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nilielhTitle : [Fic] I Have Kept You In My Heart (Part 6)
Pairing : Ohno/Jun, Sho/Nino, Ohno/Nino, Eventual Jun/?
Rating : R
Summary : Before Jun, there was only Nino. The man Ohno loved with everything he had, loved with such ferocity that any other emotion would pale in comparison. He was Ohno's everything, the love of his life, the person Ohno dreamed of sharing his whole life with someday. Until Nino's untimely death, six years ago.
Disclaimer : fiction, yo!
Warning : Angst in large doses. Memory loss. Minor character death. One-sided love.
The tests came back with promising results and Sho found himself relieved beyond relief itself.
It was surprising, as much as everything else about Ninomiya, but Sho realized that he didn’t mind much. In fact, he’d never felt this invested towards anyone before, patient or no, and he knew that at one point, he had to stop and think about his actions, and he would, but not today.
Today, he was looking forward on telling Ninomiya the good news, to inform him that in a few days time, he would be allowed to go home. Sho honestly didn’t know how to feel about that one, too, knowing for certain that he would miss Ninomiya terribly once he’d left the hospital.
But the prospect of meeting Ninomiya outside was enticing as much as it was promising, and Sho honestly wished Ninomiya would allow him the privilege once Sho asked for it.
Well, as his doctor and as his friend, at least for the time being.
For now, that would be more than enough for Sho.
He knocked on the door once, twice, a muffled voice calling out prompting him to come in. He pushed the door forward, his smile already in place, waving the test results around excitedly, and stopped.
“We can do this later, Kazu,” said Kazuko-san, “Once the doctor is done -”
“No, he needs to hear this, too, Kaa-chan,” Ninomiya returned, unperturbed. “I want him right here when you tell me what exactly happened to me that night.”
“But I don’t really - I don’t have all the answers,” Kazuko-san insisted. “I…I wasn’t there when…when the accident happened.”
“Then, who was?” Ninomiya insisted. “Someone should be, right? Was it Aiba-kun?”
Kazuko-san shook her head. “No.”
“I-Is…Is everything alright?” Sho asked, just loud enough to preempt Ninomiya.
Ninomiya turned and gestured him further inside, and Sho did. From his peripheral, he saw Kazuko-san moved, finding another chair and pushing it over near Sho. He looked around and frowned at the lack of Nurse Kiritani around.
“Not really, Sensei,” Ninomiya said, but his gaze was directed at his mother, at Kazuko-san who looked like she wished nothing more but to be anywhere but here. “But I’m hoping that is going to change once my Mom is done talking. Now please have a seat. You need to hear this, too.”
“I don’t…understand. Is there something wrong?”
Ninomiya waved him off. “She told me she’s going to tell me what she knows, about that night the accident happened,” Ninomiya said. “You might want to sit down for this, though.”
To his mother, he said, “You were saying, Kaa-chan?” just as Sho opted to sit down, gaze catching the helpless look on Kazuko-san’s face. Sho wanted to say something, to warn her of the possible repercussions of what she was about to do, but he got this feeling that doing so would only make him look bad in front of Ninomiya.
Besides, despite his inner-doctor telling him he should do something, his curiosity obviously wanted the same thing Ninomiya was insistently asking his mother for.
Kazuko-san wiped the moisture off her cheeks with the back of her hands and lowered her gaze to the ground.
“I can only tell you what I know, Kazu,” she started, “at least the ones which I have personally looked over after you have been pronounced dead.” she said, darting her eyes towards Sho, ignoring Ninomiya’s surprised gasps.
“I’m sure Sensei knows this, too, because he was here when we transferred you from that hospital in Chiba. The emergency dispatch team that came to pick you up was there, too, as was your sister’s husband.”
“Husband?!” Ninomiya inquired, eyes wide. Kazuko-san ignored him.
“They asked me to rectify their mistake, the emergency team, that is, since they’ve already notified us and everyone who were there when you were brought into the hospital, of your death. Your sister’s husband volunteered to do it himself, but I specifically told him not to. I have already talked to the doctors just minutes before, and I knew right then that I had to decide.” she paused here, only so she could direct her gaze at her son.
“Y-You…made everyone believe I was dead?” Ninomiya asked, his voice uncharacteristically low and gravely. “Kaa-chan, but why? Why would you even do that?”
She didn’t even blink when she answered. “They told me you weren’t going to make it anyway, that even if you did, you’re not going to be the same. As your mother, I couldn’t just… stood by and watch that happen. If you were going to wake up, then so be it, but I’m not going to allow people to look at you and then feel sorry for you right after! And the doctors were so sure you weren’t going to make it, Kazu, and in that moment, I knew I’ve already lost you. So I did what I thought was right, back then.” she breathed.
“I called your sister’s husband and I instructed him to make the necessary arrangements for your funeral, left you in the hospital with your heart still miraculously beating, and join the others in mourning.”
Holy shit. “B-But, how was that even possible without a dead body -”
“I told him to keep the casket shut.” she cut in without preamble.
