One bread is all it takes (yama one shot)

[yun_miyake]

 

Title: One Bread is All it Takes

Pairing: Ohno Satoshi/Sakurai Sho

Length: One shot (8997 words)

Genre: Romance

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I only borrowed their names for this fic.

Summary: Ohno was the owner of a small bakery at the end of the street near one of the fanciest universities in Tokyo. On a particular Monday morning, he got an email from a professor, requesting him to provide loaves of bread for his seminar. The professor was a young and handsome man who happened to be a fan of Ohno’s bread.

Warning: Unbetaed work, sorry for the error grammars.

 

 

 

Monday morning was an off day for museums, some souvenir shops, amusement parks, and bread shops. Unlike the rest of the world, Ohno never hated Monday, it was the time for him to stretch his muscles after busy weekends, it was the time for him to daydream, to sketch, or walk the city aimlessly. The clock on the wall had pointed to nine in the morning, but Ohno didn’t budge from his bed. He didn’t feel like doing something today; he worked until late yesterday, he deserved a long lazy day without the need to run back and forth between the kitchen and the display shelves.

Ohno’s little bread shop ‘Jam’ had gotten busier recently. He got more order from nearby offices, more customers, particularly young people from the university which located at the end of the road. Handling the shop with the only staff, Jun, wasn’t enough. They needed to work around the clock, preparing the dough since early in the morning, shaving the bread according to their flavor, baking them, arranging them on the display shelf, delivering them to the offices, and so on and so forth. Jun was a hard- working man, he rarely complained, no matter how busy they were. But Ohno knew they had to look for new staffs or they would be dead from exhaustion.

He massaged his shoulder while slowly got up from the bed. He poured himself a cup of coffee and ate the leftover bread from the shop for breakfast. Ohno reached his phone above the coffee table and randomly scrolled the Instagram page; he found many pictures of his shop, up-close photos of his loaves of bread with the captions ‘the most delicious bread you could find in Tokyo’ or ‘have you ever been to this ikemen bread shop. The owner is so cute’ or ‘this bread shop is paradise’.

Ohno smiled at himself as he read them; thanked the power of social media that his shop was widely known. Jun had created the official Instagram for their shop in order to promote their newest product; their followers increased in number each day and they weren’t only people from Tokyo, but also the customers from the other regions and even abroad.

His phone buzzed, showing Jun’s name. Ohno had reminded the man not to work his ass on an off day, but Jun barely obeyed him. He always made an annoying phone call on a Monday morning.

“Satoshi, are you awake?” Jun’s voice was heard – it was weird to hear this kind of question when Jun was the one who hated the morning.

“I’m all ears,” Ohno grumbled, giving his bread another bite while listening to Jun.

“Did you check our shop email?” Jun asked impatiently.

“Jun-kun, I’ve just woken up…”

“You’d better check it immediately. Someone from Keio University wants us to provide loaves of bread for a seminar. It’s quite a big event with a hundred participants, don’t you think it’s a big chance for us to promote Jam to a further level?”

Ohno tried to digest what Jun said since the man talked so fast that his sleepy brain couldn’t catch up.

“…I mean it’s a prestigious university and…”

“Jun-kun, I’ll check it. Immediately,” Ohno stressed the last word.

“By the way, I’ve posted the part-time vacancy on our Instagram and website. I hope we can get a qualified candidate asap,” Jun said.

“Thank you. Enjoy your Monday, Jun-kun.”

Ohno looked at the screen of his phone as Jun hung up. A too enthusiast staff and a rather lazy owner; it reminded Ohno when he met Jun for the first time around five years ago. He was a student in a patisserie school, looking for a part time job. Jun agreed to work for him and had no intention to quit, even after he graduated. It was also because of him that the shop had gotten more popular from time to time.

Ohno turned his laptop and found the newest email Jun had mentioned. Their customer didn’t usually send them an email to order, they normally did it via Instagram message or by phone. From the email subject, Ohno knew that it was something very formal.

Sender: Sakurai_S@keio.jp

Cc: Ninomiya_K@keio.jp

Subject: A request for partnership

Dear Ohno Satoshi-san,

I hope this email finds you well,

My name is Sakurai Sho, I am a lecturer for Global Economic Development at Keio University. I would like to ask you for a partnership during my seminar which will be held at Keio University main hall two weeks from now. The seminar will be attended by approximately 400 participants, including economic experts from the other universities as well as graduated students in Keio.

I have heard about your shop from my assistant and I will be grateful if you can provide loaves of bread for two-times coffee break (around 10.30 am and 03.30 pm). The details for the event will be sent to you if you agree to become the main provider for this seminar. I personally would like to have face to face meeting with you to discuss the details.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours,

Sakurai Sho

Ohno read the email once again; somehow, he could picture how this Sakurai guy looked like – a fancy professor of a fancy university.

Jun was right that it was a good chance to promote their shop, but of course, it also brought several problems.

First, they would need to close the shop for the time being in order to create 400 pieces of fresh bread. Second, they needed more hands to finish it, no matter how skilled they were, it was impossible to finish 400 pieces of bread within a few hours. Ohno’s principle was to sell the fresh-from-the-oven bread; he didn’t want to provide his customers with loaves of bread from the day before. Third, Ohno had never been involved in this kind of formal event and Keio University seemed too fancy for his little shop.

Why on earth this Sakurai Sho wanted him to provide the loaves of bread for his seminar? He could have asked a bigger bread shop instead of Ohno’s. Moreover, he only heard the bread product from his assistant which meant that he didn’t know how the bread tasted like. Ohno hesitated, half of him wanted to turn down the request, it was better not to get tangled in something like this. His shop was fine without a big order, his shop had already had loyal customers.

He could picture Jun’s face if he turned down Sakurai’s proposal. He could hear Jun voicing his disappointment on how stupid Ohno was for declining such project.

