Ohno inhaled the fresh smell emitting from his own bakery and smiled thinking to himself that it was going to be a nice day. It always started like this. He would wake up super early, get his ingredients ready, bake a little, and wait for his employees to come to work and start the day off nice and smoothly. But something was wrong. He couldn’t quite figure it and nor can his employees answer it for him.

 

“Boss, what’s wrong?” One of his employees, named Aiba Masaki, tapped him on the shoulder. 

 

Ohno shrugged and tapped his chin in a slow rhythm. “Hmm…” He pondered for the answer. Even he himself couldn’t find the right answer since nothing was coming out of his mouth. He cocked his head to the side and even tried imagining the picture but there was nothing. The little dog sitting on the curb didn’t even bark to tell him what it was.

 

Seeing that his boss was not going to talk sooner, he went back to his station and gave off smiles to the customers coming in the shop. Even he didn’t notice.

 

Ohno slowly walked to the bench and poked the living thing under the newspapers hoping that it was still a living thing. The thing moved a little bit and went back to being still and unmoving. 

 

“Uh sir?” Ohno poked the thing. “You can’t sleep here. You’ll shy my customers away.”

 

The thing poked it’s head out and glared at Ohno, not caring at all what Ohno was saying. It poked out it’s tongue at him like a 5 year old would, and went back to sleep ignoring Ohno’s protests. 

 

He gave up and walked away from the bench into his bakery. He whispered a few things to his employees and told them to hurry back to their stations or their salary will be deducted by 1,000 yen for the day. And so they hurried back to their stations and sold the pastries to the happy and eager customers.

 

+++

 

Ohno tried again. The next day after opening the bakery, surely enough, the same living thing was there again. However, the living thing was sitting on the bench eating a small portion of bread that Ohno recognized was from his own bakery. Seeing this, Ohno claimed the thing to be a thief. But with his keen vision, he noticed that the bread the living thing was eating was already rotten and moldy. He shivered at the sight of eating such an inedible food.

 

He snatched one of his own breads and walked over to that same bench handing the bread over to the living thing. 

 

“Here,” Ohno waved the bread in mid-air. “Eat it.”

The living thing looked up at him, it’s mouth full and stuffed with the last remaining piece of bread it had earlier. It didn’t even smile at Ohno and just took the bread from Ohno’s hand and looked away, stuffing it’s mouth until the bread was gone. 

 

Shocked, Ohno went back to his bakery and took another handful of bread and gave it to the living thing. He smiled when it had accepted his offer but the living thing hasn’t said anything or even a thanked him at all. So he said, “You’re welcome.” To the man and walked away, back to his sanctuary and worked until it was closing time. Ohno looked back outside his bakery’s window and saw that the living thing left its habitat.

 

+++

 

Aiba muffled his laughter when he saw his boss walking in and out of the bakery during the day. He could tell by the boss’ actions that he cared for the man sitting on the bench but he didn’t want to say anything to him. He just merely starred at the expression his boss wore on his face and smiled, thinking that Ohno was finally happy these days.

 

“Boss,” another one of his employees, named Ikuta Toma, called for him. “I kind of forgot how to make croissants.”

 

“Oh,” Ohno breathed out and went back to starring outside of the bakery. “Just ask Masaki. He’ll help you.”

 

Toma wanted to ask what‘s up with his boss but shrugged it off. “Ok,” He nodded and walked over to the kitchen where Aiba mostly hangs out.

 

Of all the days, the store was ten times as busy than a normal day. So Ohno went back to starring outside the window, upset at the fact that he couldn’t go outside and be with the living thing. Unable to sacrifice his sincerity, he sighed and leaned on the counter while greeting his customers welcome to his own bakery. 

 

+++

 

“Sho~” Ohno whined as he sprawled his body all over the floor in his living room. “I can’t be the boss anymore.”

 

His room mate, Sakurai Sho, starred at him in confusion. “Why? Didn’t you work your off just to open your own bakery?”

 

Ohno closed his eyes and laid his hand on his stomach. “Yeah, but I can’t go to him if I keep being the boss.”

 

“To who?” 

