It was to the sound of his alarm that Sho woke up to, feeling Jun’s toned stomach right under his fingertips. Jun jerked and rolled to the side, grabbing a pillow to cover his head while Sho reached over to turn the device off.

Sho pressed a quick kiss to Jun’s bicep and sat up. Two nights of sleeping with Jun and waking up beside him in the mornings—it had been perfect.

“Good morning,” he said, despite knowing Jun would only grunt in response and try to get more sleep.

Jun did exactly that and Sho grinned. He checked his phone for emails and messages, ignoring the sudden drop he felt in his stomach when he realized it was his last day in Hakuba. Nino’s onsen policies required for him and Jun to vacate the room before lunchtime, giving Sho almost six hours to pack his luggage.

He glanced at Jun who was still sleeping, his back turned to Sho and breathing even. Sho had intended to return to Tokyo via taxi, but he was seriously considering taking the Azusa with Jun. Despite the taxi ride being faster, riding on the train would mean five more hours in Jun’s company, and Sho didn’t really find anything wrong with that.

He left the room to find some clothes, picking up his discarded jeans and shirt from the floor and quickly putting them on. He headed out to the front desk to ask about the contact information of the train station.

Instead of Nino, however, he found Haruka, who kept yawning even when she tried to greet Sho a good morning. “Anything I can help you with?” she asked, even if she had to clamp a hand over her mouth as she yawned again.

Sho asked for a directory of all establishments and services in the area, and he watched her with an amused expression as she sleepily dug through the different drawers of the desk. It took her a while, but she was able to hand over a clearbook directory, something Sho took after expressing his thanks.

He moved to the lounge to make the necessary call, wondering if he was being presumptive as he bought himself a ticket. He knew Jun was leaving for Shinjuku around half past two because Jun had said so the night before, but when he’d expected Jun to ask him to take the train, Jun didn’t.

He still had no idea if Jun would be willing to continue what they’d both found here in Hakuba and Sho didn’t really want to presume. He could be daring when it came to the intimacy he and Jun shared, but this was something else. Sho was never the type to demand something; he let people do whatever they wanted because he respected their ability to decide for themselves. He didn’t want to dictate anything.

The operator he was speaking to told him that the train he’d specified would arrive in Hakuba at 2:38PM today, and he thanked her for the services. He returned the clearbook to the front desk and Haruka told him that today’s breakfast would be potato salad and miso because “Nino finally bought potatoes after a week of not listening to me”, something Sho laughed at.

He quietly returned to their room after, a little surprised when he saw Jun sitting on the tatami and doing stretches. Jun had always been flexible, something Sho really enjoyed getting proof of, but this was the first time he saw Jun bending his body in ways that didn’t include Sho in any way.

“Hello,” Sho greeted a bit awkwardly, trying not to be too flustered when Jun looked at him over his shoulder, his hair falling over his eyes.

“Hey,” Jun said, standing gracefully, leaving Sho dumbfounded how he did it every time. “We have until lunch, right?”

Sho didn’t know if Jun was referring to the time they have left before they were supposed to vacate or the time they have left together. He scratched his cheek awkwardly, unable to look at Jun.

“Sho-kun?” Jun asked, concern in his voice.

“I’m taking the train,” Sho blurted out, looking at his feet. “I…I’ve tried the taxi before and I’d really like to try out something new so…uh.” He lifted his head, seeing Jun with a small smile on his face. “That is, if you don’t mind five more hours with me.”

“I don’t mind.” Jun’s face broke into a full grin. “But I have to warn you, you can get a crick in the neck and your ass is going to hurt from all the sitting.”

Honestly, Sho's ass was still a bit sore from the night they had despite Jun's efforts. After Jun had ushered him in the shower, Jun had tended to him with a gentleness that made him blush, massaging his aching muscles and applying lotion on the reddened skin. There had been kisses lost to his hair as Jun soothed the pain away, his lithe fingers pressing lightly on the stinging flesh, over and over, careful with every caress.

It made Sho fall for him all the more, witnessing for himself how doting and affectionate Jun could be.

Jun stepped close, something akin to uncertainty in his eyes. “Actually I was going to ask you something.”

Sho blinked, clearly not prepared for something like this. “Go ahead.”

Jun took one of his hands in his, thumb rubbing circles on his knuckles. Jun worried his lip in thought, and Sho waited in a mixture of anxiety and exhilaration. Jun let out a tiny laugh. “I haven’t done this in so long and I don’t remember how it should go but…when we get to Tokyo, do you…well, would you mind if we continue seeing each other? I’m not expecting anything, but I want to see you. After this. Even after this. Only if you want to, of course.”

Sho squeezed his hand, unable to keep himself from smiling. Jun had just asked him out. Meaning this wouldn’t end here in Hakuba, and Sho was seriously thrilled about that. “I work in Itabashi,” Sho told him. “I mean that’s where our office is.”

“Kabukicho,” Jun replied, answering his unasked question. “I understand that we both have a lot of work that piled up because of this trip so I won’t make any promises.”

Sho laced their fingers together, taking a step closer. “Then we deal with work first. And we’re more or less adjusted, we’ll see what happens.”

Jun flashed him a tiny smile that he returned. “Okay,” Jun agreed.

They let go when someone came knocking and they heard a soft “please excuse the intrusion”. The door slid open, revealing Ohno, who had this sleepy look in his eyes but a kind smile on his face.

Ohno set the meal on the table (potato salad, miso, and gyoza), and Sho was about to dig in when he heard Jun ask for sauce. Ohno replied that he would come back with one shortly, and Sho looked at Jun in confusion.

“What do you need that for?” he asked, blowing on his miso to cool it down.

Jun gave him an equally puzzled look. “For the salad.”

Sho frowned, not entirely sure of what he’d just heard. “You add sauce on potato salad? I like potato salad, but I’ve never tried that.”