There was not enough time, it was better to meet this Sakurai Sho in person and hear from him about the details including the reason why he chose Ohno’s shop.

Ohno typed the reply.

Dear Sakurai Sho-san,

Thank you for your email. I’m so honored that you trust your seminar in our hands. First of all, I would like to meet you in person to discuss the details, I think it will be better that way, remembering that we don’t have enough time. I propose that we can meet up today in the evening or tomorrow’s afternoon during lunch break.

Thank you in advance.

Best regards

Ohno Satoshi

Ohno reread the email and sent it to Sakurai. Then he sent Jun a LINE message, informing him that he would meet up with Sakurai for further details.

Ohno wasn’t someone who liked to sacrifice his off day for work-related matters, but it seemed that he had to do it now. Sakurai Sho appeared to be very professional (what do you expect from a university lecturer), it would be improper if he showed his laid-back attitude to his potential business partner.

Sakurai replied his email and agreed to meet up that afternoon around five o’clock at one of the coffee shops nearby Keio University. He apologized to Ohno beforehand that he only got an hour because he needed to prepare for his class at seven in the evening. An hour was enough, Ohno wasn’t very good at doing endless chit chat, the faster the better.

He ate lunch, took a shower, shove properly and spent the rest of the day by watching old movies. When the clock pointed to four, he changed his clothes and headed the venue where he would meet Sakurai Sho. The coffee shop was twenty-five minutes walking distance from Ohno’s apartment. It was smeared by university students; most of them were working with their laptop with earbuds plugged into their ears. Ohno sat at one of the outside tables; it was still thirty minutes earlier from the promised time. He sent a short email to Sakurai to inform him that he had already arrived at the venue and was sitting at the outside table. He also described his outfit (a dark green checked shirt and a baseball cap).

Ohno looked around him; everyone was busy with their own laptop or smartphone. He never went to university, so he didn’t know how their system worked or what kind of subject these students were studying. Sakurai was a lecturer, what degree he had to take to get that job? How many books he had to read every day? How many hours he had to study in a week?

Ohno hated studying; he got a headache just by imagining it.

A man with a dark suit appeared in front of the coffee shop fifteen minutes later; from the first glance, Ohno could guess that the man was Sakurai Sho. His appearance fit every description of a lecturer. His suit was neat and smooth as if someone had spent hours to iron it; the dark briefcase in Sakurai’s right hand was shiny and made of fine leather; his shoes were in matching color and they were also glossy and well-polished. Sakurai wore glasses which fit his face perfectly, his hair was nicely cut with bangs fell naturally to his forehead. In other words, this man was so fancy, even fancier than Jun.

He headed straight to Ohno’s table and politely asked him.

“Ohno Satoshi-san?”

Ohno abruptly stood up, knocked his thigh on the edge of the table, “Yes, you must be Sakurai Sho-san,” he said, trying hard not to wince in pain.

“Nice to meet you,” Sho extended his hand to shake Ohno’s. The grip was strong and professional.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” Ohno mumbled.

Sakurai took a seat across from him, putting his briefcase into the bag basket under the table and glanced at the menu.

“Have you ordered something?” he asked Ohno.

“Not yet, I’m waiting for you,” he replied.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, my schedule is like hell this week,” he said, flashing an apologetic smile to Ohno.

“No problem,” Ohno waved it off. “Today is my off day.”

Sakurai called the waiter and ordered a cup of cappuccino for himself, meanwhile, Ohno asked for a cold brew.

“This is my name card,” Sakurai handed him a piece of card when the waiter disappeared towards the counter. “As I mentioned in my email, I will hold a seminar next two weeks. I will need your help to provide the coffee break snacks.”

Ohno took the name card, glimpsing briefly at it before returning his attention at Sakurai.

“Why my shop?” he asked.

Sakurai’s smile grew wider as he heard Ohno’s question. “I like something out of the box. What’s the point of ordering loaves of bread from the already well-known shop. Besides, your bread is one of a kind, it will be such a waste if it doesn’t get promoted properly.”

“Have you ever tried my bread before?” Ohno asked again. As far as he could remember, he never saw this guy entering his shop.

“Of course,” Sakurai answered, still with the professional smile on his lips. “My assistant buys your bread every morning for my breakfast. It’s the best bread I’ve ever tasted.”

“T-thanks,” Ohno stammered, he wasn’t that good in handling compliments.

“This is the rundown for my upcoming seminar,” Sakurai fished another piece of paper from his briefcase. “It will be held on Tuesday, 10.00 am to 05.00 pm. I only need you to deliver the bread to the venue, you don’t need to stay all day.”

Ohno scanned the rundown; he basically didn’t need it. “We prioritize the quality above all. I can’t deliver the bread a day before the seminar. It must be at least two hours before the coffee break.”

“Is it okay for you?” Sho asked. “I mean…”

“I’ll figure it out,” Ohno said, pushing away his thoughts of Jun’s frowning.

“Nice,” Sakurai nodded happily.

Their orders came and for a couple of minutes, they enjoyed their coffee without talking. Ohno stole glances every now and then to the lecturer in front of him. Sakurai seemed only slightly younger than him, but this man had everything that Ohno didn’t. He would never look good in a suit, he would never be able to present himself as this man did. He would never be able to talk in long phrases without stumbling on his words.

“If you have further question, you can email or send me a LINE message. I’ll be busy for the upcoming weeks, though,” Sakurai said, gazing at his watch. “My assistant will communicate with you if I’m not available. I’m sorry that I have to go now,” Sakurai took his briefcase from the basket and rose off of his seat.

“Thank you for choosing my shop, Professor,” Ohno said.

Sakurai showed him an awkward face as Ohno called him ‘professor’.

“It’s a pleasure,” Sakurai smiled. “You don’t need to call me professor,” he added.