 

“To him!” Ohno pointed out as a matter of fact. He still hasn’t told Sho about that hobo that was living on the bench across his bakery and he wanted it to remain that way. Until tonight, Ohno had to come clean and finally tell Sho about the living thing (hobo), that he just mentioned. 

 

“It’s just that it’s so freakin’ busy in the bakery and I have no time to give him food.”

 

Sho shook his head. “Is it involving an animal Masaki had brought to your place again?”

 

Ohno shook his head as an answer and just continued starring at the ceiling. His room mate Sho, had hooked up with Aiba two months ago. Even though his room mate hooked up with Aiba, Sho still lived with Ohno unsure if he was going to move in with his boyfriend. When he found out, he wasn’t disgusted at all but happy since he noticed that the two were overly comfortable around each other. It wasn’t strange at all since along time ago, he too had fallen for someone his same gender.

 

Sho chuckled and made his way from the kitchen to Ohno. “Then who or what is it?”

 

Ohno turned his head to the opposite side of where Sho was standing from to avoid being laughed at for his answer: “A hobo.”

 

Ohno closed his eyes. Half expecting Sho would just laugh at him while his other half hoped Sho would hear him out. It was silent and Ohno continued talking, glad that the brighter side listened to him. So he explained and Sho didn’t mutter a single word. He talked about the first day he had seen him, which was three weeks ago, and he would give the hobo food everyday without muttering thanks. He also explained that he would be sad that the hobo leaves every night, and would be happy that his heart would be jumping in joy when the hobo came back in the morning.

 

“I see,” Sho finally said after a long hour of Ohno’s explanation. “I see,” he repeated and walked away from the latter and headed to the kitchen. He knows that it will take Ohno, not that long enough, to figure out the answer for himself.

 

+++

 

“Boss,” Aiba giggled and poked Ohno on his cheek. “Just go over there. I’ll handle things myself. Besides, what would be the use of promoting me to a vice manager when you’re doing all the work around here?”

 

Ohno knew he was right so he took his hat off his head and handed Aiba the job for the day. He took some bread with him and walked over to the hobo who was just starring at the scenery before him.

 

“Here,” Ohno handed him the few breads he had in his possession. Seeing that the latter wouldn’t move, he walked over to the unoccupied side of the bench and left the bread sitting in between them. He didn’t mean to place it there, but it acted as a barrier for them to be close.
 

“So…” Ohno broke the silence. “You come here everyday, I give you bread, you don’t say thank you, and you leave every night and it repeats.” 

 

The hobo just continued starring at the scenery before him and didn’t move a little. Ohno took this chance to finally examine the man. His face was so white yet dirty from living in the dirty streets of Tokyo. On his chin laid a small yet visible mole that when anyone sees his face, they would fall for him. He continued starring at the hobo until the latter turned to face him and Ohno was left to stare at his brown orbs.

 

Ohno turned his gaze away from the hobo and pretended that he just happened to look at him. But the hobo knew the baker was starring at him.

 

“I’m sorry,” the hobo finally said. “For not saying thank you.”

 

Hearing the hobo finally speak, he turned his gaze back to the hobo and smiled, happy that the latter replied finally to him. It was until the latter kept starring at him with curiosity in his eyes that he stopped smiling to stop himself from being embarrassed and looked away, pushing the breads closer to the hobo.

 

“Here,” Ohno pushed the bread even closer to the hobo. “Uh…Bye.”

 

The latter just starred back at the baker and took the bread and this time he said, “Thank you. The name’s Nino by the way.”

 

+++

 

“Sho, have you heard of a guy named Nino?” Ohno asked his room mate that same day he learned the hobo’s name. He was sure he had heard that name somewhere before.

 

“Yeah. It’s he that guy back in kindergarten that used to bully you and me?” Sho replied as he plopped himself on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

 

Now that Ohno thinks about it, the more he started remembering that snarky kid with a sharp tongue that kicked the two of them around. He remembered all those times when the kid would spit at them, poke fun, and push them aside and cut in the line. Ohno grumbled. That kid had brought him bad memories in kindergarten, but it was thanks to that kid that he met Sho and became best friends with him.