Sho vaguely watched the way Ninomiya’s jaw dropped. This was honestly a hundred times more shocking than what Sho had imagined in his head.
“But…why?” Ninomiya asked again - he was obviously running out of words to ask - and Sho understood him perfectly.
“I mean, if only to keep people from looking at me like they’re sorry I lived - if ever I woke up, that is, which I actually did, in the end - why even go to such length as to make everyone believe I died?”
Her gaze went to her son, steady and unyielding. “Because I had a feeling that what happened to you wasn’t just a simple accident, Kazu,” Kazuko-san said.
“And that night, seeing you fighting for your life, or at least whatever was left of it, I knew in my heart that I should, too. And if that meant keeping the truth of your condition a secret from everyone just to protect you, then that’s what I was prepared to do.”
++
Sho’s temple throbbed, signaling a beginning of a very painful headache.
“I can’t believe this,” Ninomiya said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I mean, why would anyone want to do that, most of all to me?! I’m just…I’m nobody!” Ninomiya paused, obviously trying to take everything in and failing.
Sho knew it must be so hard, seeing that he was only there, listening, and he was already having a hard time imagining what he just heard himself. And then on top of it all, Ninomiya couldn’t remember anything. What more if Kazuko-san mentioned the length of time Ninomiya had been in that coma?
Sho wondered how nerve-wracking that must be for Ninomiya afterwards.
“I hope I know the answers myself, Kazu, but I don’t and I’m sorry.” Kazuko-san said, casting her eyes downwards. “I tried, I really did, but it was hard to keep the investigation going due to lack of witness and evidence, and the police told me to just accept everything and move on.”
“And you still believe it wasn’t an accident?” Ninomiya asked.
“I don’t just believe it, I knew it.”
“But you just said there was no witness or evidence, so how come -”
“There wasn’t, but it was undeniable that something was off when we were told the exact position you were in when you were found.” she said, and Sho frowned despite himself, watching the way Ninomiya’s jaw clenched in answer.
“You were already on the ground, but I was told you were still conscious. The police insisted it was an accident, but even they knew the way you were found lying on the ground like that proved otherwise.”
Ninomiya blinked. “W-What…What do you mean? Wait, are you implying… Are you saying it was possible that I… that maybe I tried to kill myself?” he asked, his voice rising in combined panic and confusion.
Sho honestly mirrored Ninomiya’s sentiment. For one, he had no idea that there was more to the reports written on Ninomiya’s chart, that the accident wasn’t as simple as it had been made to seem like.
She looked far too heartbroken to even want to continue, but Sho knew that she had to.
“They all thought that you might have, but I knew you didn’t,” Kazuko-san said, “You couldn’t have. I mean, there was just no way, no, it’s not possible. But it was difficult no to consider the possibility, after they did their initial investigation and they’ve found evidence pointing towards the fact that you didn’t accidentally fall out of the window,”
Kazuko-san looked her son in the eyes. “Because it was evident in the way you were found lying on the ground that you jumped out of it willingly, Kazu.” she paused here.
“I did - w-what?”
Sho whipped around, gaping at Kazuko-san this time. Ninomiya jumped out of the window willingly? So, did this mean that what happened to Ninomiya wasn’t an accident as they were made to believe?
What the fuck was going on?
++
He had no idea how he managed to get himself out of the hospital without major mishaps, or how he was able to get to the parking lot, much more find his car when he was certain he’d left his brain somewhere else.
Probably at the front of Ninomiya Kazunari’s hospital room door where Jun had found himself peeking through, after Sakurai-Sensei had gone in and closed it behind him.
He’d have to fend Mizuhara-san off, who was so worried that she wanted to call Sakurai-Sensei back to check on Jun again, had to convince her that he was fine, please, I just need to go buy something to drink from the vending machine, so can I just come back here and take my schedule with Sakurai-Sensei from you right after?
She didn’t seem the least bit convinced when she agreed, but Jun was no longer concerned about her reaction. He had to take a detour just to make sure Mizuhara-san wouldn’t find out where Jun was actually going, finding Sakurai-Sensei boarding the elevator up. It was just a lucky coincidence that Sakurai-Sensei was alone, so it was so damn easy to figure out exactly which floor Sakurai-Sensei was going.
From then, it was like a complete cake walk. Jun found Sakurai-Sensei’s retreating back just as he was stepping out of the elevator. Jun followed, was only vaguely grateful that the hallways were empty, saved from a couple of nurses he passed by on his way to follow Sakurai-Sensei. Then he stopped when he spotted Sakurai-Sensei doing the same in front of a door, watched as Sakurai-Sensei stared down at the papers he had in his hand as he knocked on the door.
When the door opened and Sakurai-Sensei stepped in and closed the door behind him, Jun followed, feeling entirely like his heart had ended up lodged in his throat. He stood in front of that door, thankful that Sakurai-Sensei left it a little ajar that Jun was able to peek through the gap.
