Chapter 12
As they made their way back to the hall, Hiroki sighed, his thoughts weighed down by the inevitable end of their weekend together. "I really don't want this weekend to end," he murmured, more to himself than to Nowaki.
"Me neither, Hiro-san," Nowaki responded, his voice tinged with a hint of reluctance. "Do you have to go back to work tomorrow? We could spend another full day together," he suggested, half-complaining, though he already knew the answer.
Surprised by the strength of his own feelings—especially as someone who usually enjoyed his work—Hiroki sighed. "I wish, but Miyagi would never let me hear the end of it. He's already covering my morning classes tomorrow, and the Dean isn't aware. He wouldn't take too kindly to me missing the faculty meeting either." Hiroki's voice dropped into a resigned tone. "Those meetings go on for way too long. The Dean never stops talking."
"That's a shame," Nowaki said with an uncharacteristic sulk. "I'm not back until Wednesday. It would've been nice to have one more full day together; they're so rare."
Hiroki couldn't help but chuckle at Nowaki's sulking, a rare sight. "Are you sulking, Nowaki?" he laughed, nudging him playfully with his elbow. "You know how important our jobs are. I know for sure you wouldn't pull a sickie. It would eat at you for weeks, and you'd feel nothing but guilt."
Nowaki smiled, knowing how true Hiroki's words were. "If only your faculty meetings didn't take so long. Remember last time? We had to cancel our dinner reservation because it ran over. And the one before that, Miyagi spent two days complaining about his back after missing his date with Shinobu and he was forced to sleep on the sofa." Nowaki recalled and Hiroki smirked at the memory. "The only time you got off early was when the Dean rushed through everything because his wife had gifted him that new book. Quite childish, really..." Nowaki continued.
Nowaki's words sparked a sudden idea in Hiroki's mind. His eyes widened with excitement. "Nowaki, that's genius!" he exclaimed, leaving Nowaki momentarily confused.
"Give me two minutes," Hiroki said as he whipped out his phone and quickly dialled a number. Nowaki watched on, amused by the sudden flurry of activity.
The phone rang a few times before Miyagi's voice came through, slightly muffled. "Oi, Kamijou... my sweet honey…" Miyagi began, clearly in a playful mood.
"Stop talking. This is going to be quick," Hiroki barked, all business.
"As always, so harsh. You should start speaking to me in a nicer tone, I would have thought after all your time away and spending a busy weekend loving it up with your giant, you'd be in a much sunnier disposition to talk to me on this lovely Sunday afternoon..." Miyagi teased, his tone dripping with mock interest.
"Do you want to get out of the faculty meeting early tomorrow or what? Then listen," Hiroki interrupted, ignoring Miyagi's playful jabs.
Miyagi's interest was piqued. "This sounds interesting..."
"Do you have any idea what book the Dean was complaining about the other week? The one that had sold out everywhere?" Hiroki asked, his mind racing with the possibilities. "I'm thinking if I can get that book this weekend, they have special editions and reprints, he'll be so distracted by it that we might actually make it home at a decent hour."
Nowaki heard Miyagi's exclamation of approval through the phone. "This is genius! Right, let me ask Shinobu to confirm." There was a muffled conversation, which quickly escalated into a heated argument in the background. After a few moments, Miyagi returned to the call. "Kamijou, give me five minutes, and I'll text you the information," he said hurriedly before hanging up.
Hiroki looked slightly annoyed at the abrupt end to the call, while Nowaki watched on, thoroughly amused by the whole exchange. "Let's just hope this works," Hiroki muttered, though there was a glimmer of optimism in his voice.
A few minutes later, Hiroki's phone buzzed with a text from Miyagi. He quickly glanced at the screen, reading the details of the book the Dean had been obsessing over. "Perfect," he said, more to himself than to Nowaki.
"Looks like we might get our early night after all," Hiroki said, a hint of triumph in his voice. He turned to Nowaki, his smile softening. "Thanks for the idea, Nowaki. You really do think of everything."
Nowaki beamed, his heart swelling at Hiroki's rare, heartfelt words. "I'm just glad I could help, Hiro-san."
