Gift fic for gomushroom

Title: Somewhere to Begin
Pairing: Sakumoto
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Loud sex, orgasm delay, dirty talk, spanking, makeshift gag (all consensual), the word count (50000+)
Summary: A travel agent, a tour guide, and a one-week vacation.
Notes: Hello gomushroom. I was intrigued by your love for travel-related stories and I hope you like this despite its predictability. Thank you to my betas for being so awesome.


Jun knew Aiba was up to no good when he showed up for work that morning.

The week was just beginning and Mao-chan hadn’t even provided him the usual bland coffee from the coffeemaker when Aiba arrived in Jun’s cubicle, a noticeable bounce in his steps. He was sporting his trademark smile, and Jun had to drag his hands over his face repeatedly just to wake himself up faster. Talking to Aiba in the mornings required him to be alert.

Aiba perched himself on Jun’s desk, poking at Jun’s calendar filled with post-its in various shapes and colors. Jun was the only one who understood his color-coded organization system, but Aiba seemed keen to find a pattern, if the concentration on his face was anything to go by.

Mao-chan finally arrived with Jun’s coffee, offering a quick but bubbly good morning. She left them, and Jun took a few precious sips before turning to his co-worker.

“What is it now, Aiba-san?” he asked, a little wary. The last time Aiba had visited his cubicle, he’d made Jun go to a group date as his proxy. It had been a very odd experience for Jun, with girls asking for his number repeatedly and making exaggerated groans of disapproval when he’d finally excused himself.

Aiba was now playing with Jun’s Funassyi stress ball, even tossing it in the air multiple times. “You work too hard, Matsujun.”

Jun stared at the ‘Employee of the Month’ certificate he’d pasted on his cubicle wall before replying. “I have three clients to take care of this week and one of them is going to a cruise trip in Alaska. If you have a favor to ask, please make it quick.”

Aiba reached over to ruffle his hair. Jun tolerated it for a few seconds before shoving Aiba’s hand away, grumbling under his breath about his hair getting ruined, making Aiba laugh.

“It’s not really a favor,” Aiba said, giving him that charming smile. It was the same one that had bagged him the ‘Most Favorable Employee’ award, based on client feedback. “Although yeah, it can be. But not really.”

“Aiba-san…” Jun’s patience was dropping, and he took another sip of his coffee to prevent himself from saying something he didn’t mean.

“Okay, okay.” Aiba put back Funassyi to its rightful place on Jun’s desk. “Julie-san was going to call you to her office to tell you personally, but I asked for the honor since it’s basically me who’s behind it.”

Jun frowned, not really understanding what Aiba was saying. Julie-san rarely summoned him to her office unless she had to hand him certificates or congratulate him personally for his work ethic.

“Anyway, your three clients for the week have been transferred to Mao-chan, Toma-kun, and Riisa-chan.” Before Jun could say anything, Aiba raised his hand to stop him. “Since you won ‘Employee of the Month’ for three months in a row…”

Oh no. Jun knew where this was going.

“I already told Julie-san that it’s fine! When she gave me that,” Jun paused, pointing to the certificate on his cubicle wall, “she made the offer but I refused and I said she shouldn’t bother anymore since I don’t really want the free trip.” He gave Aiba a serious look. “Like I said, I have three clients to plan for, Aiba-san. I have work.”

“No you don’t. Not anymore. At least for a week.” Aiba was grinning—he looked so proud of himself. “And this is where it gets better. Since I handle the local trips, Julie-san entrusted me with your trip!”

Jun shut his eyes, praying to whoever was listening that when he opened them, Aiba Masaki wouldn’t be in his cubicle anymore and he’d be alone with his now-stale coffee and never-ending pile of work.

He should have known that Aiba would interfere in one way or another. Julie-san had always been susceptible to Aiba’s suggestions. Everybody was. Considering that Jun had gone to a group date just because Aiba begged him to, Jun wasn’t really surprised about Aiba’s uncanny ability to persuade people.

Jun had entered Four Leaves Travel and Tours five years ago, and in those years he’d worked tirelessly to gain both of his clients’ and co-workers’ trust. He was a dedicated travel agent, prioritizing his clients’ preferences before anything else.

Julie-san, the company chief, had this policy that whoever got the ‘Employee of the Month’ award for three straight months deserved a week-long vacation, all expenses paid. Jun had acquired the award for seventeen times already in his five-year stay, but this was the first time he received it for three successive months.

Aiba poked his cheek and Jun sighed as he opened his eyes. His prayers hadn’t worked.

“Don’t make that face, Matsujun! You’re the hot guy Matsujun after all!”

Aiba had the weird habit of giving people equally weird nicknames and Jun had gotten used to it a long time ago.

“I can’t go,” Jun insisted. There was nothing else he could add, and Aiba knew it because he ruffled Jun’s hair again.

“So stubborn! But you can’t really refuse since Julie-san already paid for everything. I forwarded all the details of your trip to her for approval and what do you know, she actually said yes to my proposal. No requests for revisions this time, Matsujun! Isn’t that amazing?”

“No,” Jun said flatly, but Aiba’s enthusiasm couldn’t be shattered by anything.

Aiba pretended not to hear him. “Don’t worry, you’re within the budget since it’s a solo trip.” Aiba reached inside his jacket for an envelope, and Jun knew it was a lost cause. “You’re going to Hakuba! Perfect place for skiing!”

“I don’t ski,” Jun protested.

Aiba playfully punched him on the arm, laughing a little. “And you’re staying in the onsen I always recommend to clients. The owner is a good friend of mine and he already knows you’re arriving.” Aiba attempted to wink at him before grabbing his hand to place the envelope on his palm. “Everything’s settled and paid for, so all you have to do is pack and get some sleep because you’re leaving by train first thing tomorrow morning and the trip takes almost five hours.”

“Aiba-san,” Jun tried, but Aiba wasn’t listening, already moving to leave. “Wait! Wait, I said. I can’t go. You have my thanks, really, Julie-san too, but I have to turn this down. I have three clients to take care of.”

Aiba turned back and gave him a serious look. He grabbed both of Jun’s shoulders and Jun felt compelled to listen to what he had to say. Aiba rarely got serious—Jun had only seen him like that when he’d tried to win the limbo rock challenge at last year’s Christmas party.