“I wish you good luck on your seminar preparation,” Ohno said, bowing slightly as they were about to separate.

“Thank you,” Sakurai replied.

Ohno watched the man disappearing through the crowds; he continued his steps towards the opposite direction. He would think of the problems tomorrow morning; he fished Sakurai’s name card from his wallet and saved Sakurai’s phone number, just in case if he needed to give him a phone call.

***

Ohno arrived at his shop at five in the morning the next day. He began preparing the ingredients he needed and started to mix the dough.

Jun appeared at seven when Ohno had already baked the bread. Jun was not a morning person; he would become a zombie-like if he worked before six. Ohno understood it very well and adjusted the schedule; he would take an hour rest after finishing the morning bake. Jun would be responsible to close the shop and for the cleaning.

“Morning,” Jun greeted him. “How was your meeting with the Keio Professor?”

“Good,” Ohno replied. “I forgot to mention that we’re lack of staff.”

Jun rolled his eyes and disappeared to change into the uniform. He returned five minutes later with a typical scowl on his face when he thought that Ohno’s decision was too reckless.

“We’ll find new staffs, don’t worry, Jun-kun,” Ohno said while adjusting the oven temperature.

“We only have less than two weeks,” Jun answered. “Let’s hope for a miracle that someone would apply today and start working tomorrow.”

“Nothing is impossible, right,” Ohno said, grinning.

The customers started coming at eight; salarymen, students, housewives, and sometimes foreigners. Ohno welcomed them with a smile on his lips and a cheerful greeting.

“That will be 1200 yen,” he said, handing the bread to a young man which somehow looked familiar. Came to think about it, he had seen this face a few times before.

“I’ve heard from Professor, that you have agreed to provide us coffee break snacks,” the man suddenly said.

Ohno thought fast, trying to recall this man’s name which appeared in his email.

“I’m Ninomiya, Professor Sakurai’s assistant,” the man said before Ohno could reply. He couldn’t tell whether Ninomiya was still a student or not, his appearance looked like someone in their mid-twenties. Unlike Sakurai who wore a suit, Ninomiya only wore a plain blue shirt above a pair of black trousers. His knapsack around his shoulder seemed heavy. 

“Oh,” Ohno nodded. “He mentioned that you buy him breakfast every morning.”

“He has become a fan of your bread,” Ninomiya said. “Thank you for this, Ohno-san. See you again tomorrow.”

Ohno smiled and bowed as Ninomiya left the cashier desk. The peak hours for a bread shop was eight to ten in the morning. They could finally heaved a breath when lunchtime approaches.

“What do you want for lunch?” Jun asked from the kitchen.

“I leave it to you,” Ohno said, loosening his apron and leaning deep into his lazy chair.

He took his phone and opened the shop email. There was an unread email with the subject ‘job application’. He clicked it open and read the sender’s name: Aiba Masaki, 29 years old, graduated from dressmaking school, eager to work hard, loves meeting people.

“Jun-kun, I think we’ve found a possible candidate for new staff,” Ohno said, showing the email to Jun who was still busy cutting asparagus. He scanned the email quickly and raised his brows.

“Dressmaking school? Do you think that he can work with us?”

“He loves meeting people,” Ohno replied. “He can be of help on the cashier desk during peak hours, so we can bake the bread without disturbance. Besides, we really need more hands to fulfill Sakurai’s order.”

“We need someone who can bake as well, Satoshi.”

“We can teach him,” Ohno said absentmindedly.

“If you said so, I’m not the most patient teacher, tough,” Jun said, shrugging.

Ohno laughed, recalling how Jun had made two part-timers quit because of his short temper. Ohno was horrible in teaching someone else, he basically left them to Jun’s hand. Jun was a perfectionist, he even sometimes criticized Ohno for the imperfect shape of newly created bread.

They heard the front door chime ringing; Ohno put down his phone and welcomed the customer.

“Welcome to Jam Bread Shop,” he said. “Sakurai-san,” he mentioned the guy’s name as he saw the intellectual face in front of him.

“Hi,” Sakurai smiled. He had his jacket around his arm today, revealing his muscular chest under his white shirt. “I’ve just finished my morning class and decided to stretch my feet a little.”

“I thought that your assistant had bought you some this morning,” Ohno said, walking around the corner to approach Sakurai.

“My colleague grabbed them, nothing left for me,” Sakurai said with a less-professional smile this time. “I’m starving now.”

“I can bake the new one for you, it won’t take a long time,” Ohno said. “Warm bread tastes better.”

Sakurai turned at him and nodded happily. Ohno gestured to the man to take a seat on one of the tables and told him to wait.

“Who’s that?” Jun asked, carrying two plates of pasta to the kitchen table.

“The lecturer, our new business partner,” Ohno explained, entering a ready-bake dough into the oven.

“He’s quite handsome,” Jun commented as he peered through the connecting door between the kitchen and the counter. “I thought that he’s someone with a bald head.”

Ohno chuckled lightly.

“You can have your lunch ahead of me,” Ohno said, carrying the baked bread with the tray towards Sakurai.

The professor was looking around the shop when Ohno approached him. It seemed that Sakurai had never stepped his feet here before today. His eyes swept the bread display, the interior design, the little painting on the wall, and finally, his gaze fell to Ohno.

“That was fast,” Sakurai commented, smiling. His front teeth were lined up nicely and they looked pretty.

“A chocolate croissant and cheese bagel,” Ohno said, putting the tray in front of Sakurai.

The lecturer took the croissant and ate it with a happy expression as if he hadn’t eaten for days.

“This is very good,” he praised while his mouth was still full. It somehow erased the professional image off of him. Ohno watched the man enjoying the bread he made; it was such a pleasant thing. There was a satisfaction in him as he watched someone loved his bread that much.