They continued their walk back to the hall, the weight of the upcoming week feeling just a little lighter with the promise of more time together.
Hiroki began scanning the stalls with the precision and focus of a trained professional; searching for books was, after all, one of his special skills. He moved with purpose, eyes darting from title to title, while Nowaki followed along, happy to be involved even though he had no idea what they were looking for. They started with the big publishing stands, but after coming up empty-handed, they moved on to the smaller independent stalls—Hiroki's preferred terrain. The independent stalls felt far more human to him, a refreshing change from the sterile efficiency of the big corporations.
At each stall, Hiroki asked the people behind the counters if they had the book, but each time he was met with a shake of the head and a polite "no." Now, there were only two stalls left to try. The hope of extra time together was slipping through their fingers, and though Hiroki was starting to feel defeated, he refused to let it show.
As they approached the next stall, Nowaki noticed a young girl, about 18 years old, sitting behind the table, texting on her phone. She looked utterly bored with the event. Nowaki, sensing that Hiroki's usual brusque manner might scare her off, asked if he could try this time.
"Excuse me," Nowaki said softly, holding up Hiroki's phone with a picture of the book cover displayed. "By any chance, do you have this book here?"
The girl looked up from her phone, initially annoyed at being interrupted, but her expression softened when she saw Nowaki's friendly smile. "Oh, um, sorry about that," she apologised, putting her phone away. "I was just updating my dad on how it's going. We own a family bookshop just down the road." She glanced at the phone screen, squinting slightly as she recognised the book. "I'm sorry, we don't have that book here, but I think we got a delivery of a few this morning at our store. I'm sure I opened a box of them before coming here."
"Really?" Hiroki and Nowaki said in unison, a glimmer of hope sparking between them.
"If you don't mind, I can call across and find out for you," she offered.
"That would be great, thank you," Nowaki responded, his smile growing even wider. The girl smiled back, clearly charmed by his calming and friendly nature.
She dialled a number on her phone and began speaking into it. "Dad, no, everything's fine… I promise… Some customers are here asking for The Crane's Lament… mhmm… I think we had a box delivered this morning… yeah, the ones I started unpacking before I left… Can you check, please?... Okay." She turned and smiled at the two men eagerly waiting at her stall. "Oh really, we do? That's great… You sure?... Okay I shall pass that on… Okay, thanks, Dad. Bye, love you," she finished, hanging up the phone.
Nowaki and Hiroki stood there, trying not to get their hopes up too high, but feeling that twinge of excitement they couldn't quite suppress. Hiroki, usually composed, let his impatience slip for just a moment. "So, what's the verdict?" he asked, a bit more forcefully than intended.
The girl smiled, clearly entertained by the two men. "We had four copies delivered this morning. They haven't been put up for sale yet, but my dad said if you head over now, he will open up the shop so you can go home with it today."
"That's fantastic," Nowaki chimed in, turning to Hiroki. "Isn't that great, Hiro-san?"
Hiroki just nodded, momentarily at a loss for words, the relief and joy mingling in his chest.
"Would you mind giving us directions?" Nowaki inquired.
The girl reached under her table and pulled out a leaflet promoting their shop, then began drawing a map on the back of it. "There you go, gentlemen," she said, handing over the paper.
"Thank you so much," Nowaki responded gratefully, bowing slightly as he took the leaflet.
"Thank you," Hiroki echoed softly, his tone sincere.
"I'm glad I could help you both," she replied, her smile bright and genuine.
Nowaki and Hiroki exchanged glances, a shared excitement flickering between them, and then they made their way to the exit, eager and energised by the prospect of acquiring the book. The hope of spending a little more time together had been rekindled, and they couldn't wait to see if their plan would work.
Nowaki and Hiroki stepped out of the hotel entrance, the cool afternoon air brushing against their faces as they hurried along the streets. The energy of the city seemed to match their own excitement, the rhythm of footsteps and chatter blending into a soundtrack for their anticipation. They weaved through the streets, all while exchanging smiles that spoke volumes of their eagerness. The towering buildings loomed overhead, but all Hiroki could think about was the cozy little bookshop tucked away in the corner of a quiet street.