“In my parents’ house it’s a common practice,” Jun said, amusement in his eyes. “You should try it now.”

Ohno returned then, handing Jun the bottle of sauce. He flashed them a friendly grin before leaving, and Jun handed the bottle to him.

“What, is this common knowledge?” Sho asked he squirted a bit of Worcestershire on a spoonful of salad. “I’ve never heard of this practice.”

“Then it’s not that common,” Jun said, already sipping his miso. “It’s really good though. Potato salad tastes better with that.”

Sho tried it, unable to keep himself from blurting out how good it was the moment he tasted it. He stared at the bottle incredulously while Jun laughed at him.

“Told you so,” Jun bragged, traces of his earlier amusement still on his face.

“Tell me more of these things,” Sho requested, eating another spoonful of salad with sauce. “These ‘common practices’ in your house that I may not know.”

Jun looked at him before nodding. “When we get to Tokyo.”

“When we get to Tokyo,” Sho repeated, understanding the implication and feeling warm because of it.

They finished breakfast while engaging in small talk, including the occasional praises for Ohno’s simple but tasty cooking. Sho would miss Ohno’s cooking, having gotten used to waking up with miso soup being delivered to their room for the past week. He was going to miss a lot of things in Nagano, but what he would really miss the most was sharing the same room with Jun.

He and Jun had been awkward around each other the first time they’d learned of the arrangement. Had it been only nearly a week ago, Sho wondered, when Jun had eyed him with the barest hints of interest?

And now Jun would look at him with his eyes full of meaning, his lips suppressing the urge to smile. Sho didn’t think much of him when they’d first met, but now he believed he had the markings around Jun’s mouth memorized. He’d kissed those marks repeatedly, liking the way Jun gave a sheepish smile every time he did.

Jun was someone he found in Hakuba when he hadn’t been looking, and he was truly relieved it had been Jun who asked him out because vice versa, he was positive he would have been a complete embarrassment. He would never find the right words to tell Jun that he didn’t want this (whatever it was) to end here as soon as they left the onsen premises. Jun had the ability to make him stammer and look like an idiot, and Sho wondered if he’d ever stop feeling so nervous around Jun.

On the one hand he wanted it to happen someday, because that would mean that he would have reached another stage with Jun, but on the other, the nerves only add to the thrill of being with Jun, and that was something he enjoyed too.

Sho liked him. He really did, and while there was this nagging thought in his mind that this all happened way too fast, he was certain of what he was feeling. He liked Jun enough to try pursuing something with him—at least that was his plan as soon as he caught up with the pile of work he’d undoubtedly have. Jun would be the same too, and even though Sho would like to see him again once they were back in Tokyo, he also wanted to make time for Jun.

He had no idea how to express these things though. He had an inkling Jun was feeling the same about everything; Jun had agreed on the ‘eliminate work pile first’ approach, after all. Sho was trying not to think too much about sleeping in his own bed in the apartment tonight, with Jun out of reach. He’d gotten so used to Jun’s presence that it would be challenging to get accustomed to a day without seeing Jun.

After breakfast, Sho opted to take a bath first so he could have a bit of time to himself as he pondered on a lot of things. Mostly job-related since he’d been putting that off for quite a while, and just this morning he’d received a work email from his boss about a meeting regarding the relocation assignments. Sho knew he’d be in Tokyo for the upcoming six months, but he had no idea which tours would he be assigned to.

He was just thinking about the possible complications he could encounter when the door slid open and Jun snuck in, a rather determined look in his eyes.

“Did you need something?” Sho asked, a little surprised at the intrusion, holding the shower head in hand.

Jun took the shower head from him and turned it off, placing it back on the arm.

“Yes,” Jun answered, his voice so low, intent unmistakable. He backed Sho towards the sink, his eyes solely focused on Sho’s mouth.

“I’m still sore from last night,” Sho admitted quietly, and Jun laughed. While last night had been amazing, with Jun making his fantasies come true and adding few colorful twists of his own (Sho loved that Jun had made him bite onto the condom to keep him silent), Sho was sure he’d be limping back to Tokyo if Jun fucked him now.

Jun took another dangerous step closer, a glimmer in his eyes. “I always liked your honesty.”

“Jun, I’m not sure this is the right place,” Sho added awkwardly, his ass hitting the edge of the marble.

“You’re so cute when you try to be rational,” Jun whispered, leaning in his space. “Get your ass on that sink.”

Sho complied, breath hitching when Jun placed his hands on his thighs to help him spread his legs. “Jun, what?” he asked, his voice rising a little in pitch.

Jun laughed, sinking to his knees before Sho. “Just shut up and take it.”

Jun ducked down without another word, bringing his tongue to Sho’s cock for the first time and Sho inhaled sharply, hand flying to his mouth to muffle his surprised moan. Jun licked him slowly, from base to tip before doing it again, Sho's cock growing heavier with each flick of his tongue. Jun flattened his tongue at the underside of Sho’s dick and followed the vein, making Sho slump back against the mirror behind him and spread his legs wider. Jun closed his lips around him and began sucking, taking Sho deep before letting out a low hum that made Sho groan.

Heat pooled from the insides of Sho’s thighs to his groin, his cock twitching as Jun continued twirling his tongue in a manner that made Sho wonder why Jun was so good at this. His breath came out in desperate gasps as Jun went faster, head now bobbing between his legs. Jun pulled off with an obscene pop, licking away a thread of saliva that stuck from the tip of Sho’s cock to his bottom lip.

Jun jerked him off in fast, sure strokes, and Sho looked down to find Jun watching his every reaction. Sho could only stare, mouth falling open, as Jun ran his thumb over the tip of his cock to wipe away the precome before putting his finger in his mouth and giving a little suck.

Sho tried to say Jun’s name, but his throat felt completely dry.