Sakurai didn’t need much time to finish the bread; his face showed a content expression. “Everyone will stay during the seminar just to eat these breads,” Sakurai said, looking at Ohno.

“You’re exaggerating,” Ohno replied, gripping the tray stronger than needed. Something in Sakurai’s smile had sent a prickle to his stomach.

He thanked Ohno once again and left the shop with his usual confident steps. It was later that afternoon when Ohno realized that Sakurai left his jacket on the armrest of the chair he sat on.

He took it and brought it to the locker room, covering it with the used dry-cleaning plastic to prevent it from the unpleasant smell. The jacket seemed expensive and it smelled of Sakurai’s soft perfume. Perhaps Ninomiya would take the jacket as soon as Sakurai realized it, but nobody came to claim it that day.

Perhaps Sakurai had several backup jackets in his office that he needed to get the one he left here. Ohno moved it into his locker; it was odd to see a suit jacket inside his shop. Came to think of it, he had never worn any suit, he probably would look horrible in it.

Ohno returned to the kitchen; Jun was half-way cleaning it as they were ready to close the shop. He reached his phone and made a phone call to Aiba Masaki. He had talked about it with Jun, they couldn’t wait any longer, they needed a new staff. 

Aiba Masaki appeared to be a very cheerful guy; he answered the phone immediately and was excited when Ohno informed that they wanted him for an interview on the following day. Ohno ended the call and said goodbye to Jun as he headed home. His mind wandered to Sakurai; was he still teaching at this hour? Had he eaten his early dinner?

Ohno fastened his cardigan; the weather had finally gotten colder at the beginning of October. Sakura trees alongside the road had their leaves fell completely. The maple trees had started to change color; it was time for him to bake a new variant of bread: limited edition in autumn. With that thoughts, Ohno sped up his steps towards his apartment.

***

Aiba Masaki came to the shop early in the morning. Ohno led him to the room at the back of the shop, gesturing the guy to sit at one of the chairs. Aiba was tall and slim, he wore rounded eyeglasses which looked very stylish. He wore baggy clothes, but they fit him nicely.

“Can you work from today?” Ohno asked when Aiba finished introducing himself.

“To-today?” Aiba confirmed.

“Yes,” Ohno nodded. He was always horrible in explaining something. “We're understaffed and…you’re a good candidate, it’s not a job which needed high skill, so I think you can do it.”

Aiba’s eyes grew bigger as he nodded slowly.

“Well then,” Ohno stood up from his chair. “Let’s find a uniform for you. I think Jun’s size fits you.”

They moved to the locker room; Jun’s eyes followed them and when Ohno told the man that he needed to lend Jun’s uniform for their newly hired employee, he just shrugged.

“Jun-kun will teach you how to bake,” Ohno said. “He’s a little bit short-tempered, please bear with him,” he added.

Aiba grinned with worry; he changed his clothes quickly and joined them at the kitchen.

The clock pointed to eight, it was time for them to start the day. The usual morning activity welcomed them; Ohno greeted his customers with a smile on his face. Some of them were regulars who always did little chit chat before finishing their purchase.

Ninomiya appeared at the same time as the day before, he bought three pieces of bread and paid them while looking at Ohno’s face with more interest than usual.

“Here’s your change,” Ohno said, handing the coin to Ninomiya who still stared at him with a slight smile on his lips. “Is there anything else you want to buy, Ninomiya-san?”

“No,” he shook his head.

Ninomiya left the shop with a smug face and that was when Ohno remembered Sho’s jacket inside his locker. He sighed, why didn’t he remember it earlier?

Ohno carefully took Sakurai’s jacket and decided to return it by himself. He checked Sakurai’s office on the man’s name card and went to the campus after closing the shop. Jun was still teaching Aiba how to bake when Ohno left the shop; something in Aiba probably had mellowed Jun down since he explained it patiently.

Sakurai’s office located at 7th floor, he was still teaching when Ohno arrived. A middle-aged woman told Ohno to wait, it seemed that she thought Ohno was a laundryman since she kept on telling him how much Sakurai valued his clothes.

“He always wears a high-quality suit to work,” she said, nodding. “His family is wealthy, his mother is also a lecturer, his father is a high-rank government official, no wonder that Sakurai-sensei is very good in presenting himself. He’s one of the most favored lecturers in this campus, I wonder why he is still single, he could easily get a wife with that look and that brain.”

Ohno only nodded, not knowing what to say. He had just known Sakurai for three days and the information this woman provided were too much for him. She finally left him a few minutes later, mumbling that she needed to finish her report.

Sakurai came from a wealthy family and he was a single man. Those two categories were perfect for women who looked for a partner – wealthy, handsome, smart, perfect ass. Perhaps Sakurai was too perfectionist, that was why it was hard for him to get the right woman, or perhaps he was gay. The last thought sent a tight knot to Ohno’s stomach. What if Sakurai was a gay?

“Ohno-san?”

Ohno jolted as he heard Sakurai’s voice. He stood up abruptly from the couch and handed the jacket to the man.

“You left it in my shop,” he mumbled; for some reason, he couldn’t look at Sakurai’s face. He felt guilty that he heard so much about the man from a stranger.

“Oh my gosh, I was so clumsy,” Sakurai said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry that you have to come all the way here. You could have called me,” the man continued.

“Er-, I thought that you must be busy. It’s okay, I’m free in the evening after all,” Ohno said, grinning.

“Let me invite you for dinner as my gratitude,” Sakurai said, leading Ohno into his office.

Ohno had never been to a lecturer’s office before. Sakurai’s office was cramped since he had filled every corner with books. They were in the various language, mainly Japanese and English. Thick encyclopedias were at the bookshelf behind Sakurai’s desk. Economic newspapers piled up on Sakurai’s desk and the one he was still reading was widely opened on his table. Sakurai walked on a narrow path among the books towards his desk and slumped tiredly on the chair.