“Your clients are in good hands. Everything’s been taken care of. You just need to go because I want you to take care of yourself. You work too hard. Too much. You rarely have time for anything other than work and while I do respect that about you, you’re going to kill yourself.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Jun told him. He didn’t shrug off Aiba’s hold on him though. “I take care of myself well enough.”

“Yeah, by drinking that horrible vegetable juice you leave in the fridge every morning during lunch time.” Aiba shook his head. “No, you’re going to listen to me this time. Besides, I owe you for making you go to that group date out of the blue. I’m sorry for that, okay? But really, I’m doing this because we all agree that you need a vacation.” Aiba steepled his fingers in front of him. “Please, Matsujun? I worked really hard to arrange this for you. Please?”

Jun hated how he couldn’t resist Aiba. This must be the reason why Julie-san had agreed to have Aiba deliver the news. Julie-san knew that hardly anyone could resist Aiba and his pleading eyes.

Jun’s shoulders slumped as he looked at coworker’s hopeful expression. He relented with a stiff nod, and Aiba let out a cheer and did a fist pump.

“Julie-san I did it!” Aiba said loudly, despite Julie-san’s office being two floors above them.

“You’re going to have a lot of fun. I made sure of that," said Aiba, patting him on the shoulder twice. He moved to leave, but not before giving Jun two thumbs up and a pathetic attempt at winking.

As soon as Aiba was gone, Jun looked at the envelope in his hands. He placed it on his desk and sighed, reaching out to remove the post-its he’d stuck to his calendar for this week.

He wasn’t going to need them anymore.

--

Sho knew everything was going according to plan when he received the email from his boss approving his request for leave.

He hadn’t filed for leave in two years, but this year he promised himself he would go skiing until his limbs ached, that he would enjoy the view of the Northern Alps while soaking in an onsen. He swore he would enjoy the handmade soba that was Nagano’s specialty, and that he would finally experience for himself the trip he often guided people to.

Sho loved traveling, which became the primary reason why he adored his job as a tour guide. But the problem about being a tour guide was that he had no time to go on trips of his own choosing, always going where the company assigned him next. He had been assigned to Kyoto for the past six months, but for the upcoming shuffle, he was going to be back in Tokyo.

Tokyo had always been the most stressful of all places since it was the capital. While Sho pretty much had the map of Tokyo memorized, staying in Kyoto for six months required him to refresh his memory. He wasn’t really looking forward to the additional studying he had to do. He also had to brush up on his English—the language majority of foreign tourists resort to when their broken Japanese has reached its limits.

Since he wasn’t too keen on the idea of memorizing English phrases from a phrasebook so soon and needed a breather, he chose to apply for a leave. And he chose the remote Nagano since he wanted to be away from all the stress for a little while.

He already had the entire trip planned out, made his reservations. Everything was taken care of in his usual thoroughness and he couldn’t be more excited, temporarily putting the idea of work aside.

“So what souvenirs can you bring me, Sho-kun?” Maki-chan asked when Sho went by the water dispenser to get something to drink. She had recently gotten married but contrary to expectations, she didn’t quit the tour guide job.

Sho had consulted her about Nagano. Maki had lived there for six months, met her husband, and married him after dating for only two months. It was she who was being transferred to Kyoto this time. They all just happened to be in the main office at present because their boss, Suzuhara-san, was celebrating his birthday and it was a company decision to hold a big surprise for him.

“How about Hakuba coffee? I think you and your husband can use that.”

Maki made a considering noise. “I stayed in Nagano for six months but I actually miss that coffee. So yes, please. That’d be perfect.”

“Consider it done then, Maki-chan.” He moved to leave, giving her a brief nod. “Please give my regards to your husband.”

She nodded back, flashing him a small smile. Sho walked back to the party, laughing at Maruyama’s pitiful attempts to imitate Suzuhara-san. Maru was making exaggerated faces and movements while doing his so-called “top ten Suzuhara-san impressions”, earning the laughter of most of Sho’s colleagues. He looked around and couldn’t help noticing that nearly everyone in the company was beginning to settle down.

Maki-chan was the recent newlywed, and Suzuhara-san had thrown a congratulatory party for her in the nearby izakaya a few days ago. Before her there was Mukai-kun who was often assigned in either Fukuoka or Okinawa. Sho was convinced that everybody seemed keen to enter another stage of their lives, though of course there were still those who were like him, people who didn’t seem to have anyone in their lives at present—like Maru, for example.

Sho was getting older in a few weeks, and it seemed that the more birthdays he had, the more frequent the questions regarding marriage came. With him living in different prefectures every six months, it was growing increasingly difficult to find anyone. Not that he was actively searching—it was just that people were a little too interested when he truly had nothing to offer.

Selfishly, it was also one of the reasons why Sho was going to take a week-long break. Most of his colleagues who got assigned in Tokyo for the shuffle were the nosy ones, and while Sho didn’t necessarily mind being poked and prodded from time to time, he still required a bit of mental preparation in order to properly deflect their questions and turn down their offers and invitations.

He was going to Nagano to escape Tokyo for a while, to have a bit of time to himself. It was Maki-chan who’d recommended Nagano to him, having stayed there for half a year. When she’d learned that Sho loved soba, she’d insisted that he simply had to try out the handmade ones. And Sho, who was as enthusiastic about food as he was about his job, couldn’t find any reason to turn down her suggestion.

It was also her who’d recommended him a place to stay and all the restaurants he could check out. Sho had been relying on Maki’s personal experience when he was still planning this little vacation, but he had this feeling that this trip would be fulfilling, provide him with the peace of mind that he needed in order to face Tokyo again.

He walked up to where Suzuhara-san was seated, giving his boss a polite bow and sincerely wishing him a happy birthday.

“Have fun in Hakuba, Sakurai!” said Suzuhara in that demanding tone Sho had gotten used to associating with him, while clapping him on the back.

Sho nodded, flashing his boss a wide grin. He had every intention of doing just that.

--

Jun slept through most of the train ride since he had to wake up at two in the morning to get this early train. He had spent most of the previous night not knowing what to pack and ended up packing way too much.

What was he even supposed to do in Hakuba on a vacation he didn't want in the first place? Aiba had provided him with a suggested itinerary, as if he were an actual client, but he wasn’t really interested in any of the mentioned tourist spots and seeing a castle he shared his last name with—something Aiba had obviously gotten worked up about judging his messy scrawl of ‘You have to visit this one, Matsujun!!!!'—didn't seem that thrilling, either.