Jun licked his lips and began swirling his tongue over the head as he continued pumping Sho hard, and Sho couldn’t help lifting his hips off the sink to feel more of the promising heat of Jun’s mouth.

“I thought you said this isn’t the right place?” Jun asked with a grin, the tip of Sho’s cock poking the corner of his mouth. Precome smeared on Jun’s cheek, and he darted out his tongue to remove Sho’s taste from his own skin. Jun was stroking him lazily, like Sho wasn’t so hard and heavy in his hand.

“Shut up and finish what you started, all right?” Sho shot back, a little annoyed and breathless. He was so turned on that he was leaking, and Jun was clearly enjoying the view of him so eager and wanton.

Jun flashed him a grin before allowing Sho’s thick length fill his mouth, shutting his eyes as he let Sho’s cock slide deeper. Sho moaned when he felt the muscles of Jun’s throat around the head, and he finally uttered a garbled version of Jun’s name when Jun’s throaty hum vibrated through his entire length.

Jun was now massaging his thighs as he moved faster, swollen lips sliding up and down Sho’s cock with little effort. Sho’s legs trembled and he knew he was close, and he tried to warn Jun by tangling his hand in Jun’s hair and pulling a little at the strands.

Jun’s answer to that was to bring Sho to the very back of his throat, his hands grabbing the back of Sho’s thighs to place Sho’s legs over his shoulders. Sho let out another draggy moan of Jun’s name when all he could feel was warmth around his cock, and he gripped the edge of sink, knuckles becoming white as he gave in, coming hard inside Jun’s hot mouth.

His weight sagged against the mirror as Jun took it all, eyes shut tight because of the force of his orgasm. He felt boneless and sated as Jun eased his legs back down, and soon Jun was kissing his thighs, his stomach, his chest, up to the sides of his face. Sho could feel his smug smile right against his jaw.

Jun stroked his cheekbone with his thumb and patted his cheek twice. “And now, you can continue your bath.”

He moved to leave, but Sho managed to grab his wrist to stop him. He pulled Jun back to him, reaching down to grasp Jun’s half-hard cock.

“Not so fast, Matsumoto-san,” he muttered huskily, albeit still breathing heavily. He ran his thumb teasingly over the head of Jun’s cock and gave it a tiny squeeze, and he grinned when Jun shuddered.

He whispered the next words in Jun’s ear. “I take back what I said. We’re in the right place.”

Jun’s answering laugh was really something Sho expected.

--

When Jun was finally sated (which only happened after he and Sho had simultaneously made out as Sho gave him a handjob and whispered filthy nothings in his ear), they took a long time showering and getting clean since Sho couldn’t keep his hands to himself and would poke Jun at his sides just to laugh when Jun squirmed as a reaction.

Jun, being himself, retaliated by splashing water on Sho’s face and swatting Sho’s ass lightly. It became a cycle and Jun realized this was probably why Sho had never snuck in with him in the past. Not that Jun minded much; he’d snuck inside to give Sho a blowjob while Sho had been bathing, after all.

After, they dressed and moved their luggage to the lounge, finally vacating the room with thirty minutes to spare from the deadline. Sho found Ohno and engaged in a rather lively chat about Ohno’s supposed fishing trips. Jun, meanwhile, found Nino, who at first thanked him for his patronage before grinning at him in the annoying Nino way.

“Give my regards to Aiba-shi,” Nino told him while they both stood at the porch to watch as the midday sun moved to hide behind the clouds.

“Will do,” Jun promised.

“I’ve been sending him messages via LINE, but like Oh-chan, I don’t think he knows how to use it properly. Not yet at least,” Nino said in a fake irritated tone he seemed to save for Aiba alone.

Jun narrowed his eyes at the information. “Aiba-san’s going to bug me when I come back, right?”

Nino only smiled. “What made you think so, Jun-kun? It’s not like I told Aiba-shi on LINE that your Hakuba trip became a booty call. It’s not as if I told him that this has got to be one of the most fulfilling trips you’ve ever had, and that’s not just talking about my splendid establishment.”

Jun delivered a light slap on Nino’s arm, something Nino only laughed at. “You definitely told him,” he said, shaking his head. He could only hope Nino didn’t divulge too much.

“I didn’t tell him Sho-chan’s name even though he asked me plenty of times,” Nino said, his lips twitching as he seemed to read what Jun was thinking. “All I said was it was something I heard you saying repeatedly that one night and—”

Jun smacked him harder this time. “You didn’t tell him that!”

“Well I guess you just have to go home and find out if I did or didn’t, yeah?” Nino said in between giggles, half of his face tucked in the crook of his elbow. “You know Aiba-shi. Guy doesn’t know shit about subtlety so really, Jun-kun, good luck. I wish I could see it. I’d be having the time of my life.”

Jun looked over his shoulder, seeing Sho laughing loudly at something Ohno said. “I am now considering not inviting Aiba-san along for that karaoke night.”

“Don’t chicken out,” Nino told him. “You think I’d go down to Tokyo for Sho-chan’s rap? Nah, I’m going there with Haruka-chan and Oh-chan just so we can crash at Aiba-shi’s place and make his life difficult. The karaoke only comes as a secondary reason here.”

Nino stepped a little closer to him, his voice quieter the next time he spoke. “Look, I don’t think Aiba-shi’s going to scare Sho-chan away. I mean, Sho-chan’s still here despite all my teasing, and I’m way better at this than Masaki would ever be, so if that’s what you’re worried about…”

Jun wasn’t really worried about Aiba and Nino scaring Sho away. He knew a couple of things about Sho that the two idiots didn’t, so he simply looked at Nino with a confident smile. “You know what, Ninomiya? When the karaoke happens, bring it on.”

He knew Sho could handle himself, and together, well, they could probably take on Nino and Aiba combined no matter how clever those two seemed to be when it came to teasing people. Besides, Ohno and Haruka would be there. Those two were adept at neutralizing Nino.

