
***
A few weeks passed after Toma’s visit. Ohno hadn’t called him for the time being. Sho had contacted Ninomiya to make sure that the man was okay, and the secretary informed him that Ohno was working on a bunch of projects now and that it probably would take him a couple of weeks before returning to his normal pace.
Sho never expected that Ohno’s presence had given a deep meaning to his life. He complained at first about the man’s ill manners, but spending some time together with him had changed his perception. Ohno was straightforward and innocent and sometime even shy, but at the same time, he was also a capable businessman and someone who could charm him at some point.
Ohno’s reddened face when he was drunk was cute and his laughter was something Sho enjoyed very much. Without him realizing it, he had started liking Ohno more and more each day, no matter how he tried to deny it.
He found himself missing Ohno each day. Every time he checked his phone, he hoped he would find a short message from the man. But like what Ninomiya told him, Ohno was busy at the moment and he would leave his normal pace at such times. All that Sho could do was wait. He was busy as well, they received three visits in a day which demanded their full attention. Sometimes, they even got a visit from foreigners and it meant Sho was in charge because he was the only one who was good in English. With those busy days, he could at least divert his mind from thinking about Ohno.
It was four weeks later when Sho woke up in the morning and he saw Ohno’s Nissan in front of his house. He blinked a few times to make sure that he didn’t just imagine things. Ohno’s car was really there, Sho was about to open the door when he heard a voice coming from behind him.
“You should really lock the door, Sho-kun.”
Sho turned around and saw Ohno in suits with a bow tie decorating his neck. He smiled widely at Sho who felt ugly compared to him, in his worn-out pyjamas and with his super messy hair.
“Ohno-san,” Sho said, losing his words half way. There were too many things he wanted to say, he had been missing Ohno, he had been worried about Ohno’s well being, and he had realized how much he needed Ohno’s presence.
“Good morning,” Ohno flashed an innocent smile at Sho that the man had been dying to see and without a second thought, Sho embraced Ohno.
Ohno’s odor was nice and it made Sho more drunken than any liquor he could consume.
“You smell,” Ohno commented, but Sho didn’t bother to pull away. He had been dreaming to do this and he wouldn’t let Ohno go now.
“Satoshi-kun,” Sho called Ohno by hiss given name for the first time, and somehow it sounded very good in his ears.
“I wanted to invite you for a romantic lunch, but I think it’s better for us to stay here,” Ohno said, pulling himself away from Sho, but their hands were still wrapping each other.
Sho chuckled and moved his fingers to take off Ohno’s bow tie. “I can’t cook,” he said.
“No worries, I’ll do that,” Ohno replied with an amused smile. “Now, you should take a shower and brush your teeth.”
Sho did as Ohno told him. He blushed when he saw the hardened cock between his legs. When he brushed his teeth, Sho realized that he – who hardly fell in love – had completely become a love-ridden teenager.
Ohno was checking the refrigerator when Sho finished changing his clothes. The man made some notes on a piece of paper and inserted it into the pocket of his trousers. He had taken off his jacket, remaining in his white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
“Your fridge is horrible,” Ohno commented while shaking his head. “You’ll die young if you don’t change that.”
Sho approached the man and looked into his almost empty fridge. “Sorry for that, but an empty refrigerator is better than working three days without proper sleep.”
“Who told you that?” Ohno asked.
“Ninomiya,” Sho replied shortly.
“It’s five days, actually,” Ohno said with serious face. “Now, let’s go buy what we need for lunch.”
“Satoshi-kun,” Sho unconsciously took Ohno’s hand. “Can we go for a date?”
Ohno raised one of his brows and smiled at Sho, amused. “Home dates are my favourites, actually.”
Sho chuckled when he heard that, it wouldn’t matter what kind of date Ohno liked as long as he could be with the man. Ohno didn’t say anything when Sho grabbed his hand and led their steps towards his car.
Their date probably wasn’t the most romantic thing, but it was almost a coincidence that both of them didn’t like going out that much. When they began cooking (Sho only cut the carrots which took too long, so that Ohno ended up doing it for him), the rain started to fall. Sho kept watching Ohno, who busily prepared the ingredients for the curry. The man looked handsome with the apron around his waist. If they weren’t in the kitchen, Sho would already hold him tight from behind and kiss his exposed neck.
Sho averted his gaze outside of the window. He loved listening to the sound of pouring rain and the homey atmosphere was just too perfect. He walked towards the dining table and cleaned it while waiting for Ohno to finish cooking.
They had curry, Ohno’s cooking was delicious and Sho wondered whether all wine makers were also good cook.
“Maybe you should consider to open a restaurant,” Sho commented after he finished his curry.
“I only cook for the people I like,” Ohno answered. He gave Sho a shady look and a comforting smile.
“I’m honoured,” Sho said.
Ohno put his hand over Sho’s from across the table and squished it softly, his eyes fixated on Sho. The rain was pouring harder outside, thunder could be heard from far away. Both of them looked at each other and leaned closer until their lips met.
Ohno’s lips were mild, a kind of softness which could send Sho unconscious. He closed his eyes and when Ohno deepened the kiss, Sho slightly opened his mouth, giving access to Ohno’s warm tongue. It was paradise, Sho didn’t dare to open his eyes, afraid that it was just his imagination, but when Ohno pulled away and brushed his cheek, Sho knew it was real.