That was when Jun saw him - he was simply tilting his head and talking, urging Sakurai-Sensei to sit with just the wave of his hand, and only his side profile was visible, but it was enough. Jun had seen photos of him to know that he wasn’t just hallucinating - some from Ohno’s old photo albums Ohno had kept hidden in a box along with some of his old artworks, some from Ohno’s sister who’d hesitantly showed Jun when Jun requested her to.
It was him, alright. The years that pass did nothing to change his boyish features, or the way he tended to slouch when he sit. Jun knew it was stupid of him to even think of this when there were obviously far more important stuff he should be worrying about, like, what in hell was he supposed to do now?
He had forced himself away from the door before he ended up doing something he knew he would eventually regret after, and started walking. His heart was in chaos, as were his thoughts.
What was he going to do now? Did Ohno know? And if he did, was this the reason why Ohno was acting the way he did lately? If he didn’t, then, what were the odds that he wouldn’t find out soon enough?
Jun dropped his head heavily against his arms gripping the steering wheel hard, his whole body shaking, in anger and something else. He felt so betrayed that he found it so hard to think past the rage clouding his judgments as he reached for the keys.
He needed answers, and he knew exactly where to get them.
He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot with single-minded purpose.
++
The place wasn’t nearly as empty as Aiba hoped it would be when he got there, but he guessed it would have to do. He’d hoped it wouldn’t be as crowded as it tended to be during early evenings, when customers flocked the place like crazy, but that must be because it was already nearing lunch time.
Most of the tables inside the cafe/restaurant were already occupied, and so Aiba decided to sit on one of the three that were still available outside. At least there, it would be easier to just drag Ohno away if things started to go sour, knowing he couldn’t do the same inside, without actually making a scene.
The cafe/restaurant seemed just as homey outside as it was inside. It was honestly one of the reasons why Aiba liked the place, out of the other cafes around this area. Somehow, it wasn’t just the interior itself but the place’s ambiance in general. There wasn’t anything particularly outstanding about the cafe’s inside or outside interior, enough to set this cafe apart from the others, but somehow, Aiba liked it just the same.
Maybe, it was the fact that the owners preferred to work there, too, like normal employees, instead of the usual. It was always nice to watch them interact with customers, give and take orders the same way their employees would, knowing they genuinely liked what they were doing.
His phone started vibrating just as he was contemplating making a quick run back to his car for his cigarette - he didn’t realize he forgot it until he saw these unoccupied tables outside and decided sitting here would be the better choice.
It was Ohno. Forgetting his desire for a smoke, he answered the call. “Oh-chan, hey.”
Aiba-chan? Yeah, I’m here. At the front of the - is this a restaurant or a cafe?
“It’s both.”
Oh, well. I’m here. Where are you?
Aiba blinked and stood, squinting at the front entrance trying to locate Ohno. “Out back, they have tables here. Oh, I see you already!”
Where? Oh, outside? But where should I -
Aiba waved, and kept at it until he was sure Ohno walked into the door, spied Ohno asking someone on his way inside. “No, you still have to go through the front entrance, to get here. Do you see me now?”
No, wait, just - yeah, I think so. Yes, stop waving already. I’m hanging up.
And then Ohno did, Aiba still waving, watching Ohno pocketing his phone and shaking his head with a soft smile. Aiba grinned, but didn’t stop waving, until Ohno had crossed the short distance between the cafe’s main hall and the door leading outside.
Ohno’s smile visibly widened when Aiba rounded the way and met him halfway, Aiba literally manhandling Ohno and tugging the other man for a hug. Ohno returned the gesture in kind, their arms tight around each other as Aiba closed his eyes and held on for just a second longer before he let go.
“It’s so nice to see you again, Oh-chan, seriously.” Aiba said, thumping Ohno on the back and looking him over. “God, it had really been too long. I’ve missed you. You’ve got black hair now, huh?”
Ohno smiled, bashful and so, so him, that Aiba couldn’t help but tug him back into his arms again for another quick hug.
“We’re getting old,” Ohno muttered, once he could, when Aiba was done hugging the crap out of Ohno and had decided to gesture them towards the table he’d reserved for them.
“Dyeing my hair blonde no longer suits me, apparently.”
“Now, that’s seriously not true,” Aiba returned with a huff as they sat, shoving his fingers through his lightly-colored hair for show. “We could be eighty and only have few hair remaining in our heads and I would still dye it with any color I fancy. No one’s stopping me. Not even my grandchildren’s grandchildren, I’m telling you.”
Ohno chuckled and shook his head at him. He said nothing in return though, and Aiba found himself wishing there were still other topics they could talk about, anything, to at least delay the real reason he called Ohno here so suddenly.
He couldn’t find any, though, and the awkward silence that proceeded almost made him want to run, forget about all this and just let time take care of everything, but he knew he couldn’t.
He owed Ohno this, at least. And Nino, too.
“So, what was so important that you had to drive all the way from Chiba to meet me when we’re already scheduled to meet this weekend?” Ohno asked, frowning, his curiosity palpable in the way he was looking straight into Aiba’s eyes.
Aiba tried to cover up his nervousness with a smile, hoping he didn’t sound as stupid as he felt.