Nino pointed at him challengingly. “You’re on, Jun-kun. You better not forget this.”

Jun met Nino’s gaze evenly. “You’re going down, Nino.”

Nino only laughed, just as Sho, Ohno, and Haruka joined them.

Jun checked his watch, seeing it would be best if they left now and simply waited around the station. He climbed down the steps, snow crunching under his feet when he reached the ground.

“We’ll see you in Tokyo,” Sho said with a polite bow, something Ohno and Haruka returned and Nino grinned at.

“Thank you for your patronage despite our lack of rooms,” Nino said.

Jun dared him to say more by raising an eyebrow, but Nino simply extended out his hand to Sho. Sho took it gratefully, thanking Nino for the services, before doing the same with Haruka and Ohno.

When Jun shook Nino’s hand, Nino had this soft smile on his face, far from the teasing ones Jun had seen earlier. “Out of ten, how would you rate this place?”

“You ask everyone this question?” Jun wondered with a slight frown.

“No, just the people whose opinion matters. I said Aiba’s friend is automatically my friend. So?”

Jun looked at Sho, who was sharing a laugh with Haruka and Ohno. “Ten.”

Nino seemed genuinely pleased. “No regrets about coming to Nagano?”

Jun shook his head. “None.”

“Then come again. I’ll prepare a bigger futon next time.”

That made Jun laugh. “Okay. But you better have that futon.”

The taxi they called to bring them to the station finally arrived, and he and Sho bid the staff of Ninomiya Onsen Ryokan goodbye, with Sho enthusiastically waving his hands and his smile as bright as the sun over their heads.

When they got to the platform and Sho already had his ticket in hand, Jun only watched him when he whipped out his camcorder and filmed the scenery around them. There wasn’t much to see, but Jun had long discovered that Sho was the type who would put anything and everything on film so he simply sat back and let Sho be.

The train heading for Shinjuku arrived after a few minutes, and Jun picked the last row of the green seat area. The train was mostly empty given that not a lot of people board Minami-Otari or Hakuba.

“Window seat’s mine,” he told Sho, ignoring Sho’s pout.

“How am I supposed to film the way back if you’re seated there?” Sho complained, placing his hand-carry luggage at the rack above their heads.

Jun took his seat by the window and shrugged his shoulders. “Find a way.”

Jun busied himself with a manga volume as Sho took a seat beside him, their elbows touching as Sho settled himself. It was a five-hour long trip back home, and Jun remembered something.

“You better not snore,” he said out of the corner of his mouth, and he laughed when Sho scowled at him. “There are lots of people here, Sakurai. Not everyone is as forgiving as I am.”

“Did I snore for the past two nights?” Sho asked, his camcorder and backpack perched on his lap.

Jun honestly had no idea because he’d been sleeping like a rock those past two nights. He and Sho had fooled around, had great sex, and slept right after, and he’d always been exhausted enough to find rest immediately.

“Ah, you’re so tired after that you can’t remember, huh?” Sho asked as he caught on to Jun’s momentary silence, a smug grin on his face. “I’m flattered, Matsumoto-san.”

Jun nudged Sho with his elbow. “I’m serious about not snoring.”

“I know you are,” Sho said, still grinning.

“I can’t believe I put up with all your weird sleeping habits for an entire week,” Jun complained.

“You’re lucky it’s winter,” Sho told him, now fiddling with his camcorder. “When summer hits and it gets too hot, I take off my clothes in my sleep.”

Jun stared at him. “You do what?”

Sho wouldn’t look at him now. “I often wake up naked.”

Jun laughed. “Well, I think that’s a habit I’ll be more than okay with.”

The train departed from Hakuba, and when they reached Shinano-Omachi, Jun felt Sho reaching for his hand. He was reading and Sho was too, only that he had a manga volume up and Sho’s eyes were glued to his phone. Jun wondered how long Sho had wanted to do that before he finally went for it.

Jun entwined their fingers together, their winter coats hiding what they were doing in case any train personnel passed by. He put the manga down, tucking it at the back of the seat in front of him.

He leaned back in his chair, observing Sho as Sho read silently, though his mouth was constantly moving. He had nothing but concentration in his eyes, and Jun couldn’t help admiring him for it, for the way he was so intensely focused.

“Stop doing that,” Sho murmured under his breath, squeezing Jun’s hand.

“Do what?” Jun asked innocently, enjoying the redness steadily creeping up to Sho’s cheeks.

“I’m trying to read,” Sho said instead, his petulant tone making Jun smile.

“I’m not doing anything, Sho-kun. And it’s not really my fault if you’re that easily distracted.”

Sho looked around to check their surroundings. There was a couple five rows away from them, and on the other side, a mother and her teenage daughter sat three rows away.

Sho suddenly leaned in to brush a kiss on his mouth, leaving him stunned. Sho pulled away and unlocked his phone like nothing had happened, going back to his reading, but there was still this flush to his cheeks that was definitely mirrored in Jun’s.

“Jerk,” Jun accused, even though he didn’t mean it.

Sho only smirked.

--

Sho spent most of the five hours on the way back home holding Jun’s hand, sneaking kisses when nobody was looking and enjoying the way Jun got flustered after. Jun upped the game and rested his hand on Sho’s knee as he pressed a kiss to his neck once they reached Nirasaki, and Sho, like the trip back to the onsen three days ago, wished for Shinjuku to be farther away.

Eventually he had to part with Jun, with Jun heading for another train line to get home and him hailing a taxi outside Shinjuku Station. He and Jun had exchanged numbers, promising to call each other as soon as they caught up with work and had more time in their hands.

Unfortunately, Sho had underestimated the work Suzuhara-san had for him when he showed up for work the following day, and that was before being shuffled to the meetings that lasted an entire day.