The train ride was too long and he had an annoying crick in his neck, but after hours, he was finally there, on the second to the last stop in the middle of nowhere. He got out and hailed a cab to take him to the establishment Aiba had made reservations for, resigned to see this so-called vacation through to the end.

Ninomiya Onsen Ryokan, as the establishment’s name implied, had an onsen and an inn that boasted a grand view of the Northern Alps. To Jun, it was the kind of place he would probably recommend to clients, had he been handling the local accounts like Aiba.

The taxi dropped him off at the entrance, and Jun wished he put on another coat on because of how chilly it was. The breeze from the mountains was contributing to the continuing drop in temperature, and Jun actually made sure to check the temperature on his phone before getting out of the taxi.

“Inside, inside!” someone screamed at him, beckoning him to enter. “Are you a tourist, sir? It gets really cold here during this time of the year.”

“No kidding,” Jun said. His teeth were close to chattering. He heaved his duffel bag over his shoulder and followed the man dressed in yukata. It was cold, but the man didn’t look like he was affected by it. Jun was guided to the front desk, and Jun was just reaching out to tap the tiny bell when the man faced him with a smile.

“Ninomiya Kazunari, at your service,” the man introduced himself with a bow. “Do you have a reservation or are you walk-in?”

“A friend made the reservation for me,” Jun explained, digging through his coat pockets to find the voucher Aiba had printed for him. “Matsumoto Jun, staying here for a week.”

Ninomiya accepted the paper with both hands, bowing a little as he did so. He scanned it quickly before looking over an opened ledger, and Jun busied himself with examining the place, the furniture laid out in the corridor. Everywhere he looked spoke of tradition, but the place seemed lived in, not something built just to entertain guests. From what Aiba had told him, the business had been passed on from generation to generation, and who he had claimed as his “good friend Nino” was now the one managing the establishment.

“Ah yes,” Ninomiya suddenly said, making Jun turn back to him. “Matsumoto Jun-san, indeed. Aiba-chan made the reservation so it took me a little longer to find your name. You see, the name he gave me was Jun-tan.” Ninomiya shot him an amused smile.

Jun almost rolled his eyes, but it would rude to do so in front of Ninomiya. Of course Aiba did something like that. He was at least thankful Aiba didn’t use ‘hot guy’ or ‘strong-faced Matsujun’. He could only imagine how amusing Ninomiya would find that.

“He makes weird nicknames for people,” he said by way of an explanation.

Ninomiya laughed, waving his hand between them. “That’s Aiba-shi for you. No need to be so formal with me, Jun-kun. Aiba-shi’s friend is an automatic friend of mine.” Ninomiya paused, frowning minutely. “You’re staying for a week, yes?”

“Yes,” Jun affirmed, but Ninomiya was still frowning. “Is there something wrong?”

Ninomiya sighed. Then he placed both palms flat on the table’s surface and gave Jun a formal bow, leaving Jun confused. “I’m very sorry to tell you this, Matsumoto-san, but someone high-profile actually walked-in last night and booked almost three-fourths of our rooms. I can’t disclose who it is since she insisted that this is a secret trip between her and her friends, but we had to make adjustments because of their sudden arrival.” Ninomiya bowed once more. “I’m very sorry.”

“So you can’t accommodate me?” Jun asked, uncertain of what to do. He was five hours away from Tokyo via the Azusa, but he didn’t bother to check the schedule of roundtrips. If he had to go back, he had to at least find a place to stay in case there were no more trains that would make the stop in Hakuba.

Ninomiya shook his head. “No, we can accommodate you. You have a reservation after all.”

“Then what is the problem?” Jun was confused now, and he was sure it was evident on his face.

Ninomiya let out another sigh, looking conflicted. But in the end he opened his mouth, and what he said next made Jun’s eyes widen.

“Someone would be rooming in with you.”

--

“What?” was Sho’s first word the moment he arrived at Maki-chan’s recommended onsen—Ninomiya’s. Maki-chan had claimed that Ninomiya was very accommodating and friendly, prone to snarky comments but always careful not to bruise anyone’s ego. Sho was kind of excited to meet him, but he couldn’t help raising his voice when Ninomiya told him that he would have to share the room with someone just because a famous model had an unprecedented Hakuba trip with her friends.

Ninomiya was apologizing again, his forehead close to touching the table’s surface because of how deeply he was bowing. “You have my sincerest apologies, Sakurai-san. But as I’ve informed you, this is only temporary. As soon as we have other rooms available, you’ll get a separate one. But because of this inconvenience, I intend to refund half of the amount you paid for the accommodation.”

“I don’t want a refund,” Sho said, shaking his head. “I want a private room.”

“I understand that, I really do. And I couldn’t be sorrier. But all rooms in the inn are currently occupied—it is peak season after all—and you’re not the first one to experience this, I assure you. Still, my sincerest apologies for this inconvenience.”

Sho took a deep breath, attempting to rein in his temper. “Give me a moment please.”

Ninomiya nodded. “Of course.”

Sho fished out his phone, fingers quickly typing to search for an alternative inn with an onsen. Hell, he’d even settle for just an inn. But as Ninomiya had told him, it was peak season, the middle of winter, and all places seemed full. It wasn’t within Sho’s budget to stay in an overpriced fancy suite. This wasn’t a company-paid trip, after all. Everything was coming from his savings, his own pocket.

He had just arrived in Hakuba after looking forward to it for the past few weeks, and this was what welcomed him?

He allowed himself five more minutes to find alternative accommodations, but all his searches yielded nothing. Sighing, he finally turned to Ninomiya, who immediately bowed his head in apology for the third time.

“This person I’m rooming with,” Sho began, still not liking the idea of it, “is this person aware of the arrangement? I don’t want to be the one who has to tell this person of the present situation.”

“That particular guest has arrived earlier than you, Sakurai-san. And yes, I have informed him of the situation and he, although reluctantly, agreed.” Ninomiya looked straight into his eyes. “I would like to offer to personally introduce you to him since he’s a good friend of a childhood friend.”

Sho raised an eyebrow at that. “So you don’t really know him until today?”