“Couldn’t we order something first?” he asked; it was a valid question, at the very least, and by doing so he knew he’d be able to buy himself some time - a few minutes would be enough to ready himself - and stood.
“I’m starving. I haven’t eaten proper food since two nights ago when we went to the hospital and -”
“Hospital?” Ohno asked, cutting Aiba off with a frown. “Why? Did something happen? Are your parents okay?”
Aiba blinked. Trust his traitorous mouth to spill the beans when his brain had just been preparing for it, damn it.
He sighed and sat back down heavily on the chair there, gluing eyes on the table for a moment. Guess that lunch, or at least that coffee, would have to wait, for now.
He breathed through the terrifying pounding of his heart inside his ribcage, leaned back on his seat and stared straight into Ohno’s inquiring gaze locked on his.
“They’re fine,” he answered, already feeling like he was speaking through a mouthful of cotton as he worked to arrange the words in his head and forced them out of his mouth despite the difficulty.
“It’s - I - W-We went to the hospital to… to visit - I mean, for someone else.”
Ohno’s frown deepened. “I-Is it Kazuko Kaa-san?”
Aiba shook his head so quickly it seemed almost comical. “No, Jesus, of course not. She’s fine. Healthy as a horse, if I may say so myself.” he laughed, but it sounded shaky even in his own ears.
Ohno chuckled, half-hearted at best because he was still frowning at Aiba. “The suspense is killing me here, Aiba-chan, for real. Come on, just out with it. Does you - and whoever went with you to that hospital to visit that person had to do with why you suddenly decide to drive all the way here and meet me, or am I wrongly assuming things now?”
Aiba shook his head, the words felt so heavy in his tongue that he couldn’t force them out. But he had to. God, but he had to.
“Yes and no,” he said, swallowing past the lump that lodged itself in his throat. “Yes, my decision to come see you, had everything to do with that hospital visit, and no, you’re not wrong. Well, not entirely.”
“I don’t understand,” Ohno muttered, still frowning, but this time, the expression on his face was alarmingly confused. “That - s-should I be worried?”
Aiba averted his gaze, cleared his throat. This was so hard. How was he supposed to tell Ohno everything when his heart wouldn’t let him, when it was thumping in his chest like that that Aiba was honestly worried his chest would eventually burst open any moment now and kill him before he could even say anything.
“Aiba-chan?” Ohno called, prompting him. Aiba sighed heavily and leaned over, his elbows on the table as he looked Ohno over.
It’s now or never.
“No, I don’t supposed you should,” he said, and swallowed his fears down. “To be honest, instead of worrying, I think you should be happy.”
“Sorry?”
Aiba braved the urge to run, knowing he was halfway there. He reached over and took Ohno’s hands in his, noting the way his own were cold compared to the warmth of Ohno’s skin beneath his hands.
“Oh-chan, I know this is going to sound crazy, and maybe a little too far fetched but - but I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?” he said, and he knew his voice was shaking along with the rest of him.
Ohno looked more than a little confused now; he seemed suspicious, but he kept his mouth shut, the line of his mouth was curled with something entirely else.
He breathed through his nose and braved his own fears, knowing this was not about himself anymore.
“Nino is alive. He was in a coma and had woken up two nights ago. In a hospital in Kodaira. I - I swear I had no idea about all this, and I’ve only just found out Nino’s not -”
“Stop,” Ohno muttered and tugged his hands away, as if he’d been burned. Aiba let him. “Just - stop - what the hell are you saying, Aiba-chan? That’s - Jesus fucking Christ -” Ohno laughed, but he didn’t sound the least bit elated.
Aiba knew exactly how that felt. “I - If this is your idea of a joke, I swear to god, Aiba-chan, it’s not even remotely funny.”
Aiba expected this, too. “It’s not a joke, Oh-chan,” he said, “I’m not joking. I’m telling you the truth. I - Nino is alive, Oh-chan. He’d been alive for the past six years, but was in a coma, when all of us thought he died. No one expected him to wake up but he did. Two nights ago. I saw it - saw him with my own two eyes, Oh-chan. I swear to you. Nino is not dead. He’s not dead. He’s alive. Nino is -”
“You’re…not serious,” Ohno stuttered, “You - This is a joke, right?”
“No,” Aiba remained firm. There was no way around this anymore, and Ohno’s reaction was certainly something Aiba had expected, too. “It isn’t. It isn’t, Oh-chan. I’m sorry.”
Ohno pursed his lips and stood. “Fine, then, if it’s not a joke,” he said, the sound of his voice and the look on his face was terrifying. But he was agreeing, at the very least. Aiba would take that as a good thing, for now.
“Come and take me to him. Right now. I want to see him.”
Aiba nodded. “Of course, but there’s one more thing you should know before I take you there.” he agreed, then paused. He’d made it through the first difficult hurdle, he would get through the next part just the same.
Ohno said nothing, just stared at him and waited.
“Nino is alive but,” he said, then paused, just quick enough to breathe air back into his lungs.