Sho had loads of travel guides to review and itineraries to add suggestions to. He had to polish his English since Suzuhara-san assigned him with three-fourths of the foreign tours and provided him with a flash drive containing English videos about the popular tourist spots in Tokyo as “reference”.

So Sho immersed himself in his work, eager to do his best and prove himself. He reviewed the proposals Suzuhara-san had for the daytime and early nighttime tours, adding helpful comments and providing insight.

And before Sho knew it, it had been more than a week since he’d arrived in Tokyo, and that he wasn’t able to squeeze in his schedule the simple act of calling Jun or sending him a message.

Not that Jun had sent him any, because Sho only got work emails and the usual ‘how are you doing’ messages from his sister and his mom. He figured Jun was terribly busy too, given his job and the growing popularity of overseas travel.

Instead of contacting Jun in any way though, he decided to begin editing the videos he’d recorded during his stay in Nagano. He could use it as a reason to ask Jun to meetup, saying he was going to hand over the travel video he edited as promised.

Sho didn’t want to intrude in any of Jun’s work so he never had the courage to just dial the number and have a chat. Despite everything they had done in Hakuba, all those long talks during the night, the teasing and the jabs to each other’s ego, Sho couldn’t be brave and attempt to reconnect.

He had no idea what Jun was doing. Was he overworked and stressed? Most likely. Had he been worrying about client preferences all week, neglecting himself just so he could do a good job? Definitely. Sho was genuinely concerned, but he didn’t have the guts to call Jun and find out for himself because he feared that their time in Nagano had passed. He and Jun mutually agreed on giving each other space to adjust, but the longer it took Sho to muster up the courage to call—say hello, anything—the more he felt that he would only end up wasting Jun’s time.

So he poured all his efforts into editing that travel video, despite finding that most of his clips had only Jun’s smile or him laughing at something Sho had said. Looking at his laptop screen as he watched them share a meal in Uzuraya, something clenched in him as soon as he heard Jun’s laugh and his rating of five ‘Matsu’s for the tempura soba.

Sho ended up sleeping late on a Friday night because he’d spent more time watching his videos than actually compiling them. He realized how badly he missed having Jun around when he rewatched his temporary output and got to that part wherein Jun turned the camera to his own face and said “This is Matsumoto” with Matsumoto Castle towering behind him.

He chose to stay home for that day, using his Saturday to have a decent output he’d be proud to hand over to Jun when he finally had the guts to contact him. It was almost six in the early evening when his phone rang, an unknown number calling, and Sho hurriedly picked up.

It was Nino.

“Hello, Sho-chan! How’s Tokyo?” was the lively greeting, and Sho spent a few minutes talking about how his colleagues thanked him for the Hakuba coffee and how those he’d given sake to seemed utterly pleased about the souvenir.

He also informed Nino that he had recommended the onsen to his curious coworkers, something Nino thanked him for.

“Why did you call?” Sho asked when he ran out of things to talk about and was pacing his room in worry. Did he forget something in the onsen? Did Nino forget to tell him something important?

“I’m going to give you an address so write it down,” was Nino’s answer.

Sho hurried to his desk to grab a stack of post-its and the nearest pen, scribbling the address Nino dictated twice. “What do you want me to do with this?” he asked as soon as Nino confirmed that he had jotted down the correct one.

He could hear Nino grin on the other side of the line. “Have dinner there.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” Nino muttered, chuckling a little. “You’ve been working too hard, haven’t you? I want you to get on your car, drive, go to that place. Tell the staff you know me so you can avail the house special.”

“Wait, Nino—”

“Last order’s at 9PM so hurry up. Their mabo tofu’s really good so that’s my number one recommendation. Till next time, Sho-chan.”

Nino cut the line after that, leaving Sho staring at his phone. He checked the time, seeing that it was 6:15PM, and he shut off his laptop. He grabbed his coat and car keys, leaving his apartment to do what Nino said and go out for a drive.

He was getting hungry anyway.

--

Jun had been looking forward to the weekend after coming back to four client recommendations. One family wanted to go to Portugal because the son was a Cristiano Ronaldo fan and would like to see his idol’s homeland. A newly-married couple wanted to visit Amsterdam for their honeymoon, a single woman wanted to go to the Bahamas, and two siblings would like to see New Zealand. Jun had to deal with their requests independently, given that their destinations were in different continents, and while he enjoyed the challenge these clients brought, it hardly gave him time for anything else.

Of course, the moment he’d showed up in the office, Aiba had been waiting for him. He’d been sitting on Jun’s desk with two cups of coffee, a bright smile on his face as he handed Jun one and drank the other.

Aiba kept asking him questions about Hakuba, if he found skiing enjoyable or if the food was really good. Aiba wanted to know how he’d rate Nino’s place and seemed truly happy when Jun said he honestly enjoyed himself and would love to come back some other time.

But since Jun was swamped with work and Aiba was, too, they postponed the chat for another day and dealt with their respective clients. Unfortunately, Jun underestimated the process of having a proposed itinerary approved, so he ended up making three revisions to the Bahamas trip before he was able to acquire his client’s approval.

Before Jun knew it, more than a week had passed and he still had to book two international flights to Narita. It gave him no time to deal with anything else. He brought his work home, polishing proposed budgets and itineraries even on a Saturday.

He absentmindedly answered his phone when it rang, only to hear Aiba’s enthusiastic voice telling him to put on a jacket and go downstairs because they were going somewhere.

“What?” Jun asked loudly since he put the phone on loud speaker. “Where are we going? I have to finish this, Aiba-san.”

“We’re going to Chiba because I miss Chiba. And we’re going to eat at my family’s restaurant because it’s been a while and I really miss my mom.”

Jun sighed, removing his glasses to rub at his tired eyes. He’d been staring at the computer for too long. “Why me? Don’t you have Kazama-kun to invite?”