The corner of Ninomiya’s lips twitched. “No, but I did meet him earlier and I insist on the introductions, Sakurai-san. We wouldn’t want him to think that I let random people in and out of the room.”

Sho leveled Ninomiya with a look. Wasn’t that what was happening? He didn’t know this guy who was going to be his roommate. He might as well be just a random person entering another random person’s room.

Sho pinched the bridge of his nose. “Half of the reservation, you said?” he confirmed, and Ninomiya nodded. “All right, Ninomiya-san. I want a refund, and I want you to take me to the room, please. I just really want to deposit my stuff there.”

Sho had brought too much, like always. He had a separate mini bag for his “necessities”, which included some wet wipes, lip balm, his wallet, and the envelope that contained the amount he’d withdrawn three days ago. He had a trolley suitcase that contained most of his gray sweaters and parkas, as well as everything that would protect him from Hakuba’s weather. His skiing goggles were also packed neatly inside the suitcase, though the thought of skiing was now the furthest from his mind.

Ninomiya guided him around the inn, his light footsteps a huge contrast to Sho’s heavy ones. Ninomiya didn’t comment when Sho had tracked in a bit of snow earlier at the entrance, and he didn’t even blink when Sho had left wet shoeprints on the wooden flooring at the porch. Had Sho been the innkeeper, he knew he would at least scrunch his nose at the sight.

But Ninomiya did no such thing, and perhaps Maki-chan was right about him being accommodating and friendly to the tourists. It was just unfortunate that his inn wasn’t as accommodating as he seemed to be.

Sho continued trudging after him, his feet slightly squeaking against the floorboards when Ninomiya took a hard right.

Ninomiya bowed once more before assuming the seiza to slide the door open to the first room in that corridor, revealing Sho’s room for a week, as well the roommate that came with it.

--

Jun wasn’t pleased.

He had repeatedly sent complaints to Aiba, texting his colleague about the development. Aiba had apologized over and over, similar to Ninomiya, but unlike Ninomiya, Aiba had insisted that he should, at least, try to see things in a different light.

Aiba had always been optimistic.

But Jun wasn’t Aiba, so he had trouble looking at the brighter side of things. He was in Hakuba on a forced trip, experiencing cold weather he hadn’t really prepared himself for, lacking in sleep with a slight crick on his neck, and now the person he had to share the room with finally arrived.

With a trolley suitcase that would definitely take up a lot of space.

Ninomiya did the honors, introducing him to a Sakurai Sho who came from Tokyo via a direct taxi to Hakuba. Jun supposed that was all Ninomiya knew about Sakurai because the innkeeper excused himself after, telling them that he would inform them as soon as the inclusive lunch was ready.

It was only a little over 11AM, and Jun didn’t even have two whole hours to himself before his roommate arrived. Temporary roommate, Jun reminded himself. Ninomiya had promised that as soon as they had vacancies, Jun would be informed of it and be provided with one, should he wish it.

“Hey,” Sakurai said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. “Ninomiya-san said you came via Azusa. How long was your trip?”

Jun was positive Sakurai was just making conversation, but better him talking than Jun making the awkward attempt. “Almost five hours. I came from Shinjuku.”

Sakurai nodded. “Yeah, well. I was thinking of taking that but I was worrying about feeling too cramped or my neck killing me.”

Exactly what happened to Jun. His eyebrow twitched. “I’m in a company-paid trip so I really don’t have a choice.”

“Oh,” Sakurai mumbled. There was nothing more to add, and Jun only shrugged, turning back to his manga to allow Sakurai to deposit his stuff in the room.

The only part of the room that had the futons in it.

The worst part in this development, Jun realized, wasn’t really sharing the room about the size of ten tatami with a stranger. It was sharing even the sleeping arrangements with a complete stranger. Ninomiya had kindly provided another futon, but Jun couldn’t really sleep outside or ask it of Sakurai since nighttime was definitely colder and there was only one heater available.

He picked up his phone and sent another message of ‘When I get back to Tokyo you better be ready, Masaki’, huffing indignantly as he tossed the device on the low table. He was in the small dining area, using the table as a makeshift desk, sorting out his gadgets and other necessities when Sakurai had arrived.

Jun heard footsteps shuffling, and he looked up to see the embarrassed expression on Sakurai’s round face. It was the first time he had taken a proper look at Sakurai. Jun noticed that he still had snowflakes in his hair and some of his brown locks were sticking to his forehead. He had a round face and bags under his eyes, and he was probably the same age as Jun.

Sakurai was dressed in a brown pea coat and an off-white knitted scarf was wrapped around his neck. He gave the impression of someone on a trip of his own choosing. He was still wearing his matching gloves, though now that Jun was looking at him, he began the process of removing them.

“I was wondering about the futon,” Sakurai began, not really meeting his eyes. Jun knew what he was talking about so he decided to make Sakurai’s life easier.

“I asked Ninomiya-san about an additional heater but he told me they provided only one per room so…” Jun paused, pursing his lips. He had no intention to sleep outside just so Sakurai could have the heater for himself. The weather in Hakuba was dictating decisions now.

Sakurai nodded, a slight flush on his cheeks. “I see. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

Sakurai turned away, and Jun suppressed the urge to sigh.

He supposed Sakurai wasn’t going to offer to sleep outside.

--

Matsumoto had given him privacy by staying outside, but Sho knew that would only last for so long. They had to sleep in the same area after all, despite having separate futons.

Thank goodness for that at least, Sho thought.

He’d opted not to unload the contents of his suitcase out of respect for his roommate, instead placing his things in the corner of the sleeping quarters. He’d shoved one futon to the corner as well, wanting to give Matsumoto the space he would undoubtedly want.

Sho had every intention of offering to sleep outside since Matsumoto had arrived in the inn earlier than he did. If possible, he wanted to stay away from his roommate and from the ryokan itself so he wouldn't remember the lack of privacy in his supposedly private room. But then again, the weather in Hakuba wasn’t cooperating with him. If it was this cold during noon, he could only imagine how chilly it would be once night time hit.

Sho consulted his phone for the schedule he organized for himself. He intended to have lunch in the inn since it was part of the package he’d availed then take a taxi to Hakuba Iwatake so he could go skiing till the sun set.

He supposed Matsumoto would enjoy having the place to himself. Sho planned to not stay in the room anyway. He wanted to know Nagano, to familiarize himself with it in case he got assigned here after Tokyo.

