I Thought I Lost You
Old Love and Sweet MelodiesOhno ran on the familiar road as he neared the mansion he lived in, in hopes that he would find Nino. In his state of mind, Ohno believed that he had woken up from a strange dream where Nino was ready to plunge in the cold, rushing water. Just when the latter was ready to take his own life, Ohno was there to save his young master and instead, sacrificed his own life for the boy’s. Then he dreamt of seeing a young man who looked exactly like him and possessed the same name, who he had asked permission for to use his body for something. Be that as it may, he knew that it was just a dream that never happened.
When he finally reached the mansion, everything before him changed. Before, the front lawn used to be so colorless and boring making it seem like it was an old mansion. Now it was green and had colors. The hedges that were arranged in rows used to be dull, lifeless, and kept untrimmed. Now, it was perfect. The scenery before Ohno made it seem like he has been away for a long time…
“Hey!” a guard caught Ohno starring through the front gates. “No one’s allowed!”
Ohno turned to the guard and smiled remembering that same voice. “Okura! Long time no hear buddy!”
The guard he recognized as Okura Tadayoshi scrunched his face together in confusion. Ohno saw the latter blink his eyes many times, bob his head back and forth squinting his eyes, and finally put his head down. The latter laughed.
“Ohno!” Okura slapped his own forehead in realization. “I thought you were dead!”
Ohno cocked his head to the side. “Dead?”
“Yeah!” Okura nodded his head as he wiped the tears in the corner of his eyes.
“You went to save that Ninomiya kid from jumping!”
As soon as he heard what the guard had said, he remembered the dream he had and shook his head telling himself it was just a dream. There was no way that it was real. Besides, the last time he had seen Ninomiya was the night before, being tucked away in his bed wishing his young master a good night. But if it was a dream, how come Okura knew about it?
Ohno started to laugh. “You’re lying right?”
Okura shook his head and suddenly turned his head away. “Actually,” he began, “after the day you disappeared, that Ninomiya kid left. All they have left is his brother that’s barely a month old.”
“A-a brother?!” Ohno yelled through the guard’s ear as he laughed harder and harder. Okura was getting good at this.
“Hey,” the guard took hold of Ohno’s shoulder. “I’m not kidding around. I’m telling the truth.”
Then that was when Ohno swore his world had broken in pieces. He stopped laughing and stood there, starring straight at the latter’s eyes. “I need to go in. Now.”
When he finally reached the mansion, everything before him changed. Before, the front lawn used to be so colorless and boring making it seem like it was an old mansion. Now it was green and had colors. The hedges that were arranged in rows used to be dull, lifeless, and kept untrimmed. Now, it was perfect. The scenery before Ohno made it seem like he has been away for a long time…
“Hey!” a guard caught Ohno starring through the front gates. “No one’s allowed!”
Ohno turned to the guard and smiled remembering that same voice. “Okura! Long time no hear buddy!”
The guard he recognized as Okura Tadayoshi scrunched his face together in confusion. Ohno saw the latter blink his eyes many times, bob his head back and forth squinting his eyes, and finally put his head down. The latter laughed.
“Ohno!” Okura slapped his own forehead in realization. “I thought you were dead!”
Ohno cocked his head to the side. “Dead?”
“Yeah!” Okura nodded his head as he wiped the tears in the corner of his eyes.
“You went to save that Ninomiya kid from jumping!”
As soon as he heard what the guard had said, he remembered the dream he had and shook his head telling himself it was just a dream. There was no way that it was real. Besides, the last time he had seen Ninomiya was the night before, being tucked away in his bed wishing his young master a good night. But if it was a dream, how come Okura knew about it?
Ohno started to laugh. “You’re lying right?”
Okura shook his head and suddenly turned his head away. “Actually,” he began, “after the day you disappeared, that Ninomiya kid left. All they have left is his brother that’s barely a month old.”
“A-a brother?!” Ohno yelled through the guard’s ear as he laughed harder and harder. Okura was getting good at this.
“Hey,” the guard took hold of Ohno’s shoulder. “I’m not kidding around. I’m telling the truth.”