Jun could practically hear the excitement from Aiba’s voice. “That guy always gets free food from me and he can use a night without it. I’m downstairs, so come on, let’s go! I’m the one driving anyway! I know you’re busy, Matsujun; you always are. But come on. It’s a Saturday night.”

Jun stood up and grabbed his coat. He’d skipped lunch and it was time for dinner so his stomach was rebelling against him. Aiba meant no harm, he figured. Aiba must have been looking out for him as always, whenever he was on the verge of overworking himself. “Fine, but you’re paying.”

“It’s my family’s restaurant! They can’t charge me!” Aiba pointed out animatedly as Jun reached over his desk to grab a hat. “I’ll be waiting downstairs, okay?”

The line was cut after that, and Jun spent a few moments staring at the hat in his hands. It was Sho’s, the same camouflage bucket hat Sho had left on his seat when they got off the train. Sho had asked him to hold on to it as he fixed his stuff, but Sho never really got to retrieve it because he had to call for a taxi and Jun had been so busy trying to find his rail pass that he’d forgotten to hand it over.

Jun should’ve called. He knew it. He had been putting it off because he and Sho had agreed on giving each other time to cope with the workload they’d find on their hands upon their return, but he knew he should’ve called. At least, he should have sent a message since he had Sho’s number, but he let his work eat up his time and he focused on so many other things.

He wanted to contact Sho. Badly. He missed Sho and there were times he’d find someplace interesting in his research for his clients’ destinations and he’d wonder what Sho would have to say about it. But for some reason he just couldn’t hit the call button, because one of his lingering fears since Hakuba was that it was just a fling, a one-time thing despite him asking Sho out and Sho saying yes.

His phone beeped with another message from Aiba, one that simply said ‘Matsujun, let’s go!!!!!’, and Jun grabbed the hat and put it on as he left his apartment.

“Ah, took you long enough!” was Aiba’s welcome when he finally arrived at the lobby of his apartment building. Aiba’s gaze drifted past his eyes. “I thought you were a fedora guy.”

Jun shrugged, not wanting to elaborate. He hoped Aiba was planning on getting drunk tonight so he could gather the courage to call Sho and just hear his voice and his laugh. It felt like it had been too long since he heard that. “Are we going or not?”

Aiba grinned, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they walked out together. “I told my mom I’m bringing a friend along and she was so thankful it wasn’t Kazapon. She’s so used to seeing his face.”

“Did you ever bring Nino to your family’s restaurant?” Jun asked when he was putting on the seatbelt and Aiba started the car.

“Nino practically lived in my house even when they still had that house in Katsushika,” Aiba said with a grin on his face. “My grandpa told Nino we should just get married because we were always together.”

Jun laughed at that. “And you didn’t think of coming with him to Nagano?”

Aiba hummed as they reached Metropolitan Expressway. “I did, actually. Nino invited me to manage that onsen with him and I really thought about it."

“But you didn’t go.”

Aiba shook his head, a smile on his face. “No. I don’t know anything about managing a business, Matsujun. Nino is the one with the degree, not me. So I said no but I promised Nino I was going to help his business in any way I can. And he accepted, no hard feelings. I even saw him off.”

“So you help him by recommending clients to his onsen,” Jun concluded, earning Aiba’s nod. “Nino’s place is actually nice. Fitting for winter. Great view of the mountains, excellent food and facilities, and not too far from the Shinkansen.”

Aiba grinned. “That’s Nino’s management for you. There might only be the three of them, him with Haruka-chan and Leader, but they’re actually good at maintaining that place. I get really happy when I recommend that place to people and they come back praising it.”

“You call Ohno-san ‘Leader’?” Jun clarified, something Aiba nodded enthusiastically at.

“Nino doesn’t call him that?” Aiba asked, surprised.

Jun shook his head. “He calls him ‘Oh-chan’.”

“Ah well, there’s that too. But I call him Leader for old times’ sake. The three of us sort of grew up together, after all. He’s Leader because he’s really the best at doing somersaults back when we were kids and playing together.”

“How did you meet Ohno-san?” Jun asked, genuinely curious.

He and Aiba finally reached Keiyo Road. “Nino introduced me to him. Leader was visiting, you see. Leader is the original guy from Nagano. Nino met him when he visited his relatives there, and when Leader went to Tokyo, Nino introduced us. And then Nino and I went back with him to Nagano to spend the summer there. We played all the time. Whenever Leader dropped by, the three of us would hung out a lot in the restaurant. Everything’s delicious for Leader, you know?”

“I didn’t know that,” Jun admitted, smiling at Aiba’s obvious fondness for his two friends. “And Haruka-san?”

“Haruka-chan was the only one who answered Nino’s job ad that didn’t really specify a position,” Aiba recalled with a giggle. “I met her when I visited the onsen on Nino’s invitation. That was years ago though. Five or six? Around that.”

“She reminded me of you,” Jun told Aiba, remembering Haruka’s tendency to not realize what she was saying until it was too late.

Aiba laughed. “Nino said the same thing. Sometimes I think that guy misses me a lot. He denies it every time I say it though.”

“Of course he does,” Jun said, shaking his head. “I asked Nino to come to Tokyo with Ohno-san and Haruka-san for karaoke.”

“Hey, that sounds nice!” Aiba commented like he was truly pleased.

“You’re coming along, idiot,” Jun told him, shooting him an incredulous look. Aiba only laughed. “We’re doing it after winter season so they can take a break and come here.”

“Just the five of us?” Aiba asked, his eyes fixed on the road.

Jun stared at him for a while. All this time, Aiba had never asked about Sho. Jun knew that Aiba had a bit of information (save for Sho’s name if Nino had been telling the truth) about what happened to him in Nagano, but this was the first time Aiba had implied that he did know something.