There was a soft knock on the door despite Sho not closing it, and he looked up to see Matsumoto looking apologetic despite not really disturbing anything unlike Sho was earlier.

“Lunch is here,” was all he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. He had this fringe that would probably look fluffy to touch if it wasn’t flattened out by the snowflakes that had dried on his hair.

Matsumoto had fierce, large features, and at first they would seem all over the place when combined, but they only contributed to giving him a strong, distinct face even behind the glasses. He had uneven, imperfect skin, but that didn’t really diminish his attractiveness.

Sho looked away, belatedly realizing that he had been staring. He could’ve gotten a proper look at Matsumoto when he’d arrived, but no, he picked now of all times.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, nodding. “I’ll be right there.”

Matsumoto left without another word, and Sho tried to recollect himself for a few moments before following him.

Ninomiya had a rather elaborate course for them, probably because he was truly feeling sorry. There was an entire plate of tuna and salmon sashimi, arranged neatly to form a circle with wasabi and shoyu at the center. There was a pot of mushroom and pork nabe, and finally, small bowls containing miso soup. It was a brunch course, Sho realized, as he assumed seiza and took a seat across Matsumoto.

There was house tea poured for them both, and Matsumoto was currently sniffing it, trying to determine what flavor it was. Doing so fogged up his glasses and he removed them with an irritated sigh. Sho focused on stirring the nabe instead, not wanting to add to his roommate’s ire.

“Are you here for work, Sakurai-san?” Matsumoto asked suddenly, though he was still staring into his teacup as if it held something far more interesting than Sho’s face.

Sho shook his head. “Ah, no. I finally applied for a short leave after two years of not doing so. This is just a vacation before I face my job relocation.”

Matsumoto lifted his head, a slight frown on his face. “What do you do?” Matsumoto asked, but then he shook his head once after. “Sorry, that came out a bit intrusive. But if you don’t mind me asking…?”

“I don’t mind,” Sho said quickly. He was going to stay with the man for a week if none of the rooms would be vacant. He might as well attempt to tell Matsumoto something about himself, just to assure the man that he wouldn’t be trying anything funny in the duration of his stay. “I get reassigned to Tokyo for the next six months. I’m a tour guide.”

The confusion vanished from Matsumoto’s face. He seemed a little amused. “Isn’t that odd. I’m a travel agent, Sakurai-san, though I only handle the international clientele so I’m not really familiar with Hakuba.”

“Begging your pardon, Matsumoto-san, but shouldn’t you at least first try to get to know your own country before knowing others’?”

Matsumoto let out a tiny smile at that, revealing a small dot under his lip. “That’s what Aiba-kun always tells me. He’s my coworker and he planned out this trip for me because I got the ‘Employee of the Month’ award for three straight months. Company policy of sorts.”

Employee of the Month? Wow. Matsumoto must be a true workaholic, though Sho couldn’t really say he wasn’t the same. He would spent weeks studying about architecture and nature just to give tourists the best experience. “I’m sorry that your trip has to come with this inconvenience then.”

“I’m not the one going on a private vacation so really, it’s me who should apologize,” Matsumoto pointed out. “If only you’d known your Hakuba trip would come with me, you probably would’ve headed to Iwate or someplace else.”

Sho shrugged his shoulders. “We’ve both been inconvenienced. But at least we’re getting a refund.”

Matsumoto laughed a little at that. He placed the teacup back on the table before giving Sho a polite bow. “Please keep me in your favor for the next few days, Sakurai-san.”

Sho returned the sentiments, but not without adding “Sho’s just fine, Matsumoto-san” which made Matsumoto smile once more.

“Then it’s Jun, Sho-san.”

Sho inclined his head, not knowing what else to say. He handed Matsumoto a bowl of nabe instead, and when the man smiled in thanks, Sho thought that perhaps having a roommate wouldn’t be as awful as he imagined it to be.

--

Sakurai, or rather, Sho, had excused himself after lunch. He was going skiing, the one thing that Aiba had been trying to convince Jun to do, but Jun wanted to roam around the ryokan first. Sho had kindly invited him and he’d politely declined, saying that he intended to explore around the area to check out the entire place first.

Sho had left then, and Jun resolved to walk around the onsen to ask any personnel about their recommendations regarding places to eat. He made sure to bring his camera along, since Aiba had texted him the night before about photos they could add to the new promotional materials. Not that Jun had a keen eye for photography, but he’d started it as a hobby a few years ago and of course Aiba knew that. Aiba knew pretty much everything about everyone in the company.

He met a certain Ayase-san, who served as Ninomiya’s partner in managing the establishment. She was quick to smile but easy to get confused, and in a way, she reminded Jun of Aiba because of her airheadedness. She was accommodating though, answering any questions Jun had regarding Nagano to the best of her ability.

She recommended that Jun should try the handmade soba served around Togakushi Shrine since it was a Nagano specialty and he would be missing out if he didn’t. Jun kept her suggestion in mind, remembering that Aiba had written a similar thing in the itinerary he had prepared.

Jun continued looking around after, finding that Ninomiya’s establishment had five public onsens and three private ones. The inn wasn’t as spacious as Jun imagined it to be (though that was probably caused by having a roommate), but Ninomiya made up for it by having a variety of hot springs.

There was the simple thermal spring that was widespread even in Tokyo, an alkaline spring that was popular with women because of the claim that it could contribute to having beautiful skin, a soda-based one that was supposedly good for the joints, a small pool containing radioactive minerals to help lower blood pressure, and finally, a typical saline one that Jun had been into in a few occasions.

The soda-based onsen had a spectacular view overlooking the Northern Alps, and Jun made a mental note to visit it during the night so he could see what the stars looked like past the mountain ranges and snowy cliffs. He took photos for Aiba though, focusing on the view before locating Ninomiya to ask for permission if he could take photos of the establishment.

“Of course, Jun-kun,” Ninomiya said with a smile. “Did Aiba-shi put you up to this?”

Jun tilted his head. “He was insistent.”

That made Ninomiya laugh. “Always has been, that Aiba. Take all the photos you need.”

Jun inclined his head in thanks. “Thank you, Ninomiya-san.”

Ninomiya’s lips twitched. “Call me Nino. That’s what everyone calls me anyway.” He jerked his head towards the corridor. “Come, I’ll give you an exclusive tour.”