 

Ohno frowned. It was a bad thing to him, befriending an old enemy was bad news. And if he were to tell Nino: “Oh hey Nino. It’s me Ohno! Remember in kindergarten you used to kick me and Sho around and made our lives miserable?” The hobo would laugh at him and probably regress back to being the bully and make Ohno give him more bread. But too late. He just remembered that his own name was painted on his bakery’s window. 

 

“Crap,” Ohno cursed. “I’m toast.”
 

+++

 

The day after he learned the hobo’s name, he stopped going to Nino’s habitat and stayed in his sanctuary telling his employees what to do. They noticed that something was wrong with their boss because he was never this bossy. He would at least tell them what to do for the rest of the day and then doze off or go outside to feed the hobo. The employees gave each other looks. They were all thinking the same thing: Ohno wasn’t in a good mood.

 

After telling his employees what to do, he slumped back down on his chair and took his hat off, letting it land with a soft thud on the floor. He didn’t notice a tall male walk up behind him.

 

“What’s wrong boss? Sho destroyed the kitchen again?” Aiba rested his hand on Ohno’s shoulder hoping that the answer was no.

 

“No,” Ohno answered his prayers. “It’s that hobo outside.”

 

Aiba giggled. “You guys had a fight?”

 

Ohno just glared at him and the latter backed away. He really wasn’t in the mood to joke around with Aiba especially since he just mentioned the problem as to why he was in a bad mood in the first place. 

 

“Boss!” Toma called from the main area. “We have a problem!”

 

Ohno sighed picked up his hat from the floor, not giving a care at all if he put the hat right. Just as he was about to ask what the problem was, he already figured it out by that same stench he smells every daylight, and the sound of a man with the same voice as Nino’s.

 

His eyes widened. “Get out of here!” He shrieked. “You’re scaring my customers away!”

 

The short man looked at him in astonishment and did as he told. He scurried away from the bakery and never came back after being yelled at.

 

+++

 

Ohno regretted screaming at Nino. He knew why he did it: he was mad at Nino from his memories of kindergarten and that he actually was scaring his customers away. But ever since then, Nino never came back and Ohno felt empty and depressed. 

 

Aiba, with the help of Sho, tried cheering up Ohno by taking his mind off of Nino and baking all day with him and they even offered to go fishing with him. But Ohno’s mind stuck to Nino’s terrified face that day and the couple gave up on him. So to end his despair, the two went all over the streets of Tokyo and finally, they found Nino sulking besides a trash lit on fire.

Sho approached him first. “You’re Nino right?”

 

The hobo looked at him and nodded his head. He starred at Sho for awhile and then turned his attention back to the trash can.

 

“Look,” Aiba stepped in. “My boss is not in his right mind. We need you to help him.”

 

Nino looked up again and cocked his head in confusion. He didn’t know who those two hooligans that were talking to him and why the tall, brown haired male asked for his help. Instead of answering, he walked away from them and headed to his shelter. However, he stopped when the tall male had blocked his path.

 

“I’m serious,” he said with a breathy voice. “We really need your help.”

 

+++

 

“Shut up!” Ohno yelled at himself. His stupid mind wouldn’t stop talking to him and telling him that Nino was no one important to him. His brain would even dare to flash images of a young Nino and the Nino he knows now. But those images and sentences his brain was torturing him with won’t stop.

 

“ARGH!!” Ohno grumbled and shook his working table. He didn’t want any of his employees to see him like this but he couldn’t help it. They were already whispering words to each other and looking at him with sympathy.

 

However, Ikuta Toma knew why his boss was acting like this. He put his hand on his boss’ shoulder, nodded his head letting Ohno knows he understand, and whispered, “Boss, just look for him.”

 

Ohno looked up, tears forming on the corner of his eyes. He once never had an understanding employee other than Aiba.

 

“Thanks,” Ohno whispered back. “Thanks.”

 

+++

 

Sho had no choice but to knock the flustered Nino out of his consciousness and dragged him to Ohno’s apartment. During the day, his room mate wasn’t there since obviously, he was working until the sun had set and went home tired and weary of work. Aiba, carrying the feet of Nino, followed Sho into their apartment and gently dropped Nino on the sofa.

 

“Yes,” the two shook each other’s hands as if they were in a business meeting.