“But he doesn’t remember you.”
Pairing : Ohno/Jun, Sho/Nino, Ohno/Nino, Eventual Jun/?
Rating : R
Summary : Before Jun, there was only Nino. The man Ohno loved with everything he had, loved with such ferocity that any other emotion would pale in comparison. He was Ohno's everything, the love of his life, the person Ohno dreamed of sharing his whole life with someday. Until Nino's untimely death, six years ago.
Disclaimer : fiction, yo!
Warning : Angst in large doses. Memory loss. Minor character death. One-sided love.
The tests came back with promising results and Sho found himself relieved beyond relief itself.
It was surprising, as much as everything else about Ninomiya, but Sho realized that he didn’t mind much. In fact, he’d never felt this invested towards anyone before, patient or no, and he knew that at one point, he had to stop and think about his actions, and he would, but not today.
Today, he was looking forward on telling Ninomiya the good news, to inform him that in a few days time, he would be allowed to go home. Sho honestly didn’t know how to feel about that one, too, knowing for certain that he would miss Ninomiya terribly once he’d left the hospital.
But the prospect of meeting Ninomiya outside was enticing as much as it was promising, and Sho honestly wished Ninomiya would allow him the privilege once Sho asked for it.
Well, as his doctor and as his friend, at least for the time being.
For now, that would be more than enough for Sho.
He knocked on the door once, twice, a muffled voice calling out prompting him to come in. He pushed the door forward, his smile already in place, waving the test results around excitedly, and stopped.
“We can do this later, Kazu,” said Kazuko-san, “Once the doctor is done -”
“No, he needs to hear this, too, Kaa-chan,” Ninomiya returned, unperturbed. “I want him right here when you tell me what exactly happened to me that night.”
“But I don’t really - I don’t have all the answers,” Kazuko-san insisted. “I…I wasn’t there when…when the accident happened.”
“Then, who was?” Ninomiya insisted. “Someone should be, right? Was it Aiba-kun?”
Kazuko-san shook her head. “No.”
“I-Is…Is everything alright?” Sho asked, just loud enough to preempt Ninomiya.
Ninomiya turned and gestured him further inside, and Sho did. From his peripheral, he saw Kazuko-san moved, finding another chair and pushing it over near Sho. He looked around and frowned at the lack of Nurse Kiritani around.
“Not really, Sensei,” Ninomiya said, but his gaze was directed at his mother, at Kazuko-san who looked like she wished nothing more but to be anywhere but here. “But I’m hoping that is going to change once my Mom is done talking. Now please have a seat. You need to hear this, too.”
“I don’t…understand. Is there something wrong?”
Ninomiya waved him off. “She told me she’s going to tell me what she knows, about that night the accident happened,” Ninomiya said. “You might want to sit down for this, though.”
To his mother, he said, “You were saying, Kaa-chan?” just as Sho opted to sit down, gaze catching the helpless look on Kazuko-san’s face. Sho wanted to say something, to warn her of the possible repercussions of what she was about to do, but he got this feeling that doing so would only make him look bad in front of Ninomiya.
Besides, despite his inner-doctor telling him he should do something, his curiosity obviously wanted the same thing Ninomiya was insistently asking his mother for.
Kazuko-san wiped the moisture off her cheeks with the back of her hands and lowered her gaze to the ground.
“I can only tell you what I know, Kazu,” she started, “at least the ones which I have personally looked over after you have been pronounced dead.” she said, darting her eyes towards Sho, ignoring Ninomiya’s surprised gasps.
“I’m sure Sensei knows this, too, because he was here when we transferred you from that hospital in Chiba. The emergency dispatch team that came to pick you up was there, too, as was your sister’s husband.”
“Husband?!” Ninomiya inquired, eyes wide. Kazuko-san ignored him.
“They asked me to rectify their mistake, the emergency team, that is, since they’ve already notified us and everyone who were there when you were brought into the hospital, of your death. Your sister’s husband volunteered to do it himself, but I specifically told him not to. I have already talked to the doctors just minutes before, and I knew right then that I had to decide.” she paused here, only so she could direct her gaze at her son.
“Y-You…made everyone believe I was dead?” Ninomiya asked, his voice uncharacteristically low and gravely. “Kaa-chan, but why? Why would you even do that?”
She didn’t even blink when she answered. “They told me you weren’t going to make it anyway, that even if you did, you’re not going to be the same. As your mother, I couldn’t just… stood by and watch that happen. If you were going to wake up, then so be it, but I’m not going to allow people to look at you and then feel sorry for you right after! And the doctors were so sure you weren’t going to make it, Kazu, and in that moment, I knew I’ve already lost you. So I did what I thought was right, back then.” she breathed.
“I called your sister’s husband and I instructed him to make the necessary arrangements for your funeral, left you in the hospital with your heart still miraculously beating, and join the others in mourning.”
Holy shit. “B-But, how was that even possible without a dead body -”
“I told him to keep the casket shut.” she cut in without preamble.