“Sorry, this place is horrible,” he said with an apologetic smile.

“Have you read them all?” Ohno couldn’t help from asking. There were too many books; it was unbelievable for him. He would need a lifetime to read them or even more.

“Yes,” Sakurai answered lightly. “I need them for my research.”

Ohno winced as if Sakurai had said something painful to him. It gained laughter from the lecturer.

“It’s my job to read books,” Sakurai said, taking his briefcase from below his table. “I’m done for today, let’s go have some dinner or maybe you have another plan?”

“No, I’m free.” Ohno shook his head.

Sakurai still smiled broadly as he hanged his jacket on the porch. Ohno was right that he had too many backup jackets in his office.

They walked together through the campus corridor. Some people glanced curiously at Ohno, perhaps Sakurai rarely invited someone to his office and Ohno’s presence was some kind of weird. Their shoulder bumped as they walked through a narrow path, but Sakurai seemed didn’t mind it.

“I love your chocolate croissant,” Sakurai opened the conversation. “You’re right that it was more delicious when it’s still hot.”

“Thanks,” Ohno said. “We will bake new menus for autumn,” he added.

“That’s nice. I’ll definitely try them,” Sakurai commented.

This man always knew the right thing to say; Ohno was glad that Sakurai had become less formal compared to the first time they met.

They entered a yakiniku restaurant; Ohno left the menu to Sakurai, he basically loved every food. With a big glass of beer, they started to chat. Sakurai was the one who talked more which Ohno was grateful for, he didn’t have many topics to discuss. Sakurai told him that his daily schedule was crazy; he had to teach four classes each day and made progress on his research in between.

“I’ll eventually get bald,” Sakurai said, chuckling lightly.

“I can’t imagine how stressing your days are,” Ohno commented.

“I get used to it,” Sakurai replied. “I will have more time after my seminar.”

“Good for you,” Ohno commented.

After drinking his second glass, Sakurai had become so much more relaxed. He had taken off his tie and loosened his shirt buttons which revealed his muscular chest. His appetite was fantastic; Ohno wondered how he kept his body in shape with this kind of appetite.

“Your bread, they help me facing my days,” Sakurai said. His face reddened, he probably had already gotten drunk.

Ohno didn’t get drunk that easily; he could drink four glasses of whiskey and still sober. He always became the one who took care of his drunk buddies when they went outside for a drink.

“I should have come earlier to your shop. You’re cuter than I thought,” Sakurai giggled, sipping his beer deliciously. “Are you with someone, Ohno-san?”

“Me? No, I’m a free man,” Ohno answered, looking at Sho’s red eyes with curiosity. Was it normal to ask whether someone was single or not on their dinner?  

“Everyone is gossiping behind my back, you know,” Sakurai took a bunch of rice from his bowl and brought it to his mouth. “They’re asking about my sexual preference.”

Ohno tried to listen calmly. Sakurai was drunk after all, he didn’t know what he was saying.

“Ohno-san, do you have a type? Do you like men?” Sakurai mumbled.

“Er-, I don’t really…” he gulped.

“It’s hard to find the right person. They always told me that I’m narcissistic who loves talking about himself all the time. I just want to communicate, you know. Some people are too quiet, so I have no choice other than talking. Don’t you think so?”

Sakurai kept on rumbling about how he had dated a few men before and their relationship eventually ended. He mentioned that he had stopped looking for a partner, he started to focus on his research and hold more seminars to keep himself busy. Ohno just hoped that Sakurai’s memories would be wiped clean the next day. He didn’t know what to think of this man after hearing his life story. He was a lonely guy – a perfect man but a lonely one. The thought made him uneasy.

“Call me Sho,” Sakurai said as they finished eating. “I like it better. I guess you’re not familiar with formality.”

“You’re right, Sho-kun,” he voiced the name. It passed his lips and he was delighted when he saw Sho’s lips quirked in a smile.

“See you around, Satoshi-kun,” Sho patted Ohno’s shoulder as they separated at the bus stop.

Sho waved goodbye at him from inside of the bus when it departed. Ohno felt something weird inside his chest – a slight pain when the bus made a turn when he could no longer see Sho. He shook his head in confusion; Sho would be his business partner, they would meet each other again, there was no need for him to feel this way – as if Sho would leave forever.

He blamed the alcohol for his run of thoughts and left the restaurant towards his apartment. Tomorrow would be another busy day for him and so did Sho.

***

Ohno, Jun, and Aiba had no time to relax as Sho’s seminar day was approaching. Ohno had found five new menus and now they were racing with time to try to bake them within the shortest time possible. They still opened like always which meant they had to work extra time in the evening to finish their newest creation. Luckily, Jun and Aiba were excited on the new project, instead of protesting that they only had a short time to rest.

Sho didn’t visit the shop; he sent Ninomiya every morning instead to get the bread for him.

“Sho-chan told me to say thank you on his behalf for your bread, Ohno-san,” Ninomiya said every time he purchased the bread.

It was three days prior to the seminar when Sho finally made an appearance at Ohno’s shop. They already closed the shop, Jun and Aiba were already leaving, Ohno was the only one remained there, finishing his newest menu which he would launch in spring.

Sho sneaked inside silently and watched Ohno kneaded the dough for minutes before Ohno realized his presence. He thought he was hallucinating due to the lack of sleep in the past few days, but Sho was the real flesh, smiling at Ohno with arms crossed over his muscular chest.

“Sho-kun,” Ohno said, blinking a few times to make sure that he was looking at the real Sho.

“Am I interrupting you?” Sho asked, approaching Ohno with the same smile on his lips.

“No, I almost finish,” Ohno continued to knead the dough, but what he didn’t expect was when Sho took the apron from the porch and wore it.