Then that was when Ohno swore his world had broken in pieces. He stopped laughing and stood there, starring straight at the latter’s eyes. “I need to go in. Now.”
+++
“Nii-chan!” Aiba giggled as his favorite person tickled him in his soft spots. “Quit it!!”
Remembering what the doctor said, Nino immediately stopped and told the boy to continue eating his food so they could go out of the room. The boy did as he was told and took as many spoonful as he could so he could finally get out of the boring room. Aiba didn’t notice though, how distracted his friend was.
Nino looked over his shoulder, expecting for the person who looked like Ohno to come in anytime and play with Aiba. But the person never came, and all Nino had to do was pray that the older was coming.
+++
As soon as Ohno entered the mansion, he was greeted respectfully by the maids and guards working there. When his back was turned to them, he could hear them cry, whisper, or thank the gods. He didn’t know what was going on. He was only sleeping for the night, and now all the familiar people around him are crying.
After Okura had told Nino’s parents about Ohno’s presence, he was immediately sent in the master bedroom. He saw his old master and his mistress cry when he stood besides their bed, bowed, and paid no attention to it.
“Ohno!” Nino’s mother cried. “We thought you were gone!”
Ohno shook his head and smiled a little. “No ma’am, I was here to whole time.”
The mistress shook her head, and took the tissue that a maid was offering. “Ohno,” she blew her nose on the tissue, “You’re wrong. You’ve been missing for 9 months now. How could you just show up in our front steps? You might have been able to stop my useless son from disappearing.”
Ohno eyes widened in shock, still doubting what everyone is around him was saying. How could it be that he has been gone for 9 months, and Nino had left because of him?! No, Ohno shook his head, it’s impossible…
“I-I’m s-sorry ma’am,” Ohno backed away. “I’ll be leaving too…”
“No!” his old master declined. “Stay and take care of Takuya.”
“No,” Ohno answered without hesitating. “I preferred Kazunari-sama, I still do…”
With that said, Ohno left the mistress and the master starring at each other in confusion.
He knew that if it were Nino, his young master wouldn’t been able to survive too long to be out in the world. Then again, the young master had been complaining about his parents and saying how much he had hated them. If it’s been this long, Nino could be anywhere by now.
+++
Nino asked the doctor if it was OK for Aiba to be released early. The doctor just glared at him as Nino threatened the doctor for Aiba’s release. When he finally said the word, ‘fire,’ the doctor signed a release form. His father was in so much power that he was glad to be called Ninomiya, but he still despised his parents. He and Aiba were finally out and his parents never received word from the hospital.
After finally carrying the heavy Aiba back to their home, Nino sat on the floor nursing the tired boy to sleep. How long has it been since he was gone? He doesn't know. It didn’t seem long to him since he was always with Aiba who comforted him, and let him laugh his worries away. It was thanks to the boy that he had learned to forget his past. But one thing still stayed in his mind, Ohno’s face smiling down on him. It was because of the person that looked like Ohno that made his remember the past.
He turned to look over his shoulder when he noticed a slightly blonde hair in the crowd rushing past by the crowd. Nino stood up remembering that it was the person who looked like Ohno’s hair. He kissed Aiba’s cheek before standing up and running after the blonde hair.
“Hey!” Nino called after the person. “Are you looking for Aiba and me?”
The person didn’t pay him attention and just continued running. Nino ran up closer and shouted: “Ohno!”
This time, the person stopped and turned around to face the crowd. He squinted his eyes trying to look for this person when he saw an only dirty boy standing in the middle of the crowd.
Nino ran up to him. “I thought you were ignoring me. Sheesh, you should have at least visited Aiba at the hospital.”
The person who looked like Ohno just stood there dumbfounded, and eyed Nino head to toe.
“Come on,” Nino chuckled. “I think he wants to see you now.” He didn’t know what was up with the person who looked like Ohno and just grabbed the latter’s wrist, dragging him to where he had left Aiba. Sure he knows that his old friend was quiet like the person he was dragging, but it didn’t matter. He wanted to see Aiba smiling.
The next words were the words Nino hasn’t been able to hear in a long time including the familiar sincerity in his voice: “Young… Master?”
TBC
Comments