Sho vaguely watched the way Ninomiya’s jaw dropped. This was honestly a hundred times more shocking than what Sho had imagined in his head.
“But…why?” Ninomiya asked again - he was obviously running out of words to ask - and Sho understood him perfectly.
“I mean, if only to keep people from looking at me like they’re sorry I lived - if ever I woke up, that is, which I actually did, in the end - why even go to such length as to make everyone believe I died?”
Her gaze went to her son, steady and unyielding. “Because I had a feeling that what happened to you wasn’t just a simple accident, Kazu,” Kazuko-san said.
“And that night, seeing you fighting for your life, or at least whatever was left of it, I knew in my heart that I should, too. And if that meant keeping the truth of your condition a secret from everyone just to protect you, then that’s what I was prepared to do.”
++
Sho’s temple throbbed, signaling a beginning of a very painful headache.
“I can’t believe this,” Ninomiya said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I mean, why would anyone want to do that, most of all to me?! I’m just…I’m nobody!” Ninomiya paused, obviously trying to take everything in and failing.
Sho knew it must be so hard, seeing that he was only there, listening, and he was already having a hard time imagining what he just heard himself. And then on top of it all, Ninomiya couldn’t remember anything. What more if Kazuko-san mentioned the length of time Ninomiya had been in that coma?
Sho wondered how nerve-wracking that must be for Ninomiya afterwards.
“I hope I know the answers myself, Kazu, but I don’t and I’m sorry.” Kazuko-san said, casting her eyes downwards. “I tried, I really did, but it was hard to keep the investigation going due to lack of witness and evidence, and the police told me to just accept everything and move on.”
“And you still believe it wasn’t an accident?” Ninomiya asked.
“I don’t just believe it, I knew it.”
“But you just said there was no witness or evidence, so how come -”
“There wasn’t, but it was undeniable that something was off when we were told the exact position you were in when you were found.” she said, and Sho frowned despite himself, watching the way Ninomiya’s jaw clenched in answer.
“You were already on the ground, but I was told you were still conscious. The police insisted it was an accident, but even they knew the way you were found lying on the ground like that proved otherwise.”
Ninomiya blinked. “W-What…What do you mean? Wait, are you implying… Are you saying it was possible that I… that maybe I tried to kill myself?” he asked, his voice rising in combined panic and confusion.
Sho honestly mirrored Ninomiya’s sentiment. For one, he had no idea that there was more to the reports written on Ninomiya’s chart, that the accident wasn’t as simple as it had been made to seem like.
She looked far too heartbroken to even want to continue, but Sho knew that she had to.
“They all thought that you might have, but I knew you didn’t,” Kazuko-san said, “You couldn’t have. I mean, there was just no way, no, it’s not possible. But it was difficult no to consider the possibility, after they did their initial investigation and they’ve found evidence pointing towards the fact that you didn’t accidentally fall out of the window,”
Kazuko-san looked her son in the eyes. “Because it was evident in the way you were found lying on the ground that you jumped out of it willingly, Kazu.” she paused here.
“I did - w-what?”
Sho whipped around, gaping at Kazuko-san this time. Ninomiya jumped out of the window willingly? So, did this mean that what happened to Ninomiya wasn’t an accident as they were made to believe?
What the fuck was going on?
++
He had no idea how he managed to get himself out of the hospital without major mishaps, or how he was able to get to the parking lot, much more find his car when he was certain he’d left his brain somewhere else.
Probably at the front of Ninomiya Kazunari’s hospital room door where Jun had found himself peeking through, after Sakurai-Sensei had gone in and closed it behind him.
He’d have to fend Mizuhara-san off, who was so worried that she wanted to call Sakurai-Sensei back to check on Jun again, had to convince her that he was fine, please, I just need to go buy something to drink from the vending machine, so can I just come back here and take my schedule with Sakurai-Sensei from you right after?
She didn’t seem the least bit convinced when she agreed, but Jun was no longer concerned about her reaction. He had to take a detour just to make sure Mizuhara-san wouldn’t find out where Jun was actually going, finding Sakurai-Sensei boarding the elevator up. It was just a lucky coincidence that Sakurai-Sensei was alone, so it was so damn easy to figure out exactly which floor Sakurai-Sensei was going.
From then, it was like a complete cake walk. Jun found Sakurai-Sensei’s retreating back just as he was stepping out of the elevator. Jun followed, was only vaguely grateful that the hallways were empty, saved from a couple of nurses he passed by on his way to follow Sakurai-Sensei. Then he stopped when he spotted Sakurai-Sensei doing the same in front of a door, watched as Sakurai-Sensei stared down at the papers he had in his hand as he knocked on the door.
When the door opened and Sakurai-Sensei stepped in and closed the door behind him, Jun followed, feeling entirely like his heart had ended up lodged in his throat. He stood in front of that door, thankful that Sakurai-Sensei left it a little ajar that Jun was able to peek through the gap.