Jun followed, and Ninomiya—Nino, Jun reminded himself—introduced him to a couple of his employees. Jun met Ohno Satoshi, the maintenance man, though Nino insisted that Ohno “hardly maintains anything unless I tell him what to do”.

Ohno gave a small laugh at that. “I’ll be here if you need anything, Matsumoto-san.”

Jun liked how his calm demeanor was a contrast to Nino’s quick-witted nature. Nino then explained that Ohno was a childhood friend, and was only employed in the onsen because Nino needed someone who could fillet the fresh fish he was ordering on a daily basis from the market port. Jun learned that Ohno was responsible for the finely cut sashimi he had enjoyed earlier with Sho.

“Do you cook, Matsumoto-san?” Ohno asked since they were in the kitchen now, with Nino thumbing at various pots and pans. It seemed that Ohno also functioned as a cook.

Jun nodded. “Though I mostly cook pasta.”

“Ah, that’s nice,” Ohno said. “We only serve traditional food here so whenever I get a day off I go and eat non-traditional ones. I like ramen, but you can only have too much of it.”

“We’re investing in a yakiniku set next year just so you’ll stop complaining,” Nino interjected, his arms crossed as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

“That’s still traditional and besides, I don’t really like yakiniku,” Ohno muttered, turning to look at Nino. “You ate, like, only three pieces that time we went to the yakiniku place with Haruka-chan so why are you investing on that one?”

“Tourists like yakiniku,” Nino declared. He tilted his head at Jun. “Any suggestions, Jun-kun? We’re overdue for an upgrade here, and while no one is complaining except for Ohno-san, I don’t want to be left behind by other establishments.”

Jun thought about it, absentmindedly stroking his eyebrow. “How about shabu-shabu?”

Nino made a face. “Ugh, that’s expensive you know!”

“Every upgrade is expensive, Nino,” Ohno commented.

“Ah, I should’ve auditioned to be an idol,” Nino murmured, and Ohno laughed.

“He keeps saying that whenever he has to make money-related decisions,” Ohno explained with a knowing grin. “Saying that had he chosen to stay in Tokyo and audition for Johnny’s instead of taking over the family business, he’d be super popular by now and that girls all over the country would scream their lungs out for him.”

Jun imagined it, and he couldn’t help grinning. “Can you sing and dance, Nino?”

“I can do a backflip, Matsumoto,” Nino snapped, tilting his chin up at him.

“Yeah he can, but he’s got back pain so he’s not doing it now,” Ohno said, earning a glare from Nino and another laugh from Jun. Ohno let out a chuckle at Nino’s glowering face, and Jun could see that despite their tendency to tease and make jabs at each other, they were truly good friends.

Nino shook his head, leading Jun out of the kitchen. “The longer we stay in Ohno-san’s presence, the longer it will take him to decide on tonight’s menu.”

Jun heard Ohno snort. “He’s just saying his ego can’t take it anymore.”

Jun laughed at that, much to Nino’s annoyance. Nino finally led him out of the kitchen, showing him the communal baths and the private ones. Apparently, the high-profile celebrity Nino still refused to disclose reserved two of the three private baths, though Nino warned him that he might meet that person in the corridors in the next few days.

“But you still won’t tell me who this person is?” Jun asked, and despite the steam from the doors of the men’s communal bath, he caught Nino’s grin.

“Where’s the fun in that? This trip of hers is a secret, after all. I only give warnings to other guests so as to minimize the shock if they see her.”

Nino then showed him a common room, serving as a lounge for visitors. “I take it I’m never going to see the famous person here?” Jun inquired, and Nino simply shrugged his shoulders.

“You might see some of her friends though. They’re quite a loud bunch. If I didn’t know any better I’d say Haruka-chan is a little stressed because they ask for a lot of things.”

“Does Aiba-san also know Ayase-san and Ohno-san?” Jun had been wondering on how far Nino’s association with Aiba went, because every time he mentioned Aiba’s name, he caught a nostalgic look in Nino’s eyes before the innkeeper blinked it away.

“He knows them because he’s meddlesome,” Nino stated, but Jun couldn’t mistake the affection in his voice. “I lived in Tokyo for a while, you know. I only relocated here permanently after I finally accepted that I was going to be an onsen manager. Aiba-shi and I, we took the same train line back then. Soubusen buddies, the two of us.”

It wasn’t hard to imagine Aiba and Nino walking together day by day, taking the same train. “And Aiba, did he have similar Johnny’s-related feelings?”

Nino laughed, his head thrown back. “Oh, back then we would bicker on who would have the bigger fanbase. I told him people would see him as an idiot and that I’d be more popular. I mean, who would scream for a guy who can’t wink, right? Back then I also said I’d probably work on a Hollywood film in a few years’ time after my debut. Which never happened because we never really applied nor attempted to audition. But it was fun to imagine.”

Jun never really thought Aiba would have this kind of friendship with an onsen owner. When Aiba had said that he knew the owner, Jun had compared it to an acquaintance, a mere exaggeration of friendship.

But seeing the look in Nino’s eyes, hearing the obvious fondness in his voice, it wasn’t like that at all. Jun felt like he saw a side to Aiba that he never bothered to notice. Aiba was meddlesome—Nino said so himself—but he probably did it because he truly cared.

“He sent you here, put you in my care,” Nino said seriously. “He usually sends his clients here, but you’re not a client. You’re his friend, and I know I already said it earlier, but that makes you my friend too. Aiba-shi’s an idiot, and I know this trip probably wasn’t really something you wanted, but he did it with good intentions.”

“He said that when he made the reservation?” Jun asked, incredulous.

Nino shook his head. “He didn’t have to.”

Jun let out a breath, amazed at Nino’s perceptiveness. “I haven’t tried skiing, ever,” he admitted quietly.

He saw Nino’s face break into a smile. “That’s okay. There’s always a first time for everything.”

Nino had said that in a way Aiba would’ve, and Jun felt like that Nino was going to be his Aiba for this trip. Nino then extended his hand towards the grounds outside. “Come on, I’ll show you what I call the ‘hilltop view’.”

Jun smiled, letting Nino lead the way.

--

Sho went back to the inn just thirty minutes after sunset. His ankles ached a bit because he’d skied till he’d covered all the available trails in Iwatake, but it was worth it. His newly bought ski goggles had served their purpose, and Sho treated it as a good investment on his part.

