Part 1

“You can leave, Jun… It’s already too late…”

Jun turned to look at the man who was sitting at his desk, his head lost behind the pile of papers, he had in front of him, and sighed. “And you…? You intend to sit here on your own and finish with these reports till around five in the morning?”

“It’s my responsibility. I will be the one to finish them…”

“So, you don’t trust me?” Jun said as he came closer with two cups of hot coffee. “I thought I had already won your trust, Sakurai-senpai!”

“Jun!” the other said, trying with difficulty not to burst into laughs. Despite his tiredness, Jun always managed to cheer him up.

“You were asking for it. Now, better be a good boy and let me see those stupid papers.”

Sho rubbed his forehead for a while not knowing what to do. In all honesty, he needed his friend’s help but on the other hand, he didn’t want to pass on the other something that was his responsibility and his task. After giving it a thought, he looked up at his friend and smiled. He knew there was no way Jun would take no for an answer. In a first glimpse, the latter looked difficult to approach but Sho knew that wasn’t the case. He had realized it since they were both at school, when Jun, despite being one year younger than him, had managed to impose himself to the group of bullies that had been making his life difficult.

Sho had always been an excellent student. He was someone who wanted to be at the top of his class. He had always been in competition with himself. He couldn’t be satisfied with less than perfection. That alone wouldn’t matter much but being a good student and having difficulties in socializing with others made him the easy target. They would usually ask for money under the threat of destroying a paper he had prepared. All that had changed when Matsumoto Jun made his appearance one day at the back yard where he was dragged. He was small, a lot smaller than all of them, but that didn’t seem to discourage him. To both Sho’s and the bullies’ surprise, the boy knew how to use his body -and the words- and in less than five minutes, the latter ones were running away.

Since that day, they became good friends. Despite their differences in terms of character and ways of thinking, their friendship continued even after Sho graduated from high-school and became even stronger as they both enrolled in the department of business administration and management of Todai. It was two years ago, when fate had made them work in the same multinational company; Sho was the head of product development department while Jun was working in the promotion and sales department.

It was around midnight when Sho raised his hands up in the air, relieved to see all those papers ready for the upcoming presentation.

“I honestly don’t know what I’d do, if you weren’t here, Jun…” Sho said in a low, tired voice.

“That’s an easy guess. You would have slept on your papers and in the morning, you’d have to face not only an angry boss but also a stiff neck!” Jun replied, throwing his hands up in the air before he stood up from his chair. “Now, c’mon… time to leave.”

Sho smiled. He took his gabardine coat and his leather bag in hand and followed his friend out of his office.

Walking in empty, dark corridors always had an impact on Sho. It felt as if they reflected him and his life. During the day, there were people and people around him but at the end of the day, when everyone left, he would always be alone. He sighed as Jun pressed the button for the elevator to come. No comment came but Sho knew his friend had taken notice. It was one of those things he liked about Jun. He’d speak to him but also give him the space he needed. He respected him, even when his misery, as Sho had named it, came to the surface.

“Thank you, Jun. Honestly.” he muttered in a low voice inside the elevator, as the other pressed the button for the garage level.

“That’s what are friends for, Sho.” Jun said while patting softly his shoulder.

Sho was about to speak again when he heard Jun’s phone ringing. He knew who the caller was. He could easily tell just by looking at the way his friend’s face shone every time he spoke with his boyfriend.

“Hey, baby… Yes… Just finished… Are you sure? Wouldn’t that be…?”

Sho smiled bitterly. He was happy that his friend had found someone to love; someone who deserved to be loved and loved him back. He was sure that Jun’s boyfriend loved Jun very much from the very first time he had met him. It was the way Aiba Masaki’s eyes were sparkling with happiness as he was looking at Jun or holding his hand discreetly that made it so obvious. There was a comfort, an easiness that made their relationship this precious. Sho was genuinely happy because his friend deserved this happiness; he really was but in the same time, a small part of him felt… not envious but a little jealous… because he wished there was someone who would call him, too… who would wait for him back home even when he was super late… he wished there was someone whom could love and who could love him back.

