fic for azurevanillasky!

[nino_mod]

For: azurevanillasky
From: :3.

Title: Faking It.
Pairing/Focus: Matsumiya (main), Aimiya (friendship), a slight mention of Yama pair.
Rating: PG-13.
Word count: Almost 21K.
Warnings: As long any reader could feel uncomfortable with anything related to transvestism, then, there's no warnings.
Summary: Nino is a jobless actor who’s living the worst phase of his life due to the crappy jobs he’s getting (none of them related to acting) until his friend Jun gives him the opportunity to play the most intense job in his entire life: Pretend to be his girlfriend.
Notes: Dear azurevanillasky, first of all, I want to thank you for giving me freedom on what to write, (despite I didn't use the prompts you requested, I wanted to do something kinda funny and I hope to at least make you smile with this silly story). Also, I want to thank the wonderful being who helped me by beta reading this, and thanks to our lovely mod for being so patient with me in the last few weeks. Honestly, I tried my best to write something inspired by your ‘soft friendship’ request and from the bottom of my heart, I really hope you like it.
Happy Nino day and happy reading!


An impatient sigh came from Ninomiya's lips for the umpteenth time. He hated this job, he hated being in crowded places, he hated being around people, he hated not getting enough tips, he hated getting his butt touched every time he was serving drinks...

As a matter of fact, that place was a complete mess.

It was his third day working at the gay bar, and he was seriously wondering if he could endure the whole month, considering the fact that if he didn't pay his bills, he would be kicked out of his apartment and he had nowhere to stay. He always used to say to himself that he could handle that awkward job in order to maintain his place, but at this point, he seriously doubted it. If he stayed there for the rest of the month, he would be without his butt and then he wouldn’t have a way to sit down.

“Come on, Nino... you can do it. Smile and go get those stupid beers.” He tried to cheer himself up as he returned to the bar, where the bartender had already left three bottles of beer on the counter for Nino to take his next order.

He left the beers on the tray while the bartender indicated that he should take them to the table number eight, where one of those unpleasant customers who thought that by consuming there and leaving a deplorable tip, they had the right to flirt with and touch every employee. As Nino crossed the rough sea of people dancing around, he arrived at the table, proceeding to leave the new beer bottles and in turn, take back the empty ones. He was glad that while doing his job, none of the customers did anything disgusting; they were deep in their conversation and they completely ignored Nino, until he decided to leave.

And then it happened.

A strong spank made him stumble, and, losing his balance, he fell to the floor along with the empty bottles, which ended up shattering. Some people noticed what had happened and stepped aside not to hurt themselves.

Then, a man with Western features helped Nino up, looking at him with a genuinely concerned expression. Nino accepted his hand, stood up and turned to look at the customers giggling after what they did.

Nino took a deep sigh and hit one of those men on the head with the tray, causing the guy to stand up violently in order to hit Nino, but the same man who helped him to stand up stopped the angry man, trying to appease the situation. But Nino was already walking towards the bar, exhausted.

“I'm leaving this place; this job doesn’t suit me,” Nino said as he removed the apron that was tied around his waist. “This stupid bar sucks, Yuu.”

The bartender approached the black-haired man, looking questioningly at him.

“Nino, I’m aware that it is difficult to attend to the customers, but after a few weeks, it becomes more bearable.” Yuu poured a glass of whiskey.

“Of course, for you it is so easy to say that... it isn’t you who is attacked, smacked and touched with each step you take. I'm an actor, I shouldn't be here, so I quit, period,” Nino responded.

Yuu sighed loudly, shaking his head.

“I hope you're not making a mistake.”

“This is not a mistake at all, I’m totally sure of this.” Nino blurted out casually before leaving without even looking back when a man shouted "gorgeous" to him.

All that Nino wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible and find a decent job.

***

Yes... he definitely made a serious mistake, that’s for sure.

Now, he wanted with all his might to return to the bar, where his only concern was that customers didn’t gave him any tips or that they always touched his butt.

He was now scared for his life.

Being tucked into that awkward and hot chicken suit, under the hot sun, yelling all the time: "Kentucky Fried Chicken, it's more delicious~ what are you waiting for to eat the best chicken in town?" It was a suicidal achievement, not to mention humiliating. Even though the pay was so much better than at the bar, Nino hated being exposed with his entire soul to the heat, making a cute little voice to fit with the suit, and doing the stupid ‘happy chicken dance’ every minute.

His life couldn’t be more disgusting.

He could no longer call his friend Yuu and tell him that he had changed his mind, because they had found someone to replace him. As Yuu had told him, he found a man named Maruyama Ryuhei who was more than pleased to work as a waiter and who enjoyed the uninhibited attitude of the customers, while Nino spent the day dressed in that chicken suit, sweating until dehydration.

When the clock marked five in the afternoon and one of the waitresses in the restaurant told him it was time to go, Nino couldn't be happier. After getting rid of his hellish work suit, he freshened up for a moment before leaving, He had arranged to go to his best friend's house for dinner, so he went to the nearest konbini and bought two six-packs of beer – the cheapest kind – and then, headed off to his destination. It was a quarter to seven when he crossed the threshold, smiling at the smiling face of his best friend.

“Welcome, Nino... or should I call you chicken man?” The younger one let out a humorless laugh, hitting him on the shoulder with his free hand.

“How funny, Masaki. If you're going to remind me of how unpleasant my job is, I'd better be going.” Masaki laughed again, taking him by the shoulders to prevent him from leaving. Firmly, he ushered him into his small but cozy apartment.

“Please, don't go, Haruka-chan is making cheeseburgers just for you.” The latter referred to his girlfriend, who was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner for everyone. “Let's go inside, the food is almost ready.”

After Nino handed over the beers to his best friend, he took off his shoes and walked into the apartment to greet Haruka and help the couple finish preparing dinner. After finishing, they went to the dining table to enjoy the food while they had a small talk and Nino took the opportunity to tell to his friends how much he hated his new job.

“I’m forced to endure this month, I don’t want to be kicked out of the apartment and on top of that, having to return to my mother’s and live under the same roof with her unbearable husband.”

“You know you can always crash here, Kazu.”

“Yes, I know, Masaki... but I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality, guys. I’m sure that next month I’ll find something at the employment agency, and I’ll also continue looking for castings for some work. I can't lose focus and neglect my acting career,” Nino commented with a loud sigh of frustration.

“I think I can help you with that, I have a theater actress friend, I’ll ask her if she knows about any plays where they need an actor or something,” Haruka offered, with a smile.

“That's a very good idea!” Masaki conceded. “Don’t worry, Nino... we’ll help you to stop using that hot costume.”

“Don’t repeat it, please, just by hearing that word, I get itchy...”

The dinner passed with laughter and jokes. Talking with his best friend always put Nino in a good mood, and for a moment he forgot about the unbearable weeks he had lived lately. Not only because of the deplorable jobs, but also the stress accumulated by his current economic situation and the lack of employment in his current field. Hours later, Nino said goodbye to the young couple to go to his own apartment, which wasn’t far.

Once he arrived home, he took a shower and went straight to bed, feeling exhausted. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism of his own brain so that he didn’t think about his deplorable situation, but for Nino that was the best, he didn’t want to think about anything, he just wanted to get out of that disaster loop he had inadvertently gotten himself into.

When the alarm clock went off in the morning, Nino got up almost automatically, then, he made breakfast, and after eating and playing a few games of Puzzle and Dragons, got dressed to go to work. When he arrived at the restaurant and put on the stupid and hot suit, he went to the street to give some vouchers to passers-by, to endure the stupid attitude of some children who kicked him and on top of everything, to do the ridiculous ‘happy chicken dance’, which only served to sink him further into his misfortune.

It was past noon when he went to take a break, taking off the huge chicken head of the costume to get some air and also hydrate himself a bit. Usually, he would stay on one side of the restaurant, near the parking lots and there he would drink water, breathe a little, and when no one saw him, he would smoke a few cigarettes. That day, he was drinking a bottle of water that one of the restaurant employees gave him; he was immersed in drinking water, his eyes closed as a slight draft of fresh air hit his heated face.

“Nino?”

His eyes snapped open, choking as he caught a glimpse of the person in front of him.

“Jun?” he questioned with wide eyes, wishing that the earth would swallow him at any moment. The aforementioned man looked at him with a slight frown on his eyebrows, in total confusion. “You aren’t on Broadway?”

“I was, indeed. And you? Playing a new role?” Nino rolled his eyes, feeling humiliated and angry for a moment.

“Ha, how funny...” he scoffed. “No, I'm working as the new pet of this lovely restaurant. While you’re performing on the big stages, I’m here, earning a living with the happy chicken dance so I can pay my bills.”

Jun laughed softly, removing any trace of tension, making Nino laugh too.

“The truth is that I didn’t expect to see you here, you’re an excellent actor and I swore that when I returned to Japan, the stages would be yours.” Jun said.

“Well, as you can see, this...” Nino murmured, pointing to the almost empty parking lot. “It's my stage, for now. But let's talk about you, what have you come to do in Japan?”

“I came for about two weeks, my older sister is getting married,” the young actor explained, looking at Nino with a slight smile. “As a matter of fact, I came to this restaurant to have lunch with her and her fiancé, I can’t extend myself, and I imagine that you can’t either. Do you mind if we meet tonight and have dinner? So we can catch up.”

“Sure, Junpon. My number is the same.”

“Okay, I'll call you later. It was a pleasure to see you again.” Both waved their hands to say goodbye, while Nino watched as Jun walked to the back door of the restaurant and entered, leaving him there in the company of the most latent shame.