“The ghosts are watching us,” Ohno said.
“I don’t mind,” Sho replied, squishing Ohno’s fingers harder than before.
Ohno leaned in again and kissed him briefly. It was like a confirmation for Sho’s confusion for all this time. He had been denying what his heart told him and now was the time to let it go. He loved this ill-mannered charming man, he wanted to kiss him all night long, hold him all night long, look into his shady but beautiful eyes all night long.
They washed the dishes together. Sho never thought that washing dishes could be this fun. Whenever their elbows brushed against each other, Ohno would turn at him and give him the sweetest smile. Sho was completely experiencing the acute syndrome of love and he didn’t want it to end. The sparkling happiness in his heart was just too bright and shiny.
***
“Sho-kun, our guests are here,” Jun informed him.
“Okay, I’ll meet them right away,” Sho replied, rising from his chair and walked out of the lodge.
He inserted his phone into his pocket, just in case he needed to contact Ohno. It had been two weeks since their first home date, and currently Ohno was out for another project. This time he went to Hokkaido to promote his wine.
Sho was surprised to find out that Ohno was actually a caring man. He gave Sho a phone call every night, just to tell him that he missed him and couldn’t wait to come back to Yamanashi. He still worked over nights like he used to, and would deliver his messages through Ninomiya. The whole thing made Sho happy – at least his perception about Ohno had been wrong. Perhaps Ohno was a weirdo, but now all of him looked so cute in Sho’s eyes.
He walked towards the farm where the visitors were waiting. They were high school students who visited for a study tour. High school students were Sho’s favourite visitors. They would ask him logical questions about the actual subject, no nonsensical things about his private life.
The visit ended around noon. Sho returned to the lodge with an empty stomach. He clumsily had skipped breakfast this morning and now, he regretted it.
Another cup of instant noodles, he thought miserably. Jun sometimes brought him an extra onigiri, but he was also busy lately with their harvest time approaching, so basically, they would have horrible lunches.
Sho pushed the door open and approaching his working desk he found a lunch box beside the piles of paper. He looked around, perhaps Jun or Aiba put it there accidentally. He was about to take the box when someone wrapped his arms around him from behind.
“You smell,” a man's voice said.
Sho’s lips curved into a wide smile as he immediately recognized Ohno. Why did that man make him feel like a teenager girl every time he surprised Sho in the cheesiest way, just like this?
“You have the potential of becoming a good thief, Satoshi-kun,” Sho said, turning around. Ohno smiled at him and kissed Sho’s lips briefly.
“Eat, before you faint,” Ohno gestured towards the desk before he shifted towards the chair across from Sho’s working desk and watched him.
“When did you come back and why didn’t you inform me beforehand?” Sho asked, reaching for the lunch box and opening it.
“This morning,” Ohno answered.
“And you still had time to make lunch for me?” Sho asked.
“What’s wrong with that? It’s just simple fried rice,” Ohno shrugged.
Sho was so touched that he wanted to squish Ohno right now. He looked down to hide his glistening eyes and busied himself with the lunch box.
“What time will you finish your work today?” Ohno asked.
Sho lifted his head while chewing on the fried rice. “Around 6 in the evening.”
“I missed you and I can’t wait to kiss you,” Ohno said.
Sho could feel the heat crawl to his face, he was relieved that Jun and Aiba weren’t here to listen to their lovey-dovey conversation.
“You kissed me just now,” Sho replied.
“Naked,” Ohno said shortly.
Sho choked and coughed. He reached for a glass of water and drank to calm himself down. Ohno’s straightforwardness was still hard to handle and Sho was sure that he would need some times to get used to it.
“Tonight,” Ohno said, smiling at Sho. “Let’s go to my house.”
***
There was no doubt inside Ohno’s eyes when he began undressing Sho with his long beautiful fingers. Sho shivered as he felt the light touch on his bare skin. Ohno slowly pushed him onto the bed while kissing him. Ohno’s hand travelled along his body, making Sho groan in pleasure. He had been dying to make love with Ohno since their first kiss and only by receiving these light touches, Sho’s cock already turned hard.
“It’s too early, Sho,” Ohno whispered into his ear.
“It’s beyond my control,” Sho answered shyly.
“Do you want me that much?”
“More than you could imagine,” Sho said.
He touched Ohno’s amazing cock and without delay, he started licking it hungrily. Ohno’s moaning was beautiful and it encourage Sho to do more.
Ohno was perfect in bed; he knew what to do and how to make Sho beg for more. It had been a while for Sho to make love and that night was probably the best intercourse he had ever experienced.
Sho watched Ohno’s sleeping face for a long time after they finished. He was so beautiful, his slightly parted lips, his nose, his cheeks. Forever wouldn’t be enough to kiss everything of that beautiful man. Sho leaned closer and buried his face in the crook of Ohno’s neck. He remembered their first meeting at the farm and Ohno’s comment about his horrible polo shirt.
Sho smiled amused. Perhaps he had already fallen in love with Ohno back then, he just had not realized it.
***
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