“Let me help you,” Sho said.

“You’ll get dirty,” Ohno shook his head when he looked at Sho’s white shirt which was clearly an expensive brand.

“I don’t mind. You seem to have a lot of fun working with the dough,” Sho chuckled. “So, what can I do for you, sensei?”

Ohno couldn’t help himself from smiling when he heard Sho’s words. He had nothing to complain right now, they were utterly alone and Sho’s appearance in an apron was so much better than what he could imagine. This was a moment he couldn’t miss.

He gave Sho an amount of dough and told him to knead it. Sho eagerly did it; just like a boy who just got his new toy. The thought sent a prickle to Ohno’s stomach, for the first time, he felt superior to this good-looking lecturer.

“Are you doing this every day?” Sho asked.

“Of course,” Ohno replied, giving Sho an amused look.

“I mean, by hands instead of a machine,” Sho said.

“Oh, the quality is quite different, you know,” Ohno mumbled. “I prefer kneading with hands.”

“That’s why your bread are delicious,” Sho gave him a kind of admiration smile which made Ohno’s face turn warm.

 “T-thanks,” Ohno said, avoiding Sho’s eyes and busied himself with his own dough.

“It really helps me reducing my stress,” Sho said happily as he kept on kneading the dough with enthusiasm.

“I’m happy I can be of help,” Ohno replied.

Somehow, what they were doing at the moment reminded him of a movie scene. He had seen it a long time ago, a DVD which he borrowed from Jun.

“Can you check it?” Sho said, pushing the bowl to Ohno’s direction.

Ohno extended his hand to touch Sho’s dough; their hands touched accidentally in the process. He was about to apologize when Sho caught his fingers.

“You have nice fingers,” Sho said with a tiny voice. He let go of Ohno’s fingers carefully as if they were fragile; the movement was unpredictable that Ohno wasn’t prepared for that. He concentrated to the dough bowl, hiding his red face. Sho’s touch still remained on his skin and he wished the man could hold his hand a little bit longer – but it wasn’t the right time for that.

“It’s mild enough,” Ohno said. “We can bake it now.”

Ohno could feel Sho’s gaze on him, but he busied himself with the ready-baked dough. He put the dough onto the tray into the oven and set the temperature. Sho was still looking at him, this time with a soft expression on his face. Ohno tried to push away his awkwardness and offered Sho a cup of coffee.

“Let me brew some coffee while waiting for the bread,” Ohno murmured, leaving Sho towards the coffee machine which located at the backside of the kitchen. He couldn’t ignore his heart beats; was Sho thinking the same way? But no, he couldn’t just conclude it that way. They had just met three times, they were almost strangers to each other.

He was attracted to Sho – since the very beginning. From the way, Sho dressed, the way Sho talked, from the way Sho smiled. But he didn’t expect the man to feel the same; it was some kind of admiration towards the man above anything else.

Ohno carried the coffee towards one of the tables of the shop and told Sho to wait there. Their bread were nicely baked; they swelled perfectly and looked delicious. He added chocolate and cheese on the bread and brought them to Sho.

“You’re qualified enough as a first-time baker,” Ohno said while serving the cheese bread to Sho.

“This is a record,” Sho said happily. “I never made something before, my works are always related to papers and data.”

“I’m honored to eat your first bread,” Ohno said, chuckling.

Sho laughed and ate the bread thankfully. “This is yummy,” his eyes widened in excitement. He gave the bread another bite, regardless that his mouth was still full. Ohno swore that he never saw someone that happy in eating bread.

“This will be a big hit in spring, Satoshi-kun,” Sho said, still tried to chew the bread in his mouth.

“You’ll choke if you don’t eat it carefully,” Ohno said, taking a glass of water for Sho. The lecturer had just mentioned his first name, very naturally, as if they had called each other’s first time since the very beginning.

Sho finished the bread in no time and sipped the coffee deliciously. “This is my lucky day for making the bread with the best baker in town,” he said.

“You only made your shirt dirty,” Ohno gestured to Sho’s white shirt which was covered in powder. He thought he would explode if Sho gave him another compliment.

“I mean it,” Sho said with a more serious tone.

“T-thank you, Sho-kun,” Ohno said, looking down at the half-eaten chocolate bread on his plate. When he lifted his head, Sho’s face was right in front of him. He couldn’t move when Sho leaned closer to kiss him right on the lips.

The world turned upside down when Sho’s lips touched Ohno’s. Sho’s lips were soft and they drunken Ohno more than any liquor he had consumed for his whole life.

Ohno didn’t really remember what happened next. Sho mumbled that he had to go to continue his final preparation for the seminar. He told Ohno to take a proper rest; they waved each other goodbye. Ohno needed a longer time than usual to clean up the kitchen; he touched his lips a few times, making sure that Sho’s kiss was real.

What was that for?

Sho didn’t say anything afterward; he didn’t bother to explain his action. Whether it was just for fun, friendly kiss, confusion kiss because he was too stressed from his work, or was it a real kiss like what Ohno had expected.

Ohno went home with mixed feelings; he didn’t know how to face Sho when they met on the seminar day. He couldn’t sleep despite the exhaustion from work and he blamed Sho for that. Sho’s nice smile swam back and forth in his head. Ohno could still feel his warm breath against his skin when Sho kissed him.

“Damn you, Sho-kun,” he whispered to his pillow while trying to invite the sleepy feeling.

***

“Did you invite someone to our kitchen yesterday?” Jun asked Ohno when he entered the shop on the next morning.

“Er-,” Ohno hesitated for a moment. He had cleaned everything yesterday night and put the apron Sho had worn on the porch. What made Jun know that someone had been here?

“You never invited anyone to the kitchen, Satoshi,” Jun scowled.

“It was Sho-kun…I mean Sakurai-sensei,” Ohno mumbled an answer. Jun looked at him with unreadable expression before smiling.