Jun ran his fingers over the material of the hat on his lap, unsure of how to answer Aiba’s question. What was he going to say? That he was stupid and he didn’t call Sho when he should have? That it had been a week and four days and he still didn’t send a message, not even a little hello despite being the one who asked Sho out? That he was a coward who used work as his excuse?

“We’re here,” Aiba informed him, saving him from all the explanations. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my mom. She always wanted to meet someone who wasn’t Kazapon or Nino.”

Aiba guided him inside the restaurant after locking the car, and Jun was introduced to a woman who looked too youthful to be Aiba’s mom but had similar facial features. She was pretty and had the same welcoming smile her son had, very friendly and accommodating as she guided Jun to a seat for two in the corner of the establishment.

Aiba only sat down for a few moments, at least until Jun told him what he wanted to have for tonight, then Aiba moved to leave.

“I’m going to help around the kitchen,” Aiba claimed, trying to wink at Jun but utterly failing. He could never wink. “I’m hardly here and I feel guilty.”

“Please don’t experiment too much with our food,” Jun reminded him.

Aiba rolled his sleeves up and flexed his arm, patting his biceps. “Leave it to Masaki, Matsujun!”

He left then, not bothering to stay for Jun’s retort of “that’s exactly what scares me”. Jun set Sho’s hat on the table, looking at it for a few moments before he was finally able to pull out his phone and scroll through his contacts to find Sho’s name.

Jun stared at the impersonal gray circle with the first kanji of Sho’s name. His phone could never convey everything he had come to associate with Sho, and that was including the bucket hat right in front of him.

He remembered Sho’s laughs, his passion for videos and eating, the way he would perk up when he had vital information to share about a particular place. He recalled how Sho didn’t know about adding Worcestershire sauce to potato salad and how that was one of the things he taught Sho without meaning to.

His finger hovered on the call button when someone’s shadow suddenly blocked the light overhead, and he looked up, his stomach knotting when he saw who it was.

--

Sho honestly hadn’t expected to find Jun here.

He arrived in the restaurant Nino had told him about, reading the bright sign Keikarou and stepping inside to inquire for any vacancies since it was a Saturday night.

A man around the same age as Sho was waiting beside the reception desk and when Sho said he was here because of a recommendation by a certain Ninomiya Kazunari, the man grinned and ushered him inside. The man kept the happy, friendly smile on his face despite having no nameplate and not dressed like any of the staff as he pointed to a table in the corner that was half-hidden by a post.

Sho approached the designated seat without expecting anything, but when he saw his familiar hat (he only realized that it was missing right at that moment), he quickly turned to look at the person seated on the table. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw the familiar brown hair and glasses.

Jun looked up when he stopped by the table, and Sho couldn’t really name the expression there. Jun was shocked, yes, but there was something else on his face that Sho couldn’t really focus on because he was still reeling from the fact that it was Jun. Seated right there. After days of not seeing him or being anywhere near him, Jun was here in Chiba, looking just as surprised as Sho.

Sho had to hold on to the back of the nearest chair to ground himself. “Can I sit?” he asked shakily, his heart pounding.

Jun only nodded, and Sho lowered himself on the chair carefully, unsure of what to say now that Jun was right in front of him and within reach. Jun was holding his phone in one hand and the other was on top of Sho’s hat, and Sho looked past Jun’s face to see his hair somewhat flattened.

“Did you wear that on the way here?” Sho asked, trying to keep himself from smiling.

Jun blushed, and Sho wanted to reach for his hand just to remember how it felt like to hold it. “It was the first thing I saw. Aiba-kun…well, this wasn’t planned. He just came to pick me up.”

Sho turned to the entrance and caught the gaze and knowing smile of the same man who showed him to his seat. Sho now knew who he was. Aiba. The travel agent who was responsible for sending Jun to Nagano in the first place. And now the man who made them meet again, though now that Sho thought about it, Nino was definitely part of the plan. Nino had provided him with the address, after all.

“How did you get here?” Jun asked, still in a state of disbelief.

“Nino called me,” Sho said, and he caught Jun turning to glare at Aiba, who now had both hands steepled in front of him and was bowing in apology despite being so far away.

“They’re so meddlesome,” Jun muttered, shaking his head, but there were hints of a smile on his face. He tucked his phone back in his pocket and ran his hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry,” Sho blurted out, unable to keep it to himself any longer. “I should’ve called. I should have sent you a message, anything really. I was trying to finish the travel video so I would have a reason to call you, but I really should have just called.”

Jun shook his head, looking annoyed with himself. “That’s my line. I have your hat.” Jun tilted his head towards it for emphasis. “And it was me who asked you out before we left the inn. That was more than enough reason. I should have called you, but I didn’t because I was worried I’d get in your way. Stupid, I know. I’m not exactly good at this kind of thing.” Jun stroked his nose with his thumb, his eyes fixed on the table and the tissue container between them. “But I’m really sorry.”

Sho felt like something heavy was lifted off his shoulders, relief washing over him in waves. He missed Jun. The sound of his voice, the look in his eyes whenever he smiled, his childlike grins that always tugged at Sho’s heart. How did he manage more than a week of not seeing any of that or hearing Jun’s voice? He had been as stubborn and stupid as Jun.

If Nino and Aiba hadn’t taken matters in their own hands, Sho would have lost something important before he even realized it.

Sho pulled out his phone without replying, scrolling through his contacts to find Jun’s number and pressing the call button. He put the phone on his ear and inclined his head towards Jun when Jun shot him a questioning look after his phone rang, a gesture for him to answer it.

Jun picked up, and his soft “yes, hello?” made Sho smile.

“Now that I finally called,” Sho began, stomping down on the nerves that threatened to eat him alive so he could get the next words out, “I want to ask Matsumoto-san something.”

Jun looked like he was simultaneously nervous and suppressing himself to laugh at Sho’s silliness, but he indulged Sho. “And what’s that, Sakurai-san?”