After the day was over, he headed home with a slight feeling of happiness at having received his first paycheck. He felt now that all the shame of the past few days had been worth it.

After arriving at his apartment, he took a shower, and a twenty-minute nap, then woke up when he received a text from Jun telling where they would have their date. A smile spread across the dark-haired man's lips at the name of the restaurant... Jun hadn't changed at all, and was still obsessed with tacos. About two hours later, Nino entered the Mexican restaurant he used to go to with Jun when they both took acting classes, years ago.

A smile appeared on Nino’s lips when he saw Jun waiting for him at the table. Without waiting any longer, he approached the table and sat across from him, observing the place while still smiling.

“Wow, I'm surprised you chose this place. Seriously... you're already a celebrity, shouldn't we go out to eat at a more sophisticated place?”

“You don't like expensive food, Ninomiya. Besides, you know this is our place... I couldn't come back to Japan and not eat here.” Jun replied with a shrug, resting both elbows on the table with an amused expression that Nino couldn't understand. “Shall we order now?”

After the men ordered the food, they began to catch up on their lives and jobs. Well... Jun talked about how great he was doing in the United States, while Nino tried to direct the conversation towards Jun, because, to tell the truth, he had nothing amazing to tell and with him he couldn't invent things, they both knew each other too well to know when one was lying to the other. The food was excellent and both Nino and Jun were having a great time in the company of the other. After they had had a few beers, the atmosphere had become lighter and Nino dared to talk about his working life, about how bad he was doing lately, while Jun listened to him kindly.

“Being the KFC mascot has its advantages, I suppose... this will be the most difficult role I have played in my entire life.” He laughed humorlessly, finishing his glass of beer. "But tell me, why did you come to Japan?"

“I told you this afternoon!” Jun complained with a laugh. “My sister is getting married and well... you know how well we got along, for her it is important that I accompany her at that time, and for me it is too, she wouldn’t forgive me if I missed it. Although...” he stopped, visibly concerned.

“Although?”

“It's nonsense,” he hastened to reply, gesturing for another round of beer to be brought to them.

“Junpon, tell me.” Nino insisted, opening his eyes widely.

“The truth is, I’m going to attend my sister’s wedding because I adore her and I don’t want to fail her, but I think I won’t be able to confront my parents. You know that they didn’t forgive me for leaving the family business to dedicate myself to acting and well, I had told them that I would come to the wedding in the company of my girlfriend, but she broke up with me weeks ago.

“And what? You can go alone... I don't think that having or not having a girlfriend will be judged by your parents, or will they?”

“At this point, my parents take advantage of any ‘failure’ I make, to rub in my face the fact that I’m doing badly for not having followed the path they chose for me.” Jun explained with a bitter smile. “My family doesn’t know that I’m back, because I want to settle all my stuff before going to see them... I know that maybe it is stupid that I act in this way, but, there are times when I simply cannot tolerate that ‘you have disappointed us again’ look from my parents.”

Nino sighed loudly, knowing exactly what Jun was referring to.

Both had been engaged in acting even though their parents disagreed, and he knew what it was like to have to hide his true situation so as not to be judged for his decision.

“Is there anything I can do to help you? Whatever it is, just tell me.” Nino muttered softly after the waiter left the beers on the table. Jun looked up over the elegant black frame of his glasses, smirking.

“Would you really help me? Would you do anything?”

“Now that you say it like that... it depends.” They both laughed, as Jun held his beer bottle and poured himself half a glass.

“What if you pretend to be my girlfriend at my sister's wedding?” Nino widened his eyes, in total disbelief.

“Wait… what!? Of course not! How am I going to pretend to be your girlfriend? You’re forgetting an important detail, Junpon: I’m a man.”

“And what about that? You’re the best actor I know and you are excellent at acting as a girl… rather than pick any silly actress randomly who will end up ruining it, I’m better taking you with me. Besides, we have history, we have known each other for years and we don't have to create any stories... it would be just perfect,” the taller one suggested, while Nino shook his head again and again.

“What if they find out? I can't risk your parents judging you even more if they see you with a man dressed as a woman.”

“It will be okay, Kazu... look at it this way, you need to leave that stupid job using that stupid chicken suit and I need a top-notch actor this coming weekend. I can pay you for it and we will both be helping each other... please, you’re the only person I trust who I would ask for this and you know it.”

Nino sighed loudly and looked into Jun’s eyes, seeing the despair in them.

“Damn it! Alright, I’ll do it because you really need it, but... I’m convinced that this is and will be a terrible idea…”

“It won't be, stop being so negative.” Jun shook his head, holding his glass until he raised it slightly for a toast. “To the beginning of a beautiful relationship that my parents and family will believe… cheers.”

“You're crazy, you know it, right?” Nino laughed softly, imitating Jun’s gesture, and raising the glass that belonged to him. “Cheers, boyfriend.”

They both toasted with laughter. Jun for the first time in the entire evening was smiling without a trace of stress, but Nino was a little more worried.

He felt that things were going to get worse in catastrophic proportions.

Surely he must learn to say no.



Chapter 1: Friday

The week had gone by so quickly that in a rush, the day had come. The past few days went spiraling and Nino had no chance at all to do anything else than practice for his new role. Despite the fact that he was helping his friend, it was also a job, so he demanded more than perfection from himself.

He finally quit his detestable job, and had spent the last week in Jun's company, developing the story of their “romance”, specifying details, dates, memories and answers to the kinds of things that impolite people ask when they have a couple in front of them. Haruka had also become his ally in recent days, helping Nino with the aesthetic part; she helped him learn how to put on makeup, and how to show off a hair and fair skin like a girl, he had also gone shopping with Haruka and Jun - using Jun's credit card after he insisted to exhaustion - and Haruka helped him style the pretty and expensive wig that she and Jun had previously chosen for him.

Even though everything was more than ready, he couldn't help but feel nervous. It wasn’t because he had never acted as a woman before, but this wasn’t a play, he would have to interact with normal people, people who would keep him under the spotlight all the time, waiting for him to crash and then smash him and Jun to pieces.

The wedding would take place on Sunday in Okinawa, in a luxurious hotel on the outskirts of Nago, so they had left on Thursday night, in the company of Aiba and his girlfriend (who came for moral support) and to make the affair a less traumatic experience for him. Apart from the fact that they were excellent traveling companions, Haruka was a stylist, her presence was necessary to help Nino with his appearance.

After spending the night in a hotel, Jun and Nino got ready in the morning to reach the villa where the Matsumoto family and some close friends were staying. In the next villa were the relatives of Jun's sister's fiancé, the Sakurai family. As they made their way to the villa, Nino looked at himself for the umpteenth time in the reflection of his cell phone's dull screen, trying to calm his pounding heartbeat... he felt that at any moment he would have a terminal heart attack.

“For God’s sake, Nino... stop looking at yourself, I’ve already told you that you look beautiful.” Jun muttered to help him relax, with a hint of fun in his voice. Nino sighed as he looked at his reflection on the screen again. Jun was right, he looked like a woman and honestly, he had nothing to worry about, but still...

That day, he wore a dress with short sleeves that fell below the knees, and tied at the waist. It was in light blue with a lemon print in yellow, and he had put on yellow espadrilles with laces, and carried a small bag in bubblegum pink to hang it on his shoulder. The long black hair of the wig poured down his back. His features were totally softened by makeup and his eyes sparkled like never before. If someone had shown him a photo of how he looked now before all this, he would say that the woman in the photo was beautiful, and he would be surprised to find out that that ‘beautiful woman’ was himself.

“We’ve arrived. Ready, Kazuko?” Jun asked after parking the car in front of the huge house, interrupting Nino from his own inspection. Nino tilted his face to look at him, nodding, and hoping that everything would work out.

They both smiled before unbuckling their seat belts. Right before Nino went to open the door, Jun stopped him, telling him that this was his duty. With a long sigh, he got out of the car as soon as his "boyfriend" opened the door for him. Looking at Jun's relaxed outfit, he smiled again, feeling that somehow they looked good together. The taller wore a light blue jacket and pants set, a white T-shirt underneath, and sneakers with the same color as the shirt; his black hair with golden highlights was messy and his rimless glasses made him look like a movie star despite the fact that Nino had been more produced for the occasion.

The older one took one of Jun's hands somewhat slowly, realizing the difference in size between the two, and smiled shyly.

“I'm ready,” he announced in a whisper.

It was time to act.

“We’ll be fine... you just have fun and let yourself go. I assure you that everyone will adore you.” Nino smiled without any conviction, telling himself over and over that there was no reason to be nervous.

Without letting go of each other’s hands, they made their way down the small staircase in the front garden, beginning to hear voices coming from inside the house. Nino wanted to go home, but it was too late; The front door had opened, revealing a tall, slim woman wearing an elegant pink dress, with black shoulder-length hair, beautiful Western features and unmistakable bushy eyebrows adorning her face. The resemblance to Jun was more than obvious, so Nino deduced that she was nothing more and nothing less than the bride.

“Jun! You’re finally here,” she exclaimed without hiding her joy, walking towards them with a huge smile. Jun released Nino's hand for a moment to hug his sister, lifting her into the air with total ease.

“Oh God, you look gorgeous, Kimi,” he replied after settling her on the ground. Both siblings looked at each other with happiness before Kimi looked at Nino, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

“Who is this cute girl, little brother?”