In the past, he had tried a couple of times to be in a relationship but after a while, his calls would be ignored. He never accused the other party though. He knew it was entirely his fault. He had always been a shy person, not able to open up to people, the same way as his friend. He was sure that the others had reached their limits with him and left him. He wished he could be like Jun, who despite the rumor of being too strict and too demanding when it came to work, he had still managed to gain lots of new friends in their company. He wished he had his friend’s courage when it came to gaining his crush’s attention. He wished he was able to show the real, vulnerable and approachable Sho to someone who’d appreciate it…

“Fine. See you then, baby!” Jun was still smiling as he closed his phone and looked up at Sho who was still lost in his thoughts. “C’mon, don’t get all melancholic, Sho. I’m sure the one is out there waiting for you. You just have to surpass your comfort zone. If only you took notice how many stares you gain every time we go out for drinks…” Jun said in a lower voice and whistled playfully, seeing the shocked face of the other.

“Stop speaking bullshit, Jun. You know that it depends on what kind of stares someone gets… And I’m pretty sure all I get is filled-with-pity stares!”

“If you think that a stare at your lower back or your shoulder area is translated into a filled-with-pity one, then I give up!”

“And here’s Matsumoto Jun exaggerating again! Anyway, you’re going to Aiba-kun’s apartment?”

Jun sighed but said nothing more. “Yes.”

“Ok, then… See you tomorrow!”

Sho had already open the door of his car when he felt a grip on his shoulder.

“I didn’t speak bullshit, as you said, Sho. I meant every word. You’re one handsome man and I’m sure you know that. The same way, you know that work and success don’t make you happy… at least, not only that. You’re also very kind… you should just let yourself more open… believe in your different sides.” Sho turned around and looked straight into Jun’s eyes, making the other muffle a laugh. “You have… and they’re interesting! Believe me, Sho! You just have to make sure you let people see them. I’m sure once they’ve discovered the true Sho, they won’t want to go away.” Jun smiled at his friend. “Good night, Sho!”

“To you, too…” Sho muttered in a low voice. “My greetings to Aiba-kun.”

Jun nodded and entered his car. Sho didn’t move; he stayed at the same spot, his eyes following the car of his friend as the latter was driving away. Of course, the other could read him… Sighing, he entered in his car and looked at the steering wheel blankly. Everything inside was the definition of luxury. The same way his apartment was the definition of luxury. Luxury… Sho smiled bitterly. Why to him the word that represented everything in his life better was emptiness and not luxury? “The same way, you know that work and success don’t make you happy…” Jun’s words kept replaying in his mind. He did know it but could he really change that reality of his? Sometimes, he thought, love and happiness just weren’t meant for him.

***

The light was red, making Sho curse under his breath. He wanted to go home and relax with the help of a warm bath, his body desperately needed it; his mind also needed it. His leg was already slightly pressing on the accelerator. The light turned green and Sho was ready to accelerate when he heard a loud, painful scream coming from the bushes next to the pavement a couple of meters away. Seconds later, he saw a group of three men running fast towards the opposite direction, holding something that looked like a bag. Gang… Sho thought immediately. He was left staring at the dark side of the bushes. He couldn’t see anyone… Was the person they had hit alright? Could he just ignore it and leave? He sighed. If he did, then it would be as if Jun had never stood up for him.

He pulled the car to the side of the road and got out. He looked around to be sure that no one was there to follow him, even though at this hour, it would be doubtful, and headed to the bushes. Moans of pain reached his ears. As he came closer, he managed to distinguish the figure of a relatively small-figured, young man, curled up on the ground. He had bruises all over his face and cuts. He was badly hit. Carefully, not to scare the other, Sho kneeled in front of him.

“Hey…” Sho muttered not knowing whether the other was at a state to listen to him or not. No answer came from the other. “Hey, are you alright?” He decided to turn him slowly to see him better. He could see how the man winced from pain, as he did so. “Can you hear me, Sir?”

It was then that something that resembled a chuckle reached Sho’s ears. He looked closer and realized the other was looking at him. “I… no one… has… ca…lled me… s… sir… be… fore…” the syllables were spoken with difficulty, almost like a whisper but they were enough to make Sho sigh in relief.

“Can you stand up? I will drive you to the hospit-”

Sho didn’t have the chance to finish his word.