He arrived to Jun wrapping a scarf around his neck and shivering despite having worn a leather jacket on top of a hoodie. He looked completely wrapped up, but then again, the temperature dropped significantly after the sun had set, and that had been the only reason why Sho had hurried back. He wanted to at least warm himself in an onsen after having an equally warm meal.

“Oh, welcome back,” Jun greeted, and Sho noted that he lost most of his initial apprehension. Something must’ve happened while Sho was skiing.

“Hello,” Sho said, sliding the door behind him. “I hope your day was eventful?”

Jun let out a small smile. “Nino kindly showed me around and introduced me to the staff. But no, I haven’t met the famous person yet.”

“Ah, I only know she’s a model,” Sho said, recalling what Ninomiya had told him earlier when he’d arrived. “Though that doesn’t really narrow things down.”

Jun shook his head. “It doesn’t. Anyway. Nino said dinner would be served in a few.”

Sho nodded. “That’s good to know.” He slid open the door to the sleeping quarters, taking care as he deposited his things. He put on two socks before wearing the provided slippers again, joining Jun in the low table as they waited for dinner to be served.

Sho assumed the seiza to be polite, but soon enough he couldn’t bear it any longer. “I’m sorry,” he said, making Jun look up from his phone, “would you mind if I stretch my legs? My ankles really hurt.”

“No,” Jun replied, shaking his head. He waited until Sho was able to move his feet to the side instead of under his legs. “From skiing?”

Sho nodded, a little embarrassed. “Yeah. I tried to cover all the available trails.”

“I’ve never skied before so I don’t really know,” Jun admitted quietly, pushing his glasses up his nose. Sho noted that he seemed to do that when he was a little uncomfortable. “I don’t think I can excel at it.”

“You wouldn’t know if you don’t try,” Sho pointed out. “It’s really fun. I know I sound like a tour guide trying to sell an attraction, but it’s really fun to slide across the snow and feel that strong breeze trying to push you back.”

“Well, you are a tour guide,” Jun reminded him, and Sho laughed at that, making Jun laugh a little too. “But your marketing skills need work, Sho-san, if you don’t mind me saying. People who haven’t tried it and aren’t sure whether they should would still be torn if that was how you tried to endorse it to them.”

“People like you?” Sho asked, not missing the tiny smile at the corner of Jun’s lips.

“I actually feel like giving it a shot,” Jun informed him. “The staff Nino introduced me to, well, they all said I should. It’s what people are going to Hakuba for, after all.”

“That’s the spirit, Matsumoto-kun,” Sho said, unable to call him by his given name despite Jun already addressing him as Sho-san. In Sho’s head, he could easily refer to Jun as Jun, but somehow, saying it felt too presumptive.

Not that he thought Jun was presumptive for using his name; he honestly liked the way Jun was addressing him. It helped increase the familiarity between them, which, Sho believed, they badly needed seeing as they were sharing close quarters until another room became vacant.

Jun didn’t appear to notice his use of last names though. “But I’ve never really tried skiing so…”

Sho waited, but Jun didn’t say anything else. It took a while for him to understand, almost in time for Jun’s bravado to drain away, but Sho managed to blurt out “well have you got any places in mind?” just in time.

That was when Jun pulled out something that looked like a printed itinerary, although it was filled with rather messy handwriting that served as annotations.

“My travel agent,” Jun began, and Sho didn’t miss the smile he made when he referred to his colleague as such (Aiba? Sho wasn’t very sure), “recommended that I should go see the Ski Jumping Stadium at Happo-One Ski Resort before I try it out.”

Sho chewed on his bottom lip. He loved skiing, sure, but the Jumping Stadium had these really high platforms according to the Hakuba Tourism website, and his acrophobia prevented him from enjoying such a place. Maki-chan had recommended the place to him as well, claiming that seeing it would bring an added thrill before skiing, but Sho didn’t really like the very high view it could give him.

Still, Jun was looking at him with somehow hopeful eyes, and he was someone who’d never tried skiing…

“I’ve never been there,” Sho admitted, peering at the paper and reading the ‘This one’s really good if you want to get excited, Matsujun!!!!!’ footnote for the Ski Jumping Stadium. “But I suppose, yes…I can give it a try.”

They began deciding on a time to visit Happo-One together. Sho was initially going to use the next day to try out all the soba places he could find, but he supposed he could move that to the afternoon.

He could teach Jun how to ski first.

When they finally agreed on what time they would wake up, Sho didn’t know what else to add. Jun wasn’t as menacing as Sho had thought him to be when they first met, and his sincerity and eagerness to learn was evident in the way he paid attention.

Jun’s face broke into a sincere smile as soon as they were done, and Sho almost told him to quit it but he held his tongue. He was thankful for the soft “Excuse the intrusion” that he heard outside, signaling the arrival of their dinner.

It was Ninomiya who personally delivered their meal, carrying a tray filled with raw seafood. Sho’s mouth nearly watered when he saw the ark shells neatly arranged in one plate. Sashimi was included as well, but instead of tuna and salmon, there was salmon roe, scallop, and sea bream.

Sho knew he’d availed of complimentary meals, but this was a little extravagant. He was sure he hadn’t paid for this. “Ninomiya-san, isn’t this a bit too much?” he asked, even though he couldn’t take his eyes off the ark shell.

Ninomiya only grinned before moving back towards the door to retrieve another tray, and Sho stared as the innkeeper placed a plate of surf clam and abalone on the table.

“I feel bad for forcing you two to share a room,” Ninomiya said, though his expression looked nothing similar to what he was saying. If anything, he looked triumphant that he’d managed to serve them something good. “So please, enjoy. Ohno-san prepared all of these with care.”

“Are you going to charge extra for all of these?” Jun asked. Sho detected a hint of amusement in his voice, and he wondered how Jun’s day went, if he was that comfortable with Ninomiya already.

“I will charge for the sake,” Ninomiya replied, standing up swiftly. “But you can pay for it when you bill out. Any requests?”

Sho exchanged one look with Jun before he nodded, letting Jun decide. “Zen sake, Nino, if you please.”

“Please wait for it. In the meantime, please enjoy your meal.” Ninomiya left them then, and Sho couldn’t decide which one to eat first.