“She's my girlfriend, Ariake Kazuko.” Jun left a hand on Nino’s back, outlining a commercial smile that made Nino feel nervous at that moment.

Come on, don't screw it up, Nino... just shake hands and act like a woman.

“Ariake Kazuko... it is a pleasure to meet you, Kimi-san,” he said with a soft and feminine voice (which he had been practicing to exhaustion for the last few days) that made him feel proud of himself.

“Just call me Kimi. We are sisters-in-law after all,” said Jun's sister after hugging him affectionately despite being a complete stranger. “Let's go inside, mom and dad are dying to meet you.”

He took both of them by the hands to lead them to the interior of the house, where the whole family, including Nino, would have a brunch. Jun and Nino entered the huge house in the company of the elegant woman, who chattered non-stop, complimenting Jun and his charming "girlfriend."

Nino was silent, observing every detail in the modern decoration of the house, trying to stick to his role. He couldn’t let himself become distracted by anything and he had to be alert to respond to any comment. He heard a female voice as they walked into the dining room, stopping when they saw a middle-aged woman, with features that denoted that she wasn’t Japanese. She was dressed in a modern dark blue suit, her hair tied up in a bun and her face an expression of disgust that made Nino to regret being there.

“I told you that Mr. Matsumoto is lactose intolerant, his coffee must be lactose-free milk, how many times should I repeat it?” she snapped with an impatient sigh.

“As always, my beautiful mother getting upset.”

Her expression changed completely as he turned to the newcomers, outlining a broad smile as he saw her son and daughter together.

“Jun.” She muttered under her breath, leaving housekeeper to go say hi to her son. Nino couldn't help but smile seeing how effusive the members of the Matsumoto family were, although Jun had warned him of this the night before. “I was worried that you didn't come, I missed you.”

“Sorry mother, things got a little complicated lately.” The young man separated from his mother, approaching Nino to introduce him. “This is my girlfriend, Ariake Kazuko.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Matsumoto.” The smaller man bowed gracefully, smiling shyly at the scrutinizing look his ‘mother-in-law’ gave him. But, she finally smiled, visibly pleased before offering him a soft handshake.

“My pleasure, young lady. I’m happy that my son has finally decided to introduce us to his girlfriend... feel at home, come to the dining room, we were waiting for you.”

They all went to the dining room, where Jun's father and grandfather were, there was also a beautiful girl, who was Kimi's best friend; she would be the maid of honor at the upcoming ceremony. Nino wasn’t at all surprised by the fact that Jun's father and grandfather were so good-looking despite their age, and he was moved to see how close they were. It was the first time that he had seen his friend in a family environment and he discovered that Jun wasn’t lying when he said that they all got along well and that despite his age, he was still the spoiled kid.

While they ate, Nino remained silent, listening to family anecdotes and laughing at Jun and Kimi bickering while their mother tried to silence them. Nino was thinking that he could never live in such an environment at home, since he was an only kid and his mother spent all day working, leaving him alone with video games. But, this wasn’t the time to think about his childhood. He had to focus on what was really important so as not to screw up.

Come on, focus on playing your part.

“By the way, I would love to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here, to share with the most important people for Jun-kun and also, to be able to attend such an important event as Kimi's wedding.”

Kimi shook her head, smiling widely.

“You don't have to thank us, it is a pleasure for us to have you here, to be able to meet you and know who is the person who has my little brother in love…”

“Enough, stop embarrassing me,” Jun protested with a laugh. “Isn't everything supposed to be about you? You’re the bride after all.”

“The fact that you returned to Japan after so many years also makes you an important person and also, you steal the attention.” Jun's mother answered, raising her eyebrows.

“Besides, you're quite a celebrity,” his grandpa added, making all them laugh.

“Come to think of it, I shouldn't have invited you to my wedding. Oh! By the way, I remembered that Sho-kun arrived from Europe last night, just in time to attend the wedding… we were nervous to be left without a sponsor.”

“Sho is here? How come you didn't warn me?” Jun asked, wiping his lips with a napkin.

“He said he wanted to surprise you, so... surprise?” Kimi chuckled, stopping to hear her cell phone ringing. “Excuse me a moment, it's a call from the wedding planner.” She stood up, going elsewhere to answer the call, leaving everyone at the table while they finished eating.

Nino, meanwhile, looked at Jun with a slight frown, annoyed by this new information. It was one thing to be dressed as a girl and act like one in front of strangers, but Sakurai Sho was going to discover him as soon as he saw him.

When they finished eating, Nino apologized, taking his "boyfriend" to have a chat with him alone. When they had moved away, Nino hit him on the head for being so silly.

“What's wrong, my love...? What happened with that face?”

“Don't be stupid, Jun, really. How could you not tell me that Sho would be here? As soon as he sees me, he will discover me!” Nino hissed, looking into Jun’s eyes with both hands on his hips.

“First of all, I didn't know that Sho was going to be the best man for his brother's wedding, which part of ‘I don't live in Japan and I didn't help my sister plan her wedding’ did you not understand? Besides, stop the paranoia, you look like a woman, you speak like a woman, you act like a woman... and right now, you are posing like a woman.” Nino looked down at his hands, pulling them away from his hips quickly.

“I'm just afraid that everything will go wrong.”

“Sho is my best friend, he will not judge me for this... but, really, Kazu, enjoy the trip. You're doing great, my family loves you, you don't have to worry about Sho,” Jun whispered softly, approaching him, too close for his liking. “You have to look good, you look like a woman... and when Sho sees this...,” Jun said, squeezing one of Kazuko’s fake breasts and laughing, “He will not believe that you are a man.”

“Jun, stop it!” Nino exclaimed, slapping Jun’s hand away from him, laughing again when Jun started to squeeze his fake breasts, totally amused, but a cough behind him made him stop abruptly. Nino pushed him gently, blushing when they saw Kimi laughing at that particular scene.

“Sorry guys... I didn't want...”

“Forget this and just talk,” Jun interrupted, laughing again as he put an arm around the shoulders of a very flustered Kazuko.

“I’ve come to ask you a favor, guys… it turns out that one of my bridesmaids had canceled at the last minute, and the wedding planner is going crazy. We can’t have an odd number of bridesmaids, since the photos aren’t going to look aesthetic and I don’t want to have four bridesmaids either, so, I would love if you two could become part of the wedding party... please...?” She asked, looking at them both in silence, waiting for their answer.

Jun turned to look at "Kazuko", waiting for him to make the decision for both of them, because he didn't want to put him in a compromising situation either, if he didn't feel like exposing himself like that. The smaller man placed a strand of hair behind his ear, looking at Kimi before answering.

“Sure, we'd love to, Kimi-chan.” An astonished Jun looked at both women, more than surprised at Kazuko's sudden decision.

“For real? Your’re the best, guys... thank you so much! Don’t worry about anything, my friend's dress will be brought this afternoon and she has a figure similar to yours, but we will still go to the dressmaker to make any adjustments, while your boyfriend will go to look for the suit with Sho and my fiancé. For rehearsals, don't worry, today is the last one and you’ll be super good; don't forget to be well dressed, right after the rehearsal, we’ll have a family dinner.” Kimi explained nonchalantly, as if everything had already been planned and she only needed the affirmation from the couple. “Thank you very much for helping me. By the way, we’re leaving in an hour.”

They watched as Kimi left, scampering down the hall as she called her mother. Jun turned to Nino, looking at him with concern for the first time in the whole day.

“Kazu... do you really want to do this? You said a thousand times that you wanted to go unnoticed and this isn’t the best way.”

“I know, but she's your sister, Junpon. I can't say no to her, not when she looked at us with that huge need to hear that yes,” said Nino softly, Jun outlined a smile full of sweetness, visibly moved by Nino’s words.

“It was the look that I gave you to agree to come with me... I appreciate that you were so considerate with my sister even though you didn't want to do this kind of thing.”

Nino shook his head, smiling too.

“You said I have no reason to be afraid, because I look like a girl, so...” he shrugged.

“That's my girl! So, I’m going to bring our bags, and I’ll show the room that we are going to share, so we can get ready and go to our respective appointments. I'm sure we’ll do it great, Kazu.”

And for the first time during that crazy trip, Nino finally believed it.

***

When Jun stopped the car in front of the hotel where the wedding would take place, Nino unbuckled his belt, fixed his dress, looked at Jun and smiled as he realized that they had matched their outfits the second time. Kazuko’s “boyfriend” had chosen a black sweater with some designs alluding to royalty (crowns and hearts) and pants of the same color, with white sneakers. Nino, on the other hand, wore a long black dress with long sleeves, gold and read heart prints, gold pumps and a black handbag.

Haruka helped Nino with his hair and makeup, and seeing himself with those long eyelashes and bangs, he understood why Jun said he looked different, he didn't look like him at all.

He couldn’t recognize himself.

“Let's go to the rehearsal, ‘my love’.” Nino giggled when he heard Jun, nodding while fixing his hair and cursing for the umpteenth time that wig so long and so difficult to handle.

Jun got out of the car, handing over the keys to the valet attendant before heading to the opposite door to open it for him. As he did so, Nino got out of the car a little too quickly, causing the wig hair to rise up a bit in the air, and when he shut the door, he didn’t realize that the wig had caught in it.

Everything after that moved too fast.

Jun stopped to take a phone call and Nino moved away from the vehicle, without realizing that the wig was hanging on the door. The valet attendant started the car, and pulled away with an of black hair floating in the air from the backseat. Seconds passed before Nino noticed something was wrong looking at one of his shoulders, he discovered that he wasn’t wearing the damn wig.