That was when Jun saw him - he was simply tilting his head and talking, urging Sakurai-Sensei to sit with just the wave of his hand, and only his side profile was visible, but it was enough. Jun had seen photos of him to know that he wasn’t just hallucinating - some from Ohno’s old photo albums Ohno had kept hidden in a box along with some of his old artworks, some from Ohno’s sister who’d hesitantly showed Jun when Jun requested her to.
It was him, alright. The years that pass did nothing to change his boyish features, or the way he tended to slouch when he sit. Jun knew it was stupid of him to even think of this when there were obviously far more important stuff he should be worrying about, like, what in hell was he supposed to do now?
He had forced himself away from the door before he ended up doing something he knew he would eventually regret after, and started walking. His heart was in chaos, as were his thoughts.
What was he going to do now? Did Ohno know? And if he did, was this the reason why Ohno was acting the way he did lately? If he didn’t, then, what were the odds that he wouldn’t find out soon enough?
Jun dropped his head heavily against his arms gripping the steering wheel hard, his whole body shaking, in anger and something else. He felt so betrayed that he found it so hard to think past the rage clouding his judgments as he reached for the keys.
He needed answers, and he knew exactly where to get them.
He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot with single-minded purpose.
++
The place wasn’t nearly as empty as Aiba hoped it would be when he got there, but he guessed it would have to do. He’d hoped it wouldn’t be as crowded as it tended to be during early evenings, when customers flocked the place like crazy, but that must be because it was already nearing lunch time.
Most of the tables inside the cafe/restaurant were already occupied, and so Aiba decided to sit on one of the three that were still available outside. At least there, it would be easier to just drag Ohno away if things started to go sour, knowing he couldn’t do the same inside, without actually making a scene.
The cafe/restaurant seemed just as homey outside as it was inside. It was honestly one of the reasons why Aiba liked the place, out of the other cafes around this area. Somehow, it wasn’t just the interior itself but the place’s ambiance in general. There wasn’t anything particularly outstanding about the cafe’s inside or outside interior, enough to set this cafe apart from the others, but somehow, Aiba liked it just the same.
Maybe, it was the fact that the owners preferred to work there, too, like normal employees, instead of the usual. It was always nice to watch them interact with customers, give and take orders the same way their employees would, knowing they genuinely liked what they were doing.
His phone started vibrating just as he was contemplating making a quick run back to his car for his cigarette - he didn’t realize he forgot it until he saw these unoccupied tables outside and decided sitting here would be the better choice.
It was Ohno. Forgetting his desire for a smoke, he answered the call. “Oh-chan, hey.”
Aiba-chan? Yeah, I’m here. At the front of the - is this a restaurant or a cafe?
“It’s both.”
Oh, well. I’m here. Where are you?
Aiba blinked and stood, squinting at the front entrance trying to locate Ohno. “Out back, they have tables here. Oh, I see you already!”
Where? Oh, outside? But where should I -
Aiba waved, and kept at it until he was sure Ohno walked into the door, spied Ohno asking someone on his way inside. “No, you still have to go through the front entrance, to get here. Do you see me now?”
No, wait, just - yeah, I think so. Yes, stop waving already. I’m hanging up.
And then Ohno did, Aiba still waving, watching Ohno pocketing his phone and shaking his head with a soft smile. Aiba grinned, but didn’t stop waving, until Ohno had crossed the short distance between the cafe’s main hall and the door leading outside.
Ohno’s smile visibly widened when Aiba rounded the way and met him halfway, Aiba literally manhandling Ohno and tugging the other man for a hug. Ohno returned the gesture in kind, their arms tight around each other as Aiba closed his eyes and held on for just a second longer before he let go.
“It’s so nice to see you again, Oh-chan, seriously.” Aiba said, thumping Ohno on the back and looking him over. “God, it had really been too long. I’ve missed you. You’ve got black hair now, huh?”
Ohno smiled, bashful and so, so him, that Aiba couldn’t help but tug him back into his arms again for another quick hug.
“We’re getting old,” Ohno muttered, once he could, when Aiba was done hugging the crap out of Ohno and had decided to gesture them towards the table he’d reserved for them.
“Dyeing my hair blonde no longer suits me, apparently.”
“Now, that’s seriously not true,” Aiba returned with a huff as they sat, shoving his fingers through his lightly-colored hair for show. “We could be eighty and only have few hair remaining in our heads and I would still dye it with any color I fancy. No one’s stopping me. Not even my grandchildren’s grandchildren, I’m telling you.”
Ohno chuckled and shook his head at him. He said nothing in return though, and Aiba found himself wishing there were still other topics they could talk about, anything, to at least delay the real reason he called Ohno here so suddenly.
He couldn’t find any, though, and the awkward silence that proceeded almost made him want to run, forget about all this and just let time take care of everything, but he knew he couldn’t.
He owed Ohno this, at least. And Nino, too.
“So, what was so important that you had to drive all the way from Chiba to meet me when we’re already scheduled to meet this weekend?” Ohno asked, frowning, his curiosity palpable in the way he was looking straight into Aiba’s eyes.
Aiba tried to cover up his nervousness with a smile, hoping he didn’t sound as stupid as he felt.