“Do you like shellfish?” Jun suddenly asked, and Sho looked up to see Jun watching his face. He must’ve been staring at them hungrily.

He felt his face grow hot. “When I was in fourth grade, my family went to Mie, and I ended up eating so much shellfish that the shop owner asked me, ‘Won’t you visit us again, brother of the sea?’”

Jun laughed at that, a real one that turned his eyes to slits. Sho wished he would smile more, seeing as it really suited him. “A while ago Nino was asking what to serve for dinner. Ohno-san is the maintenance guy by title, but he mostly sticks around the kitchen.”

Sho hummed, finally understanding. “Are you the person behind this ridiculous serving of shellfish?”

Jun waved his hand. “No, but when I looked at what they had in stock, I felt like having shellfish and made the selfish request.” Jun flashed him a tiny grin. “I often buy these in the supermarket and eat them while drinking sake.”

Not too different from Sho then. Back in Kyoto, every time he had to handle the tour that consisted of foreigners, he’d rewarded himself by buying ark shell from the supermarket along with any alcoholic beverage he felt like drinking.

“But these aren’t supermarket shellfish so I’m really looking forward to how they taste,” Jun finished, just in time for Ninomiya to return with a bottle of zen sake.

Despite their mutual insistence that they could do it, Ninomiya poured drinks for them both before leaving them with another curt bow along with a reminder of “Enjoy, and when you’re done, you can leave the trays at the corridor.”

Sho steepled his fingers in front of him, putting all his effort in saying his graces.

--

After the dinner that had consisted mostly of Sho repeatedly claiming how tasty the shellfish were, Jun spent the rest of that night talking to his roommate and learning more about what kind of work he did. As a travel agent, most of Jun’s knowledge extended overseas and involved more budgeting work combined with research work and subsequent coordination. He’d never really been to the places he was recommending to people, except maybe for Las Vegas, parts of Spain, Paris, and New York.

Sho, meanwhile, being a tour guide, knew about the places he took people to because he had, on multiple occasions, experienced being there. It was different from Jun’s job that only required a decent internet connection and the patience to read through a couple of food and traveler blogs.

“I’ve never been assigned to Okinawa,” Sho was telling him as he poured himself another shot of sake. Ninomiya had delivered another bottle to them, shaking his head as he did so and claiming that they could really hold their liquor.

“You can’t petition for that or something? Like request for it?” Jun asked, taking a sip from his cup.

“Oh, I haven’t really tried that,” Sho said, blinking repeatedly like he was wondering why he didn’t think of that before. “But I’ve been to Kyoto, and before Kyoto it was Osaka, and before that, Nagoya.”

“And now they’re sending you back to Tokyo,” Jun finished for him.

Sho nodded, pursing his lips after taking a drink. “They probably are because of the tourist feedback. I can speak passable English since my mother is an English professor, and most foreign tourists in Tokyo aren’t really conversant in Japanese.”

Jun had had to deal with foreign clients in the past so he could somehow understand Sho’s feelings regarding foreigners suddenly codeswitching when their phrasebook failed them.

“What do you like in Tokyo, Matsumoto-san?” Sho suddenly asked. He was waving his hands awkwardly. “I mean, if you like Tokyo at all. The tour always gets changed and we base it on what people like to see.”

Jun spent a few moments to think. Tokyo Tower was an obvious choice, but very much overused. Sho had undoubtedly heard Tokyo Tower being mentioned countless times in his tour guide career.

“I like Yoyogi Park,” he answered honestly, looking outside. He and Sho had opted to sit together on the porch and drink their sake whilst looking out into the night, and although their room didn’t have a perfect view of the mountains, it had the clear, unobstructed outlook of the night sky that Jun adored.

“I went to Central Park in New York last year during the New Year’s, and when I was there, I couldn’t help thinking of Yoyogi. I guess I like it because it’s home, because when I go there and I remember that yes, I’m in Japan, I’m in Tokyo, I’m surrounded by my countrymen. Not that I felt homesick when I was in New York, but when I was there I felt like I was an oddity, like I didn’t truly didn’t belong and was, in every sense of the word, a foreigner.”

He stopped then, turning to face Sho, only to find Sho looking at him and listening intently.

Jun shook his head, suddenly self-conscious. “But Yoyogi wouldn’t be a popular choice unless there are cherry blossoms blooming, right?”

“Tourists like cherry blossoms,” Sho affirmed with a soft smile on his face. Added to the pink tinge on his cheeks because of the sake, Jun found him attractive. He first met Sakurai Sho when there were snowflakes in his hair and his cheeks were puffy from the cold. Now that there was only alcohol between them, Jun felt like he didn’t really bother to look at Sho before.

“But I’m going to be in Tokyo for the next six months so the trees would bloom by then,” Sho murmured, smiling wider at him. “Thank you for sharing that with me, Matsumoto-san.”

“Ah, it was nothing.” Jun waved his hand in dismissal. “I rarely get asked about local tourist spots, always about the Louvre or Sagrada Familia.”

“What was Spain like?” Sho asked, pouring more sake for him and Jun after Jun had inclined his head in permission. “I’ve always wanted to go there, maybe watch a soccer match when it’s in season, but I always forget to apply for a leave.”

“You can always watch a match in Barcelona,” Jun commented, his travel agent side kicking in. “I’ve been to the Aqueduct in Segovia, and there, people would really abuse the panorama feature of their phones.”

Sho laughed at that, a rich sound that made the sides of his eyes crinkle. “People here, in Japan I mean, try to do that with the Rainbow Bridge.”

“I’d like to see someone try doing that at the Great Wall,” Jun said, and Sho laughed again, his shoulders shaking and making Jun laugh along with him.

Jun finished his sake and moved to tidy up. “It’s late and we’re up for an early start, Sho-san.”

Sho nodded, but leaned back on the heels of his palms. “Just let me enjoy this for a while.”

Jun looked out, finding the North Star shining brightly just above a crescent moon. It was a wonderful scenery, a far outcry from the skyscrapers in Tokyo that Jun was accustomed to seeing outside his apartment window. Wherever Sho was from, Jun was certain it didn’t differ much. They both didn’t have time to appreciate something like this before.

So instead of standing up, Jun leaned back, imitating Sho’s position, and chose to watch the stars, even just for a little while.


Part Two