Shit, shit, shit.

“What the fuck?” he asked desperately, watching as the car carried his wig hanging away. Nino was terrified. He looked at Jun, he was still talking on the phone, and it was probably something important or work-related because he was speaking in English. Another valet attendant looked at him with perplexity and he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

With the little dignity he had left, Nino walked towards him, faking a smile.

“Excuse me… where are the parking lots? I left something important in my car,” he muttered with a feminine voice. The man looked at him seriously, but Nino knew that internally he was cracking with laughter and it was no wonder.

“At the back, turn left, miss.”

“Thank you,” Nino muttered under his breath, walking as fast as the stupid heels allowed him. He had to find the car and take the wig back, if not, everything would be screwed.

He felt like he was in a James Bond movie, running in heels (and making a superhuman effort not to fall), while at the same time trying to not be seen by anyone, because what if someone from the wedding saw him there without the wig? They were going to make fun of Jun, and of him, obviously. How could he have gotten himself into that mess?

Finally, he reached the parking lot and was able to locate Jun's car. He decisively walked towards the employee in the lot, willing to not accept no for an answer. The valet attendee looked at him somewhat confused, but Nino didn’t care about anything else besides having the wig in his hands.

“Hey, give me the key of that car, please,” he asked, with his feminine voice. The young man frowned, looking at him somewhat confused.

“Excuse me... ma'am?”

“Please, save us the awkward moment and give me the key, I need my wig and it's hanging on the car door.” He pointed to the car in question and extended his left hand, letting out an impatient sigh as the young man handed him the goddamned keys.

Nino did his best to rescue the wig and managed to put it back on his head. He closed the car door and returned to the employee to hand him the keys, all while feeling angry at the world at the same time. “Don't say a single word about this, understood?”

He got out of the lot, trying to straighten his wig and, at the same time, comb his tangled black locks, trying to look decent, when he met Jun, who looked relieved to see him.

“What happened? Where were you? Why is your hair a mess?”

“You don't want to know, trust me,” Nino murmured between his teeth, looking up to meet the Jun’s worried gaze. “Let's go to the stupid rehearsal.”

Things got better as the minutes passed. Nino was able to comb the silly wig and finally, he could catch up on everything. He met the other bridesmaids and Kimi's future husband, and even Sho didn’t seem to suspect anything of him and treated him very kindly. As they rehearsed, he caught a glimpse of a quiet man with tanned skin, brown hair, and a sleepy, passive expression waiting for someone; Jun told him that this was Sho's inseparable assistant, Ohno Satoshi, although Jun suspected that he might be more than just an employee for his friend. Hearing that made Nino feel moved.

Seeing Kimi and Souta together was delightful, they both seemed like a couple out of a magazine, both beautiful, classy, and very friendly. Nino was truly honored to be with them at this important moment in their lives and to be part of the ceremony. During the rehearsal, Kimi was visibly stressed, while her fiancé tried to calm him down.

After finishing the rehearsal, the wedding party and the close relatives of the bride and groom went to a room to have dinner with the dishes that the guests would have at the wedding. Kimi insisted that she wanted to hear her brother's opinion regarding to some dishes. Nino was more relaxed here and enjoyed the evening, talking when spoken to, tasting the delicious food, and trying to stay attached to his role. While they were eating dessert, Jun and Sho were telling an anecdote from their school and made a joke to Souta; Nino couldn't help but laugh out loud. As a matter of fact, it was quite a funny story, and as Nino laughed, Sho stared at him with a glimpse of amusement in his eyes.

“There’s something wrong, Sho-san?” Nino asked, feeling a little scared by the change in his expression.

“Nothing wrong, it's just... I've never seen Jun so happy with someone, and I don't know, with you it's different. It all feels so different.”

“I hope you mean ‘different’ in a good way... Jun-kun is a very special person to me and I just want to see him happy.” Sho's smile widened, apparently pleased with Nino’s response.

“Don't worry, I mean that in the best way. I hope both of you can achieve the same as Kimi and my brother.”

Nino sighed in response and smiled, turning to look at Jun.

He was smiling, and looked radiant and happy.

And Nino wished things were always like this, both for Jun and for him.



Chapter 2: Saturday

Nino gave Jun a murderous look before refocusing his attention on the mirror. He was combing his wig, the divine wig that had gotten him into so much trouble the night before.

“What are you laughing at? Do you realize what would have happened if we didn't get to the last rehearsal? Your sister was going to kill us.”

“You’re right, but the situation is still fun, though. Now I understand why the valet attendant looked at us that way when he returned the car.” Jun laughed out loud, approaching an obviously annoyed Nino and putting his hands on his shoulders, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

“Don’t be upset, Kazuko, these are anecdotes that we’ll be able to tell to our children in the future,” he added with amusement, kissing one of Nino's cheeks before separating from him, making him relax a bit and finally smile.

“You're crazy, Matsumoto,” he muttered under his breath, his cheeks slightly flushed and not exactly because of the makeup. “But, I guess we can tell that story to our children.” Nino said while putting on the wig, checking that everything was in order before placing the hairbrush on the bathroom and returning to the bedroom to took his bag.

“Will you skip breakfast then?”

"Yes, I must go with Haruka and Aiba, I need to find a way for my little friend..." He pointed at the wig with both index fingers. “…To stay in place. And I also promised to have breakfast with them... it won’t be a problem if I leave you for just a few hours?”

“Not at all, go and do your stuff. I’ll wait for you for lunch.” Nino smiled again, approaching Jun to hug him for a few seconds.

“Thanks Junpon, you’re the best.”

After saying goodbye, he requested an Uber to take him to the hotel where Masaki and Haruka were staying. In addition to the wig, he was going to deliver their invitation to the wedding, because he wasn’t crazy enough to go there without them.

After Nino arrived, the group ordered some food through room service and had a light breakfast while Nino told them about his "adventures" in the villa with the Matsumoto family.

“They look like royalty,” Nino commented while eating toast. “They’re so fancy and classy. You guys can't imagine how nervous it makes me to be around Jun’s parents.”

“But I'm pretty sure they won’t suspect anything about you. Seriously, Nino, you look like a real woman,” Masaki said, looking at him closely.



“I know, Jun told me the same thing like a thousand times yesterday... and even after the incident with the wig, no one suspected me, I guess. But you know how I am, I get paranoid about nothing.”

“Don't worry, today we are going to settle that matter. The wig will never fall off.” Haruka winked at him and Nino nodded.

“Thanks guys, really, I don't know what I would do without you. You’ve been too patient with me.”

“This is a thousand times better than watching you suffer in your chicken...”

“Don't even say it,” Nino interrupted Masaki, making him laugh. “I understood.”

It was past noon when Nino returned to the villa, and now he felt more secure regarding the wig since Haruka had secured it with a special glue. She also strongly recommended that he be careful not to get it caught in anything.

While going upstairs, he met Kimi and a young woman named Yuka, whom she introduced as her cousin.

“By the way, tonight, you should come with us... since it’s my bachelorette party.”

“Oh really?” Nino pretended to be surprised, smiling broadly, thinking that the probability of having a quiet night in his room was getting further away from him.

“It will be something quiet, we’re going to have a nice dinner and then... we’re going to open some gifts. This is all my cousins’ idea, but I would love for you to be with us,” Kimi said, looking at Nino with a sweet expression.

“Besides, Jun-kun will go with the groom and the other guys to his bachelor party, so we can’t leave you here alone,” Yuka commented, smiling gently.

I really appreciate the gesture, but that was exactly what I wanted, to be alone. Wearing heels all the time is already killing me...

“Sure, girls. I’d love to go with you,” he replied with mock joy, wishing that the weekend would end quickly.

After chatting with them for a while, he went upstairs to the room he shared with Jun, then took a shower and changed from the light exercise clothes he was wearing into a pastel pink jacket and shorts set. The pants were baggy and high at the waist, to hide any detail of his body that could stand out, the jacket was the same length as the pants and when closed, it looked like a dress. Under it, he wore a simple white blouse with straps and a pair of hot pink shoes. He did the same simple makeup that Haruka taught him and after getting ready, he left the bedroom and met Jun in the dining room, where he was talking to his father.

After seeing Nino, Jun smiled, apologized to his father, and went to him.

“Wow... you look beautiful.”

“Thanks, Jun-kun,” he murmured, not knowing how to answer.

“Pink really suits you.”

Nino let out a soft laugh, playfully hitting his ‘boyfriend’ on the shoulder.

“Stop making fun of me, please.” Both of them laughed again, forgetting that they were there surrounded by people.

“Okay… and now, were you able to fix the wig?”

“Yes, everything is fine... Haruka is a genius and my hair is finally fine. There will be no more accidents,” Nino reported, lowering his voice to prevent anyone from listening to that conversation. “By the way, Aiba says thanks for the wedding invitation, he’s looking forward to it.”

“No need, I'm glad that he and his girlfriend will join us.”

The couple's conversation was interrupted by Jun's grandfather, who called them to the table to go eat. Jun took his girlfriend's hand to go with her to the dining room. When they both took a seat at the table, Nino was surprised to see Kimi's fiancé, Jun's cousins, and more people who were family acquaintances there.

“Wow, a lot of people came today…” Nino whispered.

“And this is just the beginning, tomorrow there will be more people, so get ready.” Nino sighed, knowing that Jun was telling the truth. Lots of people would attend the wedding, and therefore, the villa would become crowded.