“NO!” the other yelled with as much power as there was left in him, his eyes looking pleadingly at Sho. “Please, no hospi… tal…”

Sho was about to ask him why but it was already late. The young man had fainted. Sho looked around him but there was no one. He turned his gaze back to the other, his eyes locking on his closed ones. The plea he had seen being reflected in them had a weird impact on him… as if he couldn’t do differently.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I guess I have no other choice…” he muttered under his breath as he tried to pick up the stranger. To his surprise, the other was light, a lot lighter than Sho had expected. “Are you even feeding yourself properly?!”

He put him into the back seat of his car and drove home. Once he had the car in his garage, he picked up the unconscious man and placed him on the bed of the guest room. His doctor would arrive in any minute, as he had contacted him the moment he started driving home. Sho tried to talk to him but the other wouldn’t give any sign of regaining his consciousness.

Now, that he could see him from close-up, he could detect bruises all over the thin arms; some of them being fresh while some others were already healing, sign that they had been there a lot longer than that night. Sho sighed as he moved his eyes up to the young man’s face. Sho couldn’t say his age with certainty. He looked young; probably around 20-21 years old but there was something in the other’s looks that didn’t radiate youthfulness. His face was pale, his bleached yellow hair, making it look even worse. His characteristics were soft and Sho could even call him cute, if it wasn’t for the state he was found in.

Who are you and why do you allow people to treat you like this?! Sho found himself thinking his bell was heard ringing. He hurried to open the door.

“I’m sorry to call you this late, Matsuyama-sensei, but it was an emergency.” he mumbled, being aware of the hour he had called the other to come.

“Where is he?” the doctor asked with a reassuring smile.

“In the guest-room, from here…” Sho replied making the way.

“Help me to take his clothes off. I need to see, if he has any wounds or bruises and how deep they are.” The doctor asked.

For more than fifteen minutes, Sho was watching the doctor examining the still-unconscious stranger. Sho couldn’t help gasping when he saw how many marks there were all over his torso and thin thighs and legs.  But that wasn’t all. The other also had something that looked like a badly-made tattoo or at least, something that used to be a tattoo on his left chest.

“With the injection I did, he’ll be alright. It will minimize the pain and allow him to sleep. Luckily, there were no major injuries, or I’d have him sent to a hospital.” Matsuyama-sensei said as he got out of the room. “But he needs lots of fluids and the medicine I’m going to prescribe one twice a day. In addition, his wound on the lower back will need disinfection on a regular basis at least for a couple of days. It will depend on how much redness there will be.”

“Will he be able to walk when he wakes up?” Sho asked, still trying to remember everything the doctor had just told him.

“I’d suggest he stays in the bed at least the swelling of his ankle calms down. He has to be careful if he doesn’t want to have a permanent issue. From the examination, I suspect that it’s not the first time it has happened. It must already be very sensitive. What is certain, is that he must not put any weight on it. So, no walking.”

Sho frowned. Did that mean that he had to keep the stranger in his house? He was confused.

“Sakurai-san. I understand that you wanted to help him and you did the right thing but… you should be careful. That’s my advice.” the doctor told Sho kindly, probably recognizing the agony in his eyes.

“I know that. Don’t worry. I just couldn’t leave him beaten like that… I guess, I’ll have a taxi take him to his house, once he’s able to walk. Thank you once again for coming here at this hour.”

“It’s my duty, Sakurai-san. Good night.”

“Good night, Matsuyama-sensei.”

Sho closed the door and leaned against it sighing deeply. Before going to take a shower and sleep, he went to check on the man who was, now, sleeping peacefully, looking a lot better after the injection the doctor had given him. He saw with the corner of his eye, the other’s clothes scattered on the floor. He took them in hand to fold them. There were traces of blood and dirt on them, apart from some holes probably because of the earlier fight. He searched for something that could give him a clue over the stranger that lying on the bed a few meters away from him in vain. There was no id card on him; nothing. Sho knew he had to be careful. The other was someone who clearly had some serious issues going on in his life. Getting involved with him could cause him serious trouble, as well.

His eyes fell on the small figure as the same question rose onto his mind again. Why? For some reason, that even Sho couldn’t apprehend fully, he wanted to get some answers…

“I guess I’ll talk to him in the morning…” he mumbled to himself as he closed the door of the guest-room as silently as possible.