“Couldn’t we order something first?” he asked; it was a valid question, at the very least, and by doing so he knew he’d be able to buy himself some time - a few minutes would be enough to ready himself - and stood.
“I’m starving. I haven’t eaten proper food since two nights ago when we went to the hospital and -”
“Hospital?” Ohno asked, cutting Aiba off with a frown. “Why? Did something happen? Are your parents okay?”
Aiba blinked. Trust his traitorous mouth to spill the beans when his brain had just been preparing for it, damn it.
He sighed and sat back down heavily on the chair there, gluing eyes on the table for a moment. Guess that lunch, or at least that coffee, would have to wait, for now.
He breathed through the terrifying pounding of his heart inside his ribcage, leaned back on his seat and stared straight into Ohno’s inquiring gaze locked on his.
“They’re fine,” he answered, already feeling like he was speaking through a mouthful of cotton as he worked to arrange the words in his head and forced them out of his mouth despite the difficulty.
“It’s - I - W-We went to the hospital to… to visit - I mean, for someone else.”
Ohno’s frown deepened. “I-Is it Kazuko Kaa-san?”
Aiba shook his head so quickly it seemed almost comical. “No, Jesus, of course not. She’s fine. Healthy as a horse, if I may say so myself.” he laughed, but it sounded shaky even in his own ears.
Ohno chuckled, half-hearted at best because he was still frowning at Aiba. “The suspense is killing me here, Aiba-chan, for real. Come on, just out with it. Does you - and whoever went with you to that hospital to visit that person had to do with why you suddenly decide to drive all the way here and meet me, or am I wrongly assuming things now?”
Aiba shook his head, the words felt so heavy in his tongue that he couldn’t force them out. But he had to. God, but he had to.
“Yes and no,” he said, swallowing past the lump that lodged itself in his throat. “Yes, my decision to come see you, had everything to do with that hospital visit, and no, you’re not wrong. Well, not entirely.”
“I don’t understand,” Ohno muttered, still frowning, but this time, the expression on his face was alarmingly confused. “That - s-should I be worried?”
Aiba averted his gaze, cleared his throat. This was so hard. How was he supposed to tell Ohno everything when his heart wouldn’t let him, when it was thumping in his chest like that that Aiba was honestly worried his chest would eventually burst open any moment now and kill him before he could even say anything.
“Aiba-chan?” Ohno called, prompting him. Aiba sighed heavily and leaned over, his elbows on the table as he looked Ohno over.
It’s now or never.
“No, I don’t supposed you should,” he said, and swallowed his fears down. “To be honest, instead of worrying, I think you should be happy.”
“Sorry?”
Aiba braved the urge to run, knowing he was halfway there. He reached over and took Ohno’s hands in his, noting the way his own were cold compared to the warmth of Ohno’s skin beneath his hands.
“Oh-chan, I know this is going to sound crazy, and maybe a little too far fetched but - but I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?” he said, and he knew his voice was shaking along with the rest of him.
Ohno looked more than a little confused now; he seemed suspicious, but he kept his mouth shut, the line of his mouth was curled with something entirely else.
He breathed through his nose and braved his own fears, knowing this was not about himself anymore.
“Nino is alive. He was in a coma and had woken up two nights ago. In a hospital in Kodaira. I - I swear I had no idea about all this, and I’ve only just found out Nino’s not -”
“Stop,” Ohno muttered and tugged his hands away, as if he’d been burned. Aiba let him. “Just - stop - what the hell are you saying, Aiba-chan? That’s - Jesus fucking Christ -” Ohno laughed, but he didn’t sound the least bit elated.
Aiba knew exactly how that felt. “I - If this is your idea of a joke, I swear to god, Aiba-chan, it’s not even remotely funny.”
Aiba expected this, too. “It’s not a joke, Oh-chan,” he said, “I’m not joking. I’m telling you the truth. I - Nino is alive, Oh-chan. He’d been alive for the past six years, but was in a coma, when all of us thought he died. No one expected him to wake up but he did. Two nights ago. I saw it - saw him with my own two eyes, Oh-chan. I swear to you. Nino is not dead. He’s not dead. He’s alive. Nino is -”
“You’re…not serious,” Ohno stuttered, “You - This is a joke, right?”
“No,” Aiba remained firm. There was no way around this anymore, and Ohno’s reaction was certainly something Aiba had expected, too. “It isn’t. It isn’t, Oh-chan. I’m sorry.”
Ohno pursed his lips and stood. “Fine, then, if it’s not a joke,” he said, the sound of his voice and the look on his face was terrifying. But he was agreeing, at the very least. Aiba would take that as a good thing, for now.
“Come and take me to him. Right now. I want to see him.”
Aiba nodded. “Of course, but there’s one more thing you should know before I take you there.” he agreed, then paused. He’d made it through the first difficult hurdle, he would get through the next part just the same.
Ohno said nothing, just stared at him and waited.
“Nino is alive but,” he said, then paused, just quick enough to breathe air back into his lungs.
“But he doesn’t remember you.”