Nino didn’t answer. He was mentally preparing himself, because he had the impression that things were going to get more complicated as the day progressed. So far, lunch was going great: both he and Jun were dedicated, even answering some questions regarding their relationship. Nino was surprised at how natural they sounded telling the made-up stories, and how easy they could play along with the other when each one improvised some peculiar responses.

“I’m pleased to hear that,” Megumi, one of Jun's youngest cousins, commented, looking at them both with reverie.

“You’re so lucky, my dear... Kimi and Jun have grown up well, I assume that you must be proud of your kids,” said an old lady with a pretty stretched hairstyle, smiling towards Jun's mother.

“I’m more than proud of my children, they’re my biggest achievements. I’m more than happy to see that both have grown up well, have found partners that are worthy, and are doing well in life. Although Jun hasn't always done what I wanted, I'm still proud of him,” Jun's mother said before taking a sip from her glass of water.

"I don't think it's the right time to talk about that here, darling," Jun's father contradicted, looking at his wife reprovingly.

“Why not? We’re surrounded by close friends and family, and everyone knows that I don’t entirely agree with the profession that my son chose. He left the family business to pursue acting, something rather shallow, if you ask me.”

“I think that isn’t a problem, mother, since dad and I are in charge of the family business and we’re doing great. The fact that Jun has chosen another path doesn’t make him a villain, you know?” Kimi said, rolling her eyes.

Nino witnessed the change in the expression of his boyfriend, feeling sorry for him. Now he understood perfectly why Jun didn’t want to take a stranger to his house. This discussion was unnecessary, and totally uncomfortable.

“I know, but it would have been perfect if my two children were in the family business... Jun is a man, it’s his duty to be leading.”

“That's a sexist comment, mom... please, we’re living in the twenty-first century! In case you haven't noticed, now it's completely normal for women to run a company. It’s the education that you and my father gave me, and now it turns out that Jun is the one who should be leading the company because he’s a man... are you serious?”

“Kimi, stop it!” Jun exclaimed, exasperated.

“No, you have the right to pursue your dreams, Jun.”

“This is enough; don't you think?” Mr. Matsumoto muttered, looking at his children and then at his wife with an angry expression.

“You should tell that to your wife, who enjoys rubbing this in my face over and over again – that I’m a bad son for not dedicating myself to the company.”

Nino watched as Jun prepared to leave the table, standing up. However, he stopped him, taking Jun by the hand to prevent him from leaving.

Nino stood up, intertwining his fingers with Jun's and taking a breath before speaking.

“I’m perfectly aware that this conversation doesn’t concern me, that I don’t have to share my opinion, but... what seems so bad to you, is precisely one of the things that made me fall in love with your son,” Nino started to say, looking directly at Jun’s mother.

“The fact that he left behind the family company, and the comforts that working there would offer him, not to say how much that would benefit his wallet... he left it behind for achieving his goal and to do what he really loves. When I met Jun-kun, he was just taking acting classes, just like me, and believe me, I knew from the beginning that he would go far, because he's an excellent actor.” Nino looked Jun in the eyes, outlining a shy smile before continuing. “And little by little, he has been making his way on international stages, creating his own personal brand, making his name known. That fills me with great pride, much, more than saying that I’m the girlfriend of the heir to the Matsumoto family. Jun-kun is a man of integrity, a tireless worker and the sweetest person I’ve ever met... perhaps for you it is a disgrace what he does, but for me it is one of the reasons why I love him, and I hope that if we get to be together in the future, our children will be as fearless as he is. And now, if you'll excuse us...”

Nino gently tugged on Jun’s hand, and both of them left the dining room in silence. He felt his hands trembling after confronting Jun's mother; he knew that it had been reckless, but if there was something that Nino couldn’t tolerate, it was injustice, and at that moment, Mrs. Matsumoto was being unfair and irrational with her son.

Jun led them into the backyard, looking at him in silence, visibly stunned and affected by what had happened in the dining room minutes ago.

“Kazu, I... I don't know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Honestly, I’m sorry… I let myself go, but I just… felt upset because of what your mother was saying.”

“Thank you for what you said before... for defending me like that, it was a good performance.” Jun gently released Nino’s hand, letting out a sigh.

“Jun-pon, that wasn’t a performance. I said it seriously... you’re my friend and I couldn't bear to hear those hurtful comments towards the person I admire the most. And really, if I were a girl and I was your partner, I’d be the proudest woman in the world to have a boyfriend like you.”

“Having you here has been the best thing that has happened to me... thanks for being so good to me, Kazu. It is the first time that someone besides Kimi defended me in this way and I’m glad it was you.”

“Don't thank me, I just did what I wanted to do.”

“Let's go out for a while, because of me we missed lunch and I'm really hungry.”

They both laughed, feeling a bit calm.

“Please, let’s go somewhere cheap. I'm dying for a hamburger.” Jun laughed out loud, nodding his head.

“That sounds good. Come on, let's get out of here.”

“I thought you would never say that.”

***

The sun had begun to set when the young couple returned to the villa, both smiling and totally calm after the disastrous family lunch. After talking in the backyard, they had gone to a family restaurant, where they ate hamburgers, had some beers and made fools of themselves, then they went to a lingerie store to buy a gift for the bride so that Kazuko could give it to her that night at the bachelorette party.

As they made their way to the room, Jun's father stopped them to apologize for his wife's behavior that afternoon, saying it would never happen again.

“It's already in the past. Anyway, I knew it was going to happen,” Jun commented with a shrug.

“It won't happen again. And by the way, you were very good, miss,” Jun’s father said, speaking to Nino.

“I couldn't help it... although now I'm dying from embarrassment, and I couldn’t bear to see your wife. She surely hates me.”

“I can assure you that it is the opposite, Kazuko-san. By the way, do you mind if I steal your boyfriend for a few minutes?” Nino shook his head, smiling again.

“Not at all, I still have to get ready for Kimi-chan’s party. See you later.”

He made a slight bow before heading to the room he shared with Jun, taking off his shoes as soon as he was locked inside. Now he fully understood why women complained to their partners about not noticing their efforts to look pretty for them. Wearing high-heeled shoes hurt like hell.

He threw himself on the bed after taking off his jacket, closing his eyes to rest for a while. He only needed to recharge his battery a little before resuming social activities for the day.

“It’s exhausting to be Matsumoto Jun's girlfriend... it’s exhausting to follow in the footsteps of his family. Just a little while to rest, it's all I need...”

His rest time turned into an hour, so when Jun woke him up, he felt much better, as if all the accumulated stress of the day had magically disappeared. After doing janken, Jun won and he got to use the bathroom first, so Nino was the second to shower.

That night he chose a pink dress with a delicate corset on top and a fluffy tulle skirt below the knees. Haruka came over to help him with the makeup and gathered his long hair into a delicate braid to let the dress corset show off. Nino put on a silk shawl and high-heeled sandals to complete the outfit.

When Haruka said goodbye and left the room, Jun came in to see Nino and was visibly impressed.

“Wow,” Jun said. “You’re going to be the most beautiful girl there.”

“I guess Haruka did a good job.” Nino whispered, looking at his dress. “But, to tell the truth, this dress is beautiful...”

“No, I think it's just you. It’s likely that my sister will not let you in, you’re going to outshine all the girls at that dinner...,” Jun said jokingly, laughing softly. “Now I wonder if you should go or not.”

“Jealous, Matsumoto-san? It’s me who should ask if you should go or not... you’re the one who’s going to see strippers with the groom and the other guys.” Nino crossed his arms, feigning anger.

“Jealous, Ariake-san?” Jun imitated Nino’s tone of voice, and both laughed in unison. “Don't worry, I only have eyes for you.”

“You better, or I’ll hit you.” Nino took his bag and sighed. “I must go; the girls should be waiting for me...”

“I promise to come back early.”

“Okay, Jun-pon. See you later... have a good time and, please, don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

Nino waved goodbye and went downstairs, leaving Jun in the hallway. And if Nino wasn’t mistaken, Jun was looking at him dreamily.



Although he felt he was too underdressed for the occasion, Nino understood perfectly why Jun and Haruka had chosen the dress they did. Kimi and her circle of friends were very sophisticated women and that night, all of them, absolutely all of them, looked like they had come out of a magazine. They went to a five-star restaurant, where everything consumed was courtesy of the groom; Nino tried with all his might to enjoy the dishes served, although his favorite parts of the course were the colorful desserts and cocktails that were offered from time to time.

After eating, they went to the side of the room that had been arranged with beautiful and comfy cushions, where they all took off their shoes and sat there, enjoying more cocktails, talking about men, sharing sex tips, and having all those kinds of conversations that Nino didn’t want to have.

“How is he?” asked one of Kimi's friends.

“Excuse me?” Nino asked when he discovered that she was referring to him. “No, girls... I don’t plan to tell you all anything about my sex life with Jun, out of respect for his sister. I don't think I want her to hear that.”

“Thank you, gorgeous. What I least want to know is what my brother does in bed.” Kimi pretended to be disgusted and then, laughed. "We'd better open the presents."

As Kimi opened the gifts, (most consisted of lingerie, sex toys, perfume, and makeup) the girls laughed and told her where to wear (or use) each thing on her Bali honeymoon. Nino listened to them and laughed with them, feeling that little by little he was exhausting himself more.