After a quick shower and a cup of instant ramen, Sho decided to go to bed. It had been a tiring day and tomorrow there was an equally tiring day waiting him ahead. He had to get up early in the morning and with this small unexpected meeting, he had already lost a few hours of sleep. His eyes closed the moment his head landed on his pillow.

It was a couple of hours later that Sho woke up. He was feeling too hot. He got up in the darkness and headed to the kitchen to drink some water. His eyes fell on the half-opened door of the guest-room. Trying not to make too much noise, he walked in and looked at the figure who was sleeping in the king-size bed. He looked almost tiny in there. Without thinking much, Sho came closer and looked at the other. There was a small frown, probably because of the pain. He felt his heart clenching at the sight. Like this the stranger looked vulnerable… weak… A deep sigh left the back of his throat, as his eyes moved lower to the slim torso. The man was so thin that his ribs could be seen clearly but that wasn’t what bothered Sho. There were so many marks on the pale skin… he could tell that some of them were bruises, some older and some fresher, but some of them were cuts… not too deep but cuts. Are you doing that to yourself and if yes, why?

A painful moan reached Sho’s ears followed by the sound of ruffling sheets. The other was still deep asleep, the doctor had informed Sho that with that shot he would sleep for many hours, up to 12, but somehow the moves showed that he was in pain. Sho hurried to the bathroom located in the room and came out with a wet towel in hands. He placed it on top of the stranger’s forehead, causing him to calm down a bit. Sho sighed again. He had no idea who the other was or what he was getting himself into but at that moment, all that he cared, was to see him sleep peacefully. The questions were many but he knew he had to wait.

***

When Sho left his apartment the next morning, the stranger was still asleep. He didn’t feel at ease with the idea of leaving him alone in his apartment. Though, he knew that uneasiness wasn’t because he was afraid of stealing but more because he was worried about the other’s state. Would he be ok all by himself? He was pretty sure the other would be asleep the whole time but still, he would be on his own. He entered in his office, holding the pills the doctor had prescribed last night. He had bought them on his way to his work. For some reason, the sight of the weak body of the other kept hunting his mind. He was so lost in his thoughts that hadn’t taken notice of Jun who was standing only a few centimeters away.

“Sho, is everything ok?” Sho didn’t reply; he hadn’t heard his friend. “Sho?” Jun repeated, this time louder.

Sho only realized, he was not alone, when the pills were taken from him. “What is this? Are you ill? And you came to work? Are you an idiot?” Jun continued without allowing Sho to speak. “I knew this would happen since you push yourself this much and yet you are here. Do you want to-”

“They’re not for me.” Sho mumbled avoiding Jun’s gaze who had now turned confused and curious.

“They’re for whom, then?”

“I speak the tru-”

“Sho, cut the shit. Don’t try to find stupid excus-”

“I don’t. Jun, really, they’re not for me. I… someone needs them.”

“Who is this someone? And, where is he?”

“In my apartment, he’s sleeping. As for who he is… I honestly have no idea.”

Jun couldn’t believe his ears. “Wh… what?”

TO BE CONTINUED…

A.N. Sooo minna here's my new chaptered fic!!! ^_^ I have written chapters ahead so thought to start posting! :) It's the very first time I write a chaptered Sakumiya but I kinda wanted to try it! The chapters won't be too long this time - I'll keep them somewhere between 2-3k words. My last fics had gone beyond control! lol
Sho and Nino's encounter hasn't happened under the best circumstances but we could say that it was meant to be?! In the first chapters it will be Sho's pov and slowly, after some hints, I will explore Nino's story. I know that once again Nino is the one who's been in a bad shape but I can't help it! xP Besides, his image was inspired by his movie as you can probably see at the banner! Sho's also someone who's in need for help... Maybe they can help each other?! We'll see! There will be Junba as side pairing. Jun will play a very important role as well as Ohno who will appear later! You'll see! ;)

I admit that I feel quite insecure as it's a pairing that I don't write frequently. So, any kind of feedback would be more than welcome!! ^_^

I really hope you enjoyed it and as always., your comments, even the small ones, are <333!!!

See you soon,
Andy <3