He glanced at Nowaki, whose long strides made it hard to keep up, but the warmth in Nowaki's eyes spurred him on. The thought of finally having the book in their hands—and the chance to spend the rest of the following evening together—filled Hiroki with a quiet joy that made their hurried pace feel less like a rush and more like an adventure.
As they neared the bookshop, the city's noise seemed to fade into the background, replaced by the gentle hum of distant music and the soft rustling of leaves from nearby trees. The shop's wooden sign swung gently in the breeze, inviting them in. Nowaki gave Hiroki a playful nudge, his excitement palpable, and Hiroki couldn't help but laugh. This moment felt like something special, a brief escape from their usual routine, and the promise of what lay ahead made each step lighter.
Once inside, the scent of aged paper and wood surrounded them, casting a peaceful atmosphere over their quiet search. Before they could begin browsing, a kindly man with silver hair and round glasses approached them from behind the counter. "You must be the gentlemen my daughter rang about," he said with a smile. Hiroki and Nowaki exchanged a glance before Nowaki nodded eagerly.
"Yes, we're here for the special edition, The Crane's Lament." Nowaki said. The owner gave a knowing nod and disappeared behind a set of shelves. Moments later, he returned with a beautifully bound book, its cover adorned with intricate gold detailing. Hiroki's eyes widened in surprise, while Nowaki's face lit up with pure excitement.
The shopkeeper gave a chuckle as he walked over to the register to process the sale. "You gentlemen are very lucky," he said, carefully placing the book in a protective wrapping. "Once word spreads that this edition is in stock, I expect to sell out by tomorrow. This book has caused quite a frenzy in recent months.
Nowaki couldn't contain his excitement. "Thank you so much for holding it for us," he said, his voice full of gratitude. "It's a bit of a miracle your daughter remembered it by it's cover."
With the book now acquired and another round of heartfelt thank-yous exchanged, Hiroki and Nowaki felt content. The store owner, who had graciously opened his doors on a day off to help them, was also in good spirits. Nowaki, ever the charmer, couldn't stop gushing about how helpful the owner's daughter had been in leading them to the right place.
"Thank you for opening on your day off; it means a lot," Hiroki said earnestly, his tone sincere.
The man chuckled warmly. "It's no problem at all. I often do stock on Sundays, and regulars like to peruse the shelves when it's quieter. I ordered these books months ago—the new print release has only just started hitting shops, so they're in high demand."
"We know someone who's going to be very happy to get their hands on this book," Nowaki added, his voice filled with satisfaction.
Before they left, Hiroki couldn't resist doing a quick lap around the store, eyes scanning the shelves with the practiced gaze of a true bibliophile. Nowaki watched him with a fond smile, knowing how impossible it was for Hiroki to be surrounded by books and not feel the pull to explore. In the process, Hiroki purchased two more books, unable to leave empty-handed for his personal collection. The owner, having sensed Hiroki's deep love for literature, had subtly guided him toward a couple of rare finds, easily sealing the sale. Hiroki couldn't hide his satisfaction as he added the books to his bag, glancing at Nowaki, who chuckled softly.
With their mission complete and their hearts a little lighter, they stepped back out into the evening air. As they walked back to their hotel, the streets were quieter than on their journey to the bookshop, with only the occasional car passing by. Most of the surrounding shops were closed for the day, and the stillness of Sunday evening settled in around them. The silence between them was comfortable, filled with the shared satisfaction of their little adventure. Hiroki walked a bit closer to Nowaki, their arms brushing occasionally, a silent reminder of the happiness they found in these small moments together.
"I really hope this works after all the trouble we've gone through," Hiroki mused, glancing at Nowaki.
Nowaki gave a reassuring smile. "Even if it doesn't, we've still had a fun day together."
Hiroki nodded, appreciating the sentiment. The simple pleasure of spending the day together, away from their usual routines, was something he hadn't realised he needed so much.
As they continued walking, Nowaki looked at Hiroki with a curious smile. "What shall we do now, Hiro-san? It's still your birthday weekend, so the choice is yours."