After midnight, the girls' party ended, and Nino couldn't be more thankful. Kimi said she didn't want to see anyone with dark circles or a hangover on her wedding day, so the party ended relatively early. It was a quarter to one when Nino crossed the threshold of the bedroom, taking off the luxurious dress, sandals, and makeup. He went to bed wearing shorts and one of Jun’s shirt, because he was so tired that he put on the first thing he found. He threw himself onto the bed, mentally debating whether to play a few rows of Puzzle and Dragons or just sleep.

A few minutes of gaming wouldn't hurt anyone..., he thought to himself, taking the phone from the table with a smile.

***

Jun held up his glass of whiskey to finish it in one gulp, biting his lower lip as he felt the warm liquid trickle down his throat. In silence, he observed how part of Souta's friends enjoyed the European strippers that have arrived by surprise, although everyone already knew that this private meeting in that club would end in that way.

He and Sho were at a somewhat isolated table, laughing at Souta's stunned face. Under normal circumstances, Jun might have joined the party, but he was particularly tired that night and all he could think about was going back to the villa, lying in bed and teasing Nino before sleeping.

A smile came to his lips at the thought of Nino and how hard he tried to play his role properly in front of everyone. That day, Jun hadn't stopped thinking about the way Nino defended him in front of his mother and he couldn't help feeling his heart skip a beat. It wasn’t that that kind of argument hadn't happened before, or that his sister hadn't defended him before, but it was the fact that Nino, who just had to pose as a nonexistent girlfriend, did that for him, spoke about his personality, and reaffirmed how good a person he was. Jun was more than grateful and touched by Nino’s genuine words.

“Did something good happened today? You have an idiotic smile on your face.” said Sho, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Kazuko.” It was Jun's simple answer. “Today, my mother brought up the issue of why I wasn’t in the family business and she defended me. She said things that really touched me deep in my soul.”

“You’re in love with that girl, right? Just look at you, Jun. I've never seen you this excited about someone — this committed, this connected. You can't imagine how glad I am to witness this.” Sho took a sip from his whiskey glass, smiling slightly.

“I think you're right... and speaking of Kazuko, I think I'm going to go back to the villa. I want to be with her.”

“Would you mind if I go back with you? I'm not in the mood for strippers.” Jun laughed, nodding before standing up. Sho followed him and they both left the club, leaving the others to enjoy the party.

When Jun reached the villa, he went up to his room, opening the door carefully so as not to wake Nino, but discovered that he was still awake. Nino was sitting on the bed, apparently playing a phone game; he had on more comfortable clothes and had removed his makeup – but not the wig, which made him look slightly feminine still. When Jun saw him, he smiled widely.

“Hello.”

“Welcome, Jun.”

Jun closed the door behind him, then took off his jacket and left it over a chair to sit on the side of the bed.

“Everything okay at dinner?”

“Everything okay with the strippers?”

They had both asked a question at the same time and laughed.

“Everything was fine,” Nino answered first, pausing his game to focus on Jun. “Kimi enjoyed it, I had a good time and I think the others did too. I thanked heaven when your sister said we would be back early... the shoes were killing me.”

“I heard Kimi say that she didn't want to see anyone looking like a raccoon at her wedding.” Jun approached Nino, gently taking one of his calves in his hands, gently massaging his foot, and smiling when he saw Nino blush slightly at the unexpected gesture.

“You don't have to do that...”

“Take it as a gesture of thanks for what you did today in front of my parents.” Nino bit his lower lip, his cheeks completely heated. He smiled shyly while allowing himself to be pampered by Jun in that way for the first time in their friendship.

“Okay, but only because my feet hurt a lot and because I know how to accept a gift,” Nino laughed softly. He leaned his opposite foot on Jun’s leg, raising his eyebrows with bravado. “Hey, Jun-pon... thanks for coming early.”

“Don't thank me, I also preferred to spend tonight with you instead of being at the party with all those idiots and strippers,” Jun confessed with a smile, massaging Nino’s sole.

Nino smiled broadly after listening to him.

“You left the strippers because of me... I can't believe how lucky I am.”

Jun laughed softly.

“You came to massage my feet, you’re so adorable, Jun-kun,” Nino muttered in Kazuko's voice, putting hand on his chest, visibly moved.

“Enough, idiot.”

“You’re a faithful and lovely boyfriend. Seriously, for real, I’m a lucky girl,” Nino mumbled with a chuckle, but his expression changed when he felt a cushion hit his face. “Hey!”

“The massages are over for making fun of me.” Jun pretended to be upset and stood up.

“Don't be mad, come back,” Nino pouted, laughing again when he noticed that Jun was joking.

“Seriously, I'm going back in a moment, I'm going to find something to eat.” After opening the door, Jun stopped, looking at Nino with amusement. “Want to come with me?”

“What if someone sees me?”

“How boring you are, Ninomiya.”

Nino rolled his eyes, standing up.

“Come on, let's go get some food, Matsumoto.”

They both sneaked out of the room while everyone slept, going to the kitchen to raid the refrigerator with giggles and sly looks, on high alert to any strange noises or footsteps and ready to hide Nino at a moment’s notice.

And there, in that moment, Jun realized that this was the way he really wanted to end the night: in the company of the person who had managed to make that tedious weekend one of the best in his life.



Chapter 3: Sunday

When the alarm clock went off the next morning, Nino opened his eyes letting out a sigh as he brushed his hair away from his face, cursing that damn wig for the ninth time. He noticed that Jun was sleeping next to him and had an arm around his waist. Nino smiled helplessly when he saw how they ended after a night of jokes.

Slowly, he pulled Jun’s arm away, careful not to wake him up yet. After sitting up, Nino turned to look at him, sighing softly at such a touching scene. Jun's strong features were totally relaxed now that he slept, and Nino held back the urge to caress his messy curls.

“Come on, Nino... you must get ready,” he whispered to himself before standing up regretfully, leaving the taller one in a deep sleep.

He showered and shaved his face with extreme care not to cut himself, then finished the job with cold wax strips to remove any last traces of facial hair. After finishing his face, he chose a simple black T-shirt, a long black skirt with a white dots and classic black and white Vans. Since the wedding was taking place that day and he would soon have to get ready, wear makeup and uncomfortable clothes again, Nino decided to wear something lighter during the few hours of freedom he would have that day.

When he left the dressing room, he caught sight of Jun already awake and looking at the screen of his mobile phone. After noticing Nino's presence, Jun looked up and outlined one of those warm smiles that pierced Nino’s heart.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too,” Jun replied before yawning loudly. “Why didn't you wake me up?”

“Because you were sleeping very soundly and I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I wanted to take advantage of that time to use the bathroom without you having to wait for me,” Nino explained as he went towards the mirror, trying to undo the hairstyle of the wig and at the same time, trying to straighten up a bit.

“I see. I hope you don't mind waiting for me to go downstairs together.”

“Absolutely not, I'm going to work with this while you get ready,” Nino said by way of answer, referring to the wig. Jun nodded and put the phone down on the nightstand before standing up and going to the bathroom to take a shower.

He felt that Jun was acting strange in some way and he could not blame him, he was sure that Jun also felt somewhat stressed.

Later that day would be Kimi and Souta's wedding ceremony, and everything had to be way beyond perfect. Both Jun and Nino knew they had a little more pressure on themselves to be the main party attraction. Everyone commented on the return of the youngest son of the Matsumoto family, and obviously, the presence of his ‘girlfriend’, so he fully understood how Jun felt in those moments – so Nino knew he had to try with all his might to make things easier for him.

When Nino saw him leave the dressing room thirty minutes later, he smiled. Jun looked calmer and more relaxed. There was no trace of a beard on his face, his hair was still damp from the shower and he was wearing simple black jeans, a white sweater with black letters on the chest that said "A Clockwork Orange" on the front and an image from the movie on the back, and he had put on identical Vans to Nino's. They both smiled when they noticed it.

“So… we're leaving now?” Nino asked, standing up and removing a piece of fuzz from his T-shirt.

“Wait, Nino... I wanted to talk about something with you.” The younger man approached him, looking into his eyes before speaking. “I want to apologize to you for my behavior a little while ago... I was, well, I'm nervous about how things could turn out today. Even though today is all about Kimi, you already saw how intense my mother can be, and well...”

“Jun-pon, we’re in this together, remember? We’re partners, and I won’t allow something similar to happen again.” Nino took one of Jun's hands, entwining their fingers gently, feeling his heart skip a beat as he perceived that warmth in the other’s eyes.

“You’re right, we’re in this together and I have no reason to feel nervous.” Jun smiled, giving Nino's hand a gentle squeeze. “Let's give everyone something to talk about at the wedding.”

“That's my man... or should I say, my boyfriend?” Both laughed, leaving the room without letting go of each other’s hands, to start that hectic day.

As they went down to the dining room, they both discovered that they were the only ones in the family there apart from the house staff, since the whole family had gone to the hotel where Kimi and her entire wedding party were getting ready. Jun received a text from his sister, asking him to take ‘Kazuko’ there as soon as possible, so they had a quick breakfast and went straight there. On the way, Nino called Haruka to tell her that they would go to pick her up and then go to the hotel, since he and Jun had agreed that no one but Haruka would take care of Kazuko’s appearance that day.

It was past ten in the morning when Jun and Nino said goodbye, so Nino went with Haruka to the suite where the bride, her mother, the mother of the groom, and the other bridesmaids were. Although he expected to find a battle of some sort, he was surprised to see that they were all relaxed, drinking champagne, and posing for the odd photo.

After seeing Nino, Kimi went to him, offering him a drink.