“So, he’s ‘Sho-kun’ now?” he asked with a teasing tone.

“It’s easier to call him that way,” Ohno said, avoiding Jun’s gaze. He took the apron and wore it around his waist.

Jun didn’t pry any further, but the slight smile still decorated his face. He and Aiba started teasing Ohno that he was in love since his breads turned sweeter that day compared to the usual taste.

Was he in love?

The correct answer should be yes, but Ohno didn’t want to put his hope too high. There were many possibilities on why Sho kissed him last night. He didn’t want to be disappointed at the end by concluding that Sho liked him in romantic way. Besides, they hadn’t known each other that well; their relation was just between a baker and a lecturer who happened to work together for a seminar.

Ohno, Jun, and Aiba stayed over at the bakery a night before Sho’s seminar since they needed to work from three in the morning. It was the first time for Ohno to spend the night at his shop. He apologized to Jun and Aiba, but they waved it off, telling Ohno that they were happy to do it.

“I always wanted to do this, it feels like camping, you know,” Aiba said cheerfully.

“Let’s go for a real camping on New Year’s holiday,” Ohno said.

“At that famous spot? Where we can see Mount Fuji?”

“Don’t trust him that easily, Aiba-kun,” Jun said from his sleeping bag. “Satoshi moves based on his mood.”

Ohno chuckled, so did Aiba.

“I’ll remind him all the time,” Aiba said.

“Good luck with that,” Jun mumbled an answer.

They fell asleep shortly. Ohno dreamed about the seminar; they were late in delivering the breads, Sho and Ninomiya were so mad that they denied talking to them. Ohno finally bought breads from the nearest supermarket and carried them to Sho, but the lecturer was no longer at the seminar hall. He was at Ohno’s shop, ringing the alarm.

“Wake up, Satoshi,” it was Jun’s hand that shook him instead of Sho’s.

Ohno opened his eyes and saw Jun’s silhouette; he woke Aiba up and turned off the alarm. Ohno rose off from his sleeping bag, stretching his muscles and went to the toilet. After finishing his business, he washed his face and brush his teeth quickly.

The three of them started working on the first 400 breads with various flavor. Ohno and Jun worked on the dough meanwhile Aiba was the one who baked them. By five in the morning, they had finished half of the breads. It was faster than Ohno expected; they would have enough time to deliver the breads at eight.

The campus was within walking distance from Ohno’s shop which was very convenient. Ohno would be the one who would deliver the breads meanwhile Jun and Aiba would work on the second 400 breads for afternoon coffee break.

He pushed the shop cart towards the campus right at 7.30; the sidewalk was already smeared by the commuting people. Some of Ohno’s customers greeted him on his way, most of them were salarymen and campus staffs.

Ninomiya was ready at the campus gate; he smiled as Ohno approached.

“Just right in time,” Ninomiya said, guiding Ohno towards the seminar hall.

“How’s sensei doing?” Ohno asked. He hadn’t heard from Sho for the past three days; the man must have been very busy.

“He’s fine, only with higher temper. But I guess, he will get better once he sees you,” Ninomiya replied with a broad smile on his lips. The identical smile like what Jun and Aiba gave him recently.

They reached the seminar hall which located at the center building; Sho was already there, checking the projector and the sound system.

“Sakurai-sensei, your favorite baker has arrived,” Ninomiya announced.

Sho turned around and met Ohno’s gaze almost immediately. He gave Ohno a soft smile which hid a thousand meanings. Sho wore navy blue suits with a matching tie; eyeglasses decorated his handsome face, he looked tired, but it didn’t hinder him from giving a professional atmosphere.

“I could smell your breads from distance,” Sho said, approaching Ohno. “Breakfast?” he added.

Ohno smiled and nodded, following Sho and Ninomiya towards the back side of the seminar hall. Ninomiya brewed three cups of coffee and put the cups in front of Sho and Ohno, meanwhile, he mumbled that he needed to check on the copy materials, leaving both of them alone on the table.

They enjoyed the bread and coffee in silence before Sho opened the conversation.

“Sorry about the other day,” he said.

Ohno knew he referred to the sudden kiss and his heart sunk. Did Sho regret what he had done?

“You don’t need to apologize, Sho-kun,” Ohno mumbled a reply. It wasn’t the right timing to talk about their feelings, Sho would speak in front of 400 seminar attendees and Ohno would need to finish another 400 pieces of breads. They would screw it up if they discussed about unnecessary thing now.

“Satoshi-kun…”

“I need to go back to the bakery. Jun and Aiba are waiting for me,” Ohno said before Sho could finish his sentence.

“Oh, you’re right, I need to do my final preparation as well,” Sho said, nodding understandingly, but Ohno could see a little disappointment there.

“We’ll be delivering the next breads at two in the afternoon,” Ohno said, rising from the chair. “Good luck with your seminar, Sho-kun.”

“Thanks,” Sho smiled weakly.

Ohno left the breads cart to the staff and walked outside the campus. Jun and Aiba were just finished the late breakfast when Ohno arrived.

“I thought you would stay for the seminar,” Jun commented.

“I don’t understand a thing about global economy,” Ohno mumbled an answer.

“But you can see him delivering his speech,” Aiba chirped in.

“I don’t see any merit in doing that.”

“Oh, oh,” Jun and Aiba exchanged look which convinced Ohno that they had been talking about him.

“Let’s get back to work,” Ohno said, grabbing his apron from the porch and fastened it around his waist.

Jun and Aiba joined him a few minutes later, but it seemed that they had unspoken agreement that they didn’t mention Sho’s name for the whole morning.

Ohno felt stupid; he shouldn’t act childish on Sho’s big day. Perhaps it was because of Sho’s apologize that he was afraid to hear what Sho was going to say next. They could talk once they had enough time which definitely not today.