 

+++
 

Ohno did as what Toma told him to do: search for Nino. And so he searched every streets, every benches, every nooks and crannies, every hot spots where hobos hang out, and none, he couldn’t find the pale skinned man anywhere. He even tried asking the other hobos, but some of them didn’t even know who this Nino was, while some of them talked non-sense that Ohno couldn’t tell if they were speaking Japanese or gibberish language. 

 

He was about to give up when his phone rang to a cheery tone that Aiba had suggested him to apply as his ringtone. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he looked at the caller ID and it was Sho’s name that popped on the screen.

 

“Yeah?” he answered.

 

“Oh my gosh,” Sho panicked through the phone. “You have to come quick! I think I destroyed your kitchen again.”

 

Ohno grumbled. It was the third time that year Sho had done the same incident. That smart man who failed at sports and cooking wasn’t much of good use at home. What did Aiba even see in him?

 

“I’ll be there,” Ohno sighed for the second time that day. 

 

On his way home, he remembered his bakery and texted Toma to close the bakery for him. He waited for a couple of seconds and got a text back from Toma saying ‘OK’ with an emoticon at the end that goes like ‘:D.’ 

 

He sighed again for the third time that day. He wonders what the kitchen looks like when he gets home…

 

“Sir,” the taxi driver interrupted his train of thoughts. “10,000 yen.”

 

For Ohno, that amount was only a little. So he paid the taxi driver with 20,000 and told him to keep the change. He opened the door of the taxi and rushed home, his keys already in hand. When he opened the door, he closed his eyes already imagining the disaster Sho had caused.

 

When he opened his eyes, however, the kitchen remained untouched. His baking tools laying besides the sink, the counter pristine clean, and the kitchen spotless.

 

Sho tricked him. 

 

“Is this a joke?!” Ohno called from where he was standing. “Because this isn’t funny at all.”

 

No answer.

 

“Sho? Are you here?” Ohno asked the place.
 

No answer. 

 

It was starting to get strange and weird. Their place was small and whatever sound you made, you could hear it all the way from the last door to the end of their apartment to their front door.

 

Ohno took off his shoes rather lazily and walked to Sho’s bedroom. The door was unlocked and Sho wasn’t there laying or hanging around his bed.

 

He checked the bathroom and the door was also unlocked. Strange, Ohno thought. What does Sho have in mind?

 

Since he was home, he might as well go to bed and sleep until morning came. So he headed to his own room, not switching the light open and laid on his favorite spot. He cuddled into his own comfy bed when he realized something was wrong. This time, he figured it out.

He turned the light on and his eyes widened. On his bed laid a frail man, neatly dressed, and his breathing was slow. The man was asleep, still unaware of Ohno’s presence.

 

“Nino?” Ohno poked the hobo on the back.

 

The latter didn’t move. He just turned to his right side to face Ohno, but was still deeply asleep.

 

How in the world did Nino end up in my bed?! Ohno panicked. How did he even have access to my house?!

 

Then he remembered. The panicky Sho in the phone and the trick that the male had played on him. Now he was able to piece everything together. Sho did all of this so Ohno would stop sulking all night on his bed thinking about the young Nino and the Nino hobo.

 

He was thinking so much that he failed to realize the hobo sat up starring straight at his face. He felt a soft poke on his cheek and saw that Nino was starring at him with curiosity in his eyes.

 

“Nino how did you get here?” Ohno finally asked the hobo.

 

“Let’s just say, some knocked the out of me I ended up here.”

 

“Let me guess,” Ohno eyed the latter. “A man about my height did it to you?”

 

“No,” Nino replied. “It was a taller guy with brown hair and a skinny body.”

 

Not only did Sho trick him into this, his trusted employee helped his room mate.
 

“I see,” Ohno nodded his head. “Well, I better get to sleep.”

 

Nino shook his head. He stopped the latter from going to sleep by grabbing the sides of his head with his hand and clashing their lips together. He hasn’t felt this feeling in awhile ever since kindergarten.

 

“Say,” Nino panted as he broke the kiss. “I didn’t bully you because I hated your guts. I liked you.”

 

Ohno blushed and kissed the latter back.

 

END