“Hi gorgeous, here you are. This is the pass to be here.” Nino smiled, thanking her for the gesture. “Go change and put on one of the robes that I reserved for you, today we have gathered to relax, no stress will be allowed this day.” She looked at Haruka and widened her smile. “You must be Ayase-san... Jun told me about you and I must confess that I’m glad that you are here, you always make Kazuko look so lovely all the time...”

Nino watched as Kimi left with Haruka, chattering non-stop, so he took the opportunity to go to one of the bathrooms in the suite, undressing and keeping his underwear on. On top of it, he put on the pink silk robe, and, thankful for having worn tight underwear, he did what he had to do to hide his “friend” so as not to ruin anything on Kazuko’s very last day.

"I will never tell Jun what I just did..." he muttered to himself before returning to the suite to join the "celebration." After seeing Jun's mother, she greeted him cordially, discovering with surprise that the relationship between them was still going well and that she wasn’t upset by what had happened the day before.

Or at least, it didn't look like it on the outside.

After eating something light for lunch, they began with the preparations. A group of makeup artists arrived and the dressmaker with the dresses for all of them; although they disagreed with someone from outside grooming Nino, Kimi managed to convince them to give guidelines to Haruka so that Nino’s look would match the other bridesmaids. The dresser accepted without much conviction, but then, seeing how docile Haruka was, she was pleased to have her offering her a hand, although it seemed to Nino that what she really appreciated was the fact that her pay wasn’t affected by having an extra pair of hands there helping.

When Nino looked at himself in the mirror after the women had worked their magic, he smiled broadly. Unlike the previous times, where he was surprised at how different he looked, this time he was pleased with what he saw – he felt radiant and he was sure that Jun would love his appearance as much as he did. He wore an empire-cut violet dress, fitted to his fake breasts, with a light sweetheart neckline, and a light tulle cape that covered Nino’s shoulders. The dress was adjusted to his waist and then fell loose, so he felt comfortable; he also wore gold sandals with a not-too-high heel, and light makeup adorned his face. With the wig, Haruka did wonders, lifting the back with a kind of pompadour, and gathering the hair on each side with golden hairpins, exposing Nino's face.

“I think Jun is going to fall in love with you again.”

After turning around, he discovered his ‘mother-in-law’ looking at him with total approval. She was wearing an elegant black sleeveless dress with her hair tied up in an impeccable bun.

“Thank you, Mrs. Matsumoto...,” he managed to answer, showing a somewhat shy smile.

“Call me Eleanor, please.” She approached Nino, looking into his eyes for a few moments before speaking again. “If you don't mind, I'd like us to have a talk.”

“Yes, of course,” Nino replied with mock calm, knowing that she was probably going to scold him for what happened the day before. They went to a secluded corner of the suite, away from the hustle and stress, to chat.

“I would like to thank you, Kazuko... seeing you support my son so fiercely, at the expense of my anger and things ending badly – even so, you put aside your desire to respect me to defend Jun's ideals. Instead of offending me, it made me realize that I was being harsh on him. I know that it is not easy to adapt to the idea when I have been in denial the whole time. Sometimes, when we’re blinded by the desire to be good parents and make our children go on the ‘right’ path, we tend to make mistakes in the process, because we’re human after all... but seeing you act that way has made me remember many things, things that marked me a lot and have turned me into the woman I am now. I’d forgotten them over time. I really want to thank you for what you did.”

“Absolutely not, Eleanor-san... I felt that I got carried away with emotion and I disrespected you, that's why I want to apologize to you.” Nino bowed slightly, looking back into her eyes. “It's just that, it felt bad to see Jun-kun so... cornered. He loves you so much and he still feels that he hurt you since he was being selfish. He wanted to pursue his dream and, because of that reason, you’re not proud of what he did.”

“That's why I want to thank you, for making me see my mistake. Whenever Jun said something to me related to his job, I replied that it was a ‘phase’, that he was only being stubborn, but the fact that someone from abroad said his talent made me realize that whether or not he takes over the company, my son is a wonderful man, with good values. He’s able to inspire others, and that, as a mother, fills me with pride. Thanks again, Kazuko.”

“You don’t have to thank me at all... I just want the man I love and his family to be happy.”

“And I want the same, I want my son to be happy with us... and also with you. With that action you have shown me how much you are worth, and from the bottom of my heart, I hope that you and my son will be together for a long time.” Eleanor hugged Nino gently, turning away from him to give him a small black box. “Give this to your assistant, she will know what to do. See you at the ceremony.”

When Nino opened the box, he felt his soul drop to his feet, not knowing whether to laugh or cry when he saw the content of it. Inside the box were hairpins decorated with small crystals, and while Nino had no having experience in jewelry, he could swear they were diamonds just from their sparkle.

–

The sun had begun to set, brushing the sky with beautiful orange tones that filled the beautiful garden with light. The ceremony area was decorated with roses in light tones which contrasted with the gold-tone chairs. Behind the altar, the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean were a visual spectacle for all those present. When Nino and Jun finally saw each other, Nino couldn't help but smile, telling himself how lucky Kazuko was to have Jun as a partner. Jun was dressed in a dark blue tuxedo, with a violet flower as decoration on one of the lapels; he had slightly tousled hair and wore his glasses, looking captivatingly attractive without the slightest effort.

Wait, Nino… Jun, attractive? What the hell is wrong with you?

“Wow, Kazuko... you look...”

Nino smiled, reaching over to take one of Jun’s hands, internally repeating to himself that they should offer a good performance now that they weren’t alone.

“You look precious.”

Feeling the delicate kiss on his forehead from the young actor, Nino's cheeks turned red, making Jun laugh softly. “And blushing, you look even more beautiful.”

“It isn’t time to flirt, Jun-kun! We have to focus,” he managed to say under his breath, but he was biting his lower lip, trying to suppress the silly little smile that was about to appear on his lips.

“It is always an appropriate time to flirt with my precious girlfriend,” Jun replied with a shrug before giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Just as they had rehearsed on Friday, the couples were placed in a row and guided to their seats by the wedding planner. When the time came, Nino gripped his pastel rose bouquet before taking his partner by the arm, and waited for the signal to come forward.

~Play me~

At the moment when the heart-rending notes of a piano began to sound, they knew that the ceremony had finally begun. Both Nino and Jun took a deep breath, looked at each other for a few seconds to instill some bit courage in the other person, and smiled. They were the last couple of the procession to leave, so when they received the order, they headed towards the garden, walking slowly, looking all the guests. Some were looking at the couple with curiosity, others didn’t try to hide their looks and commented under their breath, while the rest smiled at them sincerely.

They distanced themselves when they reached the altar; Nino stood next to the other girls on the left side, while Jun stood in the same place, only on the right near the groom. The song continued playing, and although Nino didn’t fully understand the lyrics of that touching melody, he couldn’t help but feel moved by the way the young man at the white piano played it with feeling.

Seconds later, the guests rose to their feet, watching a beaming Kimi walk toward the altar with her father. She was wearing a stunning mermaid-cut dress, fitted to her slender figure, with long, transparent sleeves and three-dimensional flowers on the torso. Her hair was gathered in an elegant braid and she wore a discreet veil over her face, under it, she had on a beautiful smile. Souta, seeing his future wife approaching him, couldn’t help but cry.

As the ceremony progressed, Nino managed to look at Jun, who seemed serious but his look changed to a shy smile when their eyes met. Nino had never been interested in weddings, and had never even been invited to one, but for some reason he was fascinated with everything that was happening around him. In fact, when Kimi and Souta read their vows, he found himself with his eyes full of tears while listening to the genuine show of love between them.

“And I pronounce you husband and wife... now, you may kiss the bride.”

Cheers of joy and loud applauses resounded at the moment when the newly married couple joined their lips in a kiss full of love. As family members and some friends approached them to congratulate them, Nino stepped aside so as not to be seen, exhaling forcefully while muttering a curse under his breath; these shoes were killing him and he wanted to take them off as soon as possible.

Just a few more hours, come on, you can do it, Nino.

Jun approached him with concern, taking Nino by the hand and promising him that later, at the reception, he could put on something more comfortable. After that, there was no opportunity to rest for even a moment. While the guests had a snack at the hotel, the bride and groom, the wedding party, and the family members went to secluded area near the ceremony space that had been previously prepared for photos. Nino felt his lips ache from smiling so much, and seeing Jun's jaded expression, he knew that he was not the only one who was getting tired.

At the end of the session, Haruka touched up Kazuko’s makeup and combed his wig, leaving him in optimal condition for the party. After that, the wedding planner told them that it would be a good idea to join the bride and groom at their first dance, since they were a couple too as well as Kimi’s relatives. Neither could say no, so Nino wondered if he could dance with Jun in front of everyone without dying of a panic attack.

“It will only be for half the song and from what I heard, it’s a ballad, so we’ll be fine,” Jun assured him quietly.

“I know, it’s just that I don't want to screw up when dancing, but I think we can do it,” Nino said pursing his lips slightly.

“Please, calm down. Since the beginning, you’ve done everything right.”

~Play me~

It wasn't long before Kimi and Souta headed to the white dance floor for their first dance, now officially as husband and wife. On stage was a young artist who began to play the delicate notes of a piano, and when she sang her angelic voice resonated throughout the place as the protagonists of the night began to move to their bodies to the slow pace of the song. The bride and groom looked at each other with complete devotion and shared some occasional kisses without caring about being seen by everyone, while their friends took pictures and videos with their phones and the photographer did the same.

The moment the parents approached the dance floor, the wedding party did the same, so Jun and Nino stepped up and began to dance under the eyes of the guests.