The three of them finished the remaining breads at two o’clock and this time Jun was the one who delivered them. Ohno and Aiba meanwhile took care of the dishes. Jun returned an hour later and helped them to clean the kitchen.

Ohno stayed at the shop a little bit longer to make a final check for the stock. They would close on the next day, but it didn’t mean Ohno could have a full-off-day; there were many things he needed to take care of, including buying new stocks for their next opening day. He had just finished counting everything when the door of the shop opened, revealing Sho’s figure.

“Sho-kun,” Ohno looked at Sho in bewilderment. Didn’t he had something to do after the seminar instead of visiting Ohno’s shop?

“I can’t take it anymore,” Sho whispered, approaching Ohno quickly and pushed him onto the wall. “I’ve missed you, Satoshi-kun.”

“We just met this morning,” Ohno mumbled, accidentally dropped the tray in his hand.

“I couldn’t concentrate, I screwed up a few times…”

“I’m sorry…” Ohno mumbled.

“Yes, I blame you for that,” Sho leaned closer, his face was too close now. “I’ll screw up everything if I don’t see you tonight.”

“You apologized this morning,” Ohno said with a tiny voice; his heart beat loudly inside his ribs.

“Just don’t speak another word,” Sho caught Ohno’s lips. It was what Ohno needed at the moment; he pushed away his doubt and accepted Sho’s kiss happily. He brought his hand to Sho’s muscular chest; the spot which already caught his attention since the first time they met. Sho’s hands cupped his face as if preventing Ohno from turning his head away.

Sho pulled further, smiling at Ohno. “Why are you so kissable?” he asked playfully.

“Maybe because you like my breads too much,” Ohno answered.

“It doesn’t relate, but I accept it,” Sho said while leaning closer once again to give Ohno another kiss.

***

Ohno didn’t know how Sho ended up in his bed that night. They went for dinner together, drank a few glasses of wine, and went home. Both of them were too tired to clean themselves before going to bed that they slept without changing their clothes. Ohno didn’t remember inviting Sho to his room, but it didn’t really matter now. It was almost natural for them to end up in the same bed after their passionate kiss the day before.

Sho was still fast asleep when Ohno woke up the next morning and the lecturer was naked for whatever reason. As far as Ohno remembered; they didn’t do anything last night and he had no memory of removing Sho’s clothes. He didn’t complain, though. Sho’s naked body was too good to be true, he was facing down, revealing his beautiful shoulder blades along with a nice back and buttocks. Half of his under ass was covered in blanket; Sho’s pose was just like the photos Ohno found in the sex magazines.

He climbed down the bed carefully and reluctantly covered Sho with a blanket. Then, he headed the kitchen to prepare their breakfast – two breads from the day before and two cups of coffee. Sho woke up ten minutes later with a messy hair and a sleepy face. He wore one of Ohno’s T-shirts which was too small for his body – a lovely appearance, it was the complete opposite from the image Sho showed him when he wore suits, but it revealed his cute side and it brought a pleasant feeling to Ohno in the best way possible.

“Coffee,” Ohno gestured to the cup.

“Thanks,” Sho said, pulling a chair beside Ohno.

They sat side by side, enjoying the breads and coffee silently. It felt natural as if they had done it for a long time. What made Ohno even happier was the fact that Sho didn’t try to look cool on their first morning together.

“Any plans for today?” Sho asked.

“I have to buy some stocks for tomorrow,” Ohno replied.

“Can I go with you?”

“Sure,” Ohno said, turning his head at Sho. “But, don’t you have work to do at campus?”

“I’m free for two days after the seminar,” Sho grinned.

“Buying stocks is boring, Sho-kun. You’ll definitely hate it.”

“I need inspiration for my next research paper,” Sho said with the sweetest smile he could make. “’How a baker catches everyone’s heart through his breads’ will be a nice title for my upcoming publication.”

Ohno chuckled, he never guessed that it was very easy to talk with Sho. He thought the lecturer would have been more serious and only discussed academic stuff.

“It would be an unusual first date,” Ohno mumbled shyly. What did he just say? A date?

“I love the unusual,” Sho said, landing a kiss on Ohno’s cheek before disappearing towards the bathroom.

Ohno couldn’t ask for a better day; Sho was really a nice companion. He was very good in starting the conversation with everyone he met for the first time. All of Ohno’s stock providers were happily explained their product to Sho. They even suggested Sho to start a business, given his ability in economic theory.

Sho held Ohno’s hand from time to time when they walked towards the station; there was no room for embarrassment or the worry that one of his students might spotted him. It seemed that Sho had no problem if everyone found out about his sexual preference.

“Can we go to your shop after this?” Sho asked.

They were having lunch at one of the best soba restaurants in Minato.

“I want to learn making bread from you again,” he added.

“Do you consider to change profession?” Ohno asked playfully.

“Perhaps, if the owner of the bakery accepts me as one of his staffs,” Sho said.

“Of course, not,” Ohno replied with a serious tone. “You’ll screw up everything.”

Sho laughed and punched Ohno’s upper arm softly. “I think making breads with you is the best date I’ve ever have.”

Ohno laughed; perhaps Sho was right that making bread together was surprisingly enjoyable. They finished their lunch and headed towards the station. Sho found Ohno’s hand and held it strongly. They might be not knowing each other that well – not yet, but Ohno knew that their relationship would be just fine. He loved Sho’s ‘leadership’ between them – something that Ohno couldn’t do and he was sure that Sho also found something he didn’t possess in Ohno.

They walked faster as if couldn’t wait for the excitement that waiting for them.

a.n: This fic was inspired by Arashi ni Shiyagare episode where Sho went to a bread shop on top of the mountain in Nagano. I think it would be heart-warming if both Sho and Ohno could produce bread together.

 

 

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