Sho swallowed, deciding that there was no turning back. He’d be a fool to let go of this one after finding it once more. “Will Matsumoto Jun-san be amenable to going out with Sakurai Sho even after this dinner? Sakurai promises that he’s not a criminal and won’t try anything funny. If Matsumoto-san has a curfew, Sakurai promises to return him on time.”

Jun buried half of his face in his other hand as he laughed, his shoulders shaking as he tried to keep it together. The restaurant was still crowded and they really didn’t want to disturb any of the patrons.

“Matsumoto-san?” Sho asked when Jun still kept laughing, and Jun straightened up, wiping at the corner of his eye with his thumb. “Sakurai Sho really wants to know Matsumoto-san better now that they’re out of Nagano, but only if Matsumoto-san is open to the idea.”

Jun looked at him with overflowing fondness, and Sho felt like his heart was on the verge of leaping out of his ribcage. “Can I say one thing to Sakurai-san?”

“Anything,” Sho said sincerely, hands clammy as he waited for what was Jun going to say next.

“I want Sakurai-san to know that I’m trying very hard not to kiss him right now.”

Sho couldn’t help blushing at the bold declaration, his smile wide enough to split his face. “Is that Matsumoto-san’s way of saying yes? Because Sakurai needs to hear it. He hasn’t done this for a long time and is unsure of what to do next.”

“Yes,” Jun finally said, his smile beautiful and everything Sho wanted to see ever since they had parted ways. “I think Matsumoto Jun is amenable to Sakurai Sho’s proposal.”

Sho ended the call and put his phone down, just in time for Aiba to approach their table and bring them food. Sho noticed that Nino’s recommended mabo tofu was included.

“Sho-san, meet Aiba Masaki, Nino’s other half,” Jun said in fake annoyance, his lips twitching as he fought the urge to grin. “Aiba-san, this is Sakurai Sho.”

“I take it you guys reconnected?” Aiba asked with a knowing grin, and when Sho inclined his head, he did a fist pump. “I got to tell Nino then. Nice to meet you, Sho-chan. I now know who to run to if Matsujun threatens me with anything after this.”

Sho laughed, finding that he liked Aiba already.

“You’re such snoops,” Jun accused Aiba, but it lacked fire in it. Jun looked at Sho first before turning back to his colleague. “Don’t involve him in this.”

Aiba wiggled his finger at him. “Ah, ah. But wasn’t it you who declared war on us, on me and Nino? You asked for it, Matsujun. Now I better go. I think I did my job and because of that, Nino now owes me a free night in his ryokan.”

Aiba walked away without another word, hurriedly typing on his phone, presumably telling Nino everything. Sho turned back to Jun, taking in his sharp features that often gave people the wrong impression. He really liked Jun, he realized, after seeing his face again and finally managing to ask him out, albeit in a really weird manner since Sho honestly had no idea how. Jun was attractive, and Sho was certain he’d gotten a lot of invitations in the past.

But Jun had given him his yes, and that meant the one thing that made Sho’s heart thump madly inside his chest.

Jun liked him back and was willing to try things out with him.

For Sho, that was more than enough.

--

As soon as they left Keikarou, Jun placed the hat on Sho’s head.

“It never really suited me the way it did you,” he said, enjoying Sho’s sheepish grin at the praise.

Sho only nodded, walking towards the parking spots. “Would you like to go for a drive?” he asked, not really looking at Jun.

Jun checked his watch for the time and didn’t mind the late hour. “I don’t have a curfew,” he said, and Sho laughed. “Where are we going?”

Sho looked uncertain, and he chewed on his bottom lip as he thought about it. Jun waited patiently, finding that waiting was of no consequence now that he found Sho again. It took him days and a Nino and an Aiba, but he found Sho again.

Jun vowed he wasn’t going to let go so easily this time.

“Up to you,” Sho finally answered, a boyish grin on his round face. “I didn’t exactly plan for this.”

Jun stepped closer, grateful for the lateness of the hour because they were alone despite still standing in front of Aiba’s family restaurant. “That’s the first time I heard you say you have nothing planned.” He reached for Sho’s hand, letting the familiarity wash over him. He had missed this. How was he able to delude himself that he was doing fine without this? Without Sho?

He squeezed Sho’s hand. “I can deal with no plans.”

Sho grinned, and Jun really couldn’t resist anymore. He leaned in to kiss Sho, who immediately responded with something like a noise of relief coming out of his mouth. Jun allowed himself to remember the feeling Sho with him, pouring everything he couldn't say into each kiss they shared. They kissed for a while, until Sho pulled away with a tiny laugh.

“You taste like mabo tofu,” Sho informed him, and Jun gave him a little shove. Sho stumbled backwards, but he yanked Jun back to him, one arm looping around Jun’s waist. “I like mabo tofu.”

Jun flicked him on the forehead. “I thought we were going for a drive.”

Sho laced their fingers together, his touch and earnest smile warming Jun. “All right.”

Jun tilted his chin towards the nearest car. “Is that yours?”

Sho tugged him along until they stood beside a black Nissan Note. “This one, I’m afraid.” He let Jun go and Jun went to the passenger’s side, waiting for Sho to unlock the doors.

As soon as they were inside, Jun reached up to play with the red fluffy dice that was hanging on the rear view mirror. “Okay,” he said as soon as Sho has settled. Jun fastened his seatbelt, leaning back. “Let’s go.”

Sho started the car but didn’t drive. Not yet, at least. “Where to, Matsumoto-san?”

Jun looked out towards the road before them, noting that the city lights seemed to float because of the darkness. Ahead, the road winded, but out there on the horizon, the concrete seemed to merge with the sky full of stars, as if it led to an infinite path full of possibilities.

As long as he was with Sho, there could only be one answer.

“Anywhere.”