There was a teasing lilt to Nowaki's voice, but the sincerity in his gaze made Hiroki pause for a moment. He glanced up at the darkening sky, the soft hues of twilight wrapping around them as the city began to settle for the night. The cool breeze tugged gently at his jacket, and the distant murmur of cars, so faint now, mixed with the rustling of leaves. The tranquillity was infectious, beckoning them toward a quiet, intimate evening. The usual chaos of their lives felt far away, and Hiroki found himself craving something simpler, something that was just theirs.
"Why don't we have an early dinner and then head back to the room?" Hiroki suggested, his voice thoughtful but already certain.
Nowaki raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the quiet proposal. It wasn't often that Hiroki opted for something so low-key, especially on his birthday weekend. He half-expected Hiroki to suggest something more structured, maybe dinner at a fancy restaurant or a visit to one of the local landmarks. But instead, here was Hiroki, content with the idea of slipping away from the bustle of the city, returning to the comfort of their hotel and spending the evening just the two of them.
"So, what do you fancy?" Nowaki asked, his smile softening as he took in Hiroki's mood. "Shall we go for BBQ since we couldn't last night?"
The thought of the lively, smoky restaurant crossed Hiroki's mind, but it quickly faded. He wasn't in the mood for the noise, the crowds, or the effort of something so lively. It wasn't that BBQ didn't sound good—it was just that tonight, he wanted something quieter, more personal. He shook his head softly, his gaze locking with Nowaki's, his eyes full of something deeper, something more meaningful.
"Why don't we get pizza from the place across the street and some beers from the store here?" Hiroki's voice was gentle but carried a note of anticipation. He wasn't just talking about dinner—he was talking about the evening that would follow, the time they would spend together, cocooned in the quiet comfort of their hotel room. The weight of the day's excitement was behind them now, and all Hiroki wanted was to unwind with Nowaki in the most uncomplicated, effortless way.
Nowaki felt a warmth spread through him, his smile growing as he realised what Hiroki truly wanted—a relaxed, intimate evening, just the two of them. No distractions, no grand gestures, just them. The idea of pizza and beer, shared in the privacy of their room, sounded perfect—because what made the evening special wasn't what they ate, but the company they kept.
"That sounds perfect," Nowaki agreed, already imagining the warmth of the room, the soft glow of the city lights filtering in through the window, and the quiet moments they'd share. He pictured the easy conversations, the laughter, and the contented silences that would come with just being together. Extravagance wasn't necessary tonight—what mattered was that they had each other.
Their steps grew lighter as they walked toward the pizza place, the ease of their companionship filling the spaces between words. Nowaki's hand brushed against Hiroki's as they walked side by side, and for a brief moment, Hiroki reached out, letting his fingers curl around Nowaki's. The simple touch sent a rush of warmth through both of them, a quiet acknowledgement of their closeness, of how natural it felt to be side by side.
The scent of fresh dough and melted cheese greeted them as they stepped into the small pizzeria. It was a cozy, unassuming place, and somehow it fit the mood of the evening perfectly. They ordered their pizza—Hiroki choosing his favourite toppings with a quiet precision that made Nowaki smile—and while they waited, Nowaki ran across the street to grab the beers, a little bounce in his step.
When they finally walked back to the hotel with pizza and beers in hand, the night had grown cooler, and the streets were almost completely deserted. The stillness of the evening settled around them, wrapping them in a peaceful calm. Nowaki stole a glance at Hiroki, who was carrying the beers contentedly, as if the day's weight had finally lifted, leaving only satisfaction and quiet joy behind.
The silence between them wasn't empty; it was filled with something unspoken, something deep and meaningful. There was a comfort in their shared quiet, as if the world around them understood that this was their moment—a pocket of time carved out just for them, away from the noise and chaos, where nothing mattered but the simplicity of being together.
AN: They went on a little adventure! I wonder if the Dean will postpone the meeting. Or will he see through the plan? Either way, I didn't want the trip to end just yet.
Lets see how Hiroki's evening plays out… Fingers crossed it is positive, especially after the sulking at the start – although I did find that rather endearing.
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