“I've never received so much attention before,” Nino muttered under his breath, wrapping his arms around Jun’s neck, surprised by how easy it was to do these kinds of things with him. Jun guided him with precision, taking him firmly by the waist and leading him to the beat of the music with grace.

“These are the advantages of dating someone like me,” Jun replied nonchalantly, laughing softly seconds later. “I'm sorry to expose you to these sharks.”

“To be honest, I'm enjoying being watched... and I'm serious.” Nino looked around before refocusing his gaze on his boyfriend.

“I think they might expect to see something else from us. You know, don't you? It’s the first time that they see me ‘seriously’ with someone.”

“You’re make me blush, Jun-kun... I didn't know that I was this special.” They both laughed again at the mocking tone in Nino's words. “So if you want to see something else, let's give them what they want.”

“Are you serious?” The taller one raised an eyebrow, looking at him in disbelief.

“Of course, or are you scared...?”

Nino's words died in his mouth, as Jun joined their lips in a surprise kiss. It was a delicate touch, slow and unhurried, too tender to be simulated.

Nino was surprised by the easy way with which Jun's lips moved against his, so he simply let himself go and kissed him back, placing a hand on the younger man's curly hair while they both continued dancing. For a moment, Nino forgot where he was and what he was doing until Jun finally broke that sweet spell by separating their mouths.

“Finally I was able to leave you speechless,” Jun whispered under his breath, kissing him again. This time it was a fleeting little kiss at the corners of Nino’s lips. Nino couldn’t say anything in response, he just bit his lower lip, outlining a shy smile, while congratulating himself for having done the best performance of his life.



As the day gave way to night, the party continued smoothly. Jun and Nino continued to play their roles as a couple perfectly, and now that the guests were only thinking of having fun, Nino had exchanged his uncomfortable sandals for ones without heels, so he spent the rest of the night dancing with Jun, drinking, and having fun. At the table assigned to them, Sho and his assistant were sitting there, and Masaki next to Haruka, so Nino was able to talk with his best friend and that made his night even more enjoyable.

“You and Jun are the talk of the party... you’re popular.”

Nino laughed out loud, biting his lower lip.

“I'm a celebrity, you know.”

“It might be true, but, the thing is... I don’t know, there’s something between you two... I can feel a satisfying vibe, as if you were a real couple. Maybe that's why everyone is looking at both of you guys.”

Nino looked towards the dance floor and smiled widely when he saw his ‘boyfriend’ laughing as he danced with his sister. “You see? You’re doing that again.”

“Excuse me? What were you saying, Masaki?”

“Nothing, I'll go find my girlfriend, she’s spending too much time at the candy table,” Masaki laughed, trying to wink at his best friend before standing up and leaving Nino alone at the table.

Seconds later, he caught a glimpse of Jun approaching the table before sitting next to him and giving him a silly smile.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing alone at this table?”

“I'm waiting for my boyfriend,” Nino replied after taking a sip from his champagne glass.

“Oh really? Well, then, he’s arrived” Jun kissed one of Nino’s cheeks, then took his hand. “Come on, let's dance.”

“Let's dance,” Nino conceded with a wide smile, looking into the young actor’s eyes and feeling again a warm sensation invading his heart. But this time it was under a completely different connotation, and although Nino knew what it was, he decided to ignore it and enjoy the last moments of his fake relationship with Jun.



It was quite late when they had returned to the villa, a bit drunken and exhausted, but happy.

Everything had been a success, the wedding had been a success, and the young couple managed to convince everyone of their relationship. Nino understood the level of stress that Jun was dealing with, because seeing him ‘seriously’ with Kazuko seemed to reassure the family acquaintances, and finally they no longer saw him as a rebellious man who just wanted to annoy his parents.

“It’s been a while since I’ve actually enjoyed a family reunion,” Jun said when he got to bed, after taking a shower and putting on his pajamas. Nino had also done the same and was under the covers, looking at him with a somewhat indescribable expression.

“I must confess that despite all the stress, your family does know how to throw parties. I had so much fun, you wouldn’t believe.”

“The best part of the night was when you caught Kimi's bouquet.”

Nino laughed out loud at the memory, shaking his head.

“I didn't know that something as silly as catching the bride's bouquet could turn women into wild beings. I swear I was afraid for my life...”

Jun laughed this time, looking at Nino with amusement as he propped himself up on one elbow to get a better look at him.

“One of the girls displaced my fake boobs and I swear they almost ripped my wig off, but... I have the stupid bouquet. You better marry Kazuko after I exerted such effort.”

“I have to do it, not only for the bouquet, but also for everything she has done for me this weekend. It made me incredibly happy.” Jun looked into his eyes for a few seconds before speaking again. “The best decision I made was, without a doubt, bringing you here. You’re a wonderful person and I’m sure that none of this would have been this amazing if you weren’t here. Thank you so much for making me spend these... exceptional days with you, Kazu.”

Nino was silent, not knowing how to answer that; he only felt the heat rise to his cheeks as Jun reduced the distance between their mouths. There was only one last gasp before the Jun’s lips took over his in a slow kiss. Nino heard voices in his head shouting that this wasn’t right, that he should stop him now.

But why the hell did it feel so damn good?

Jun grabbed his waist with his free hand, getting closer to him as their lips continued to brush against each other. Unlike the shared kiss at the wedding, this one was more demanding, more passionate, more real, and that only plunged Nino into the utmost confusion. They were both supposed to do this because they were acting as a couple, but at that time, no one could see them.

“I know we should leave today... but would you mind staying one more day?” Jun asked in a whisper after stopping the kiss to get some air.

“Stay? But... shouldn't you go back to New York?” Nino looked at him with a slight frown, confused by the sudden change.

“My flight is on Wednesday, so I think that now that all the stress of the wedding is over and we can have a little fun, I want to ask you on date... I think that is the least I can do for you after everything you have given me.” The younger man replied, tracing Nino’s lower lip with his thumb.

“To make it clear, this isn’t necessary, but... I would love to, Jun-pon.” Nino saw him smile again and his heart skipped a beat. He was playing with fire and worst of all, he was already burning.

“What wouldn’t I do for my sweet and perfect girlfriend?” Jun kissed Nino’s forehead gently, pressing him firmly against his body. “Good night, Kazuko.”

“Good night, Jun.”



When the sun began to peek out the window, the room was no longer dim and the light illuminated everything around Nino and with it, his thoughts. He had not been able to sleep at all despite being physically and mentally exhausted; he stayed awake thinking about what had happened hours before with Jun and coming to a firm conclusion: all that had been a serious mistake and he was a complete idiot.

Jun was drunk, he had kissed him and asked him out... as Kazuko, the character they had both created. It was all part of the charade, and Nino could understand that, but... why did he feel so sad about it?

Because deep down... deep down, you wished that Jun wanted to go out with you as Kazu, not Kazuko.

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips, annoyed with himself for allowing himself to be wrapped in this way by everything he experienced with the Matsumoto family. He was nothing more than an outsider, a person pretending to be someone else, a person who didn’t deserve Jun and the Matsumoto family's attention. Because he wasn’t Kazuko, and to make everything worse, he had agreed to do all of this for the money. When he thought about it now, he felt disgusted with himself for having accepted this whole thing.

And worst of all, there was so much happening inside his heart right now.

“I have to get out of here as soon as possible,” he muttered to himself.

He couldn't stay a second longer in that place where he clearly didn't belong.

Jun slept peacefully beside him, his bangs hiding his eyes; his parted lips made him look so fragile and vulnerable. Nino felt his heart shatter when he left him like that, but that was for the best. Jun liked Kazuko, Jun felt good being next to that version of him that didn't exist, while Nino had gotten too much into his role and now saw his friend differently.

He managed to find some jogging pants, a T-shirt and a sweatshirt from Jun (hoping to be able to return it soon) that he put on in record time after brushing his teeth. As soon as he got dressed, he took off his wig and left all of Kazuko's things in his suitcase; he didn't even want to take them with him. After writing a note for Jun, he left a delicate kiss on his hair before leaving the room, trying to sneak out of the villa to go to the hotel where Masaki and Haruka were staying. He would let them sleep a little more, and then they would return to Tokyo, since he didn't want to stay in Okinawa anymore and he needed to put distance between himself and Jun as soon as possible.

In the cab on the way to the hotel, Nino was thinking about what he had done and knew that he was perhaps acting irrationally, but far from the fact that he had cheated on Jun's family, far from the fact that Jun treated him in that way for mere performance, there was the fact that he was confused about Jun, and they were just friends. He didn't want to ruin their friendship by mixing his feelings… it wasn’t like he was in love with Jun, but when they kissed in the room again, he felt things, things that were a bit difficult to ignore.

They had been friends for years and he couldn’t allow just a few days acting as a couple to ruin their friendship, yet he ended up embracing feelings that he wasn’t supposed to have. He had failed Jun, their friendship, and himself too. Therefore, the best thing was to separate a little from him.

Hopefully Jun would return to the New York, Nino would return to Tokyo, to his crap jobs and disastrous life, and hopefully, both would go back to their lives and forget about this chapter in their lives.

Or so he hoped.



Chapter 4: Monday

Jun woke up that morning fully rested despite having slept just a few hours, because, to tell the truth, he was somehow excited by his plans with Nino for that day. It was the best thing he could do for him in gratitude for the experience of that unusual weekend in which he had done so many things for him, from walking in uncomfortable heels, confronting his parents, or simply making him smile when he least expected it.

Without opening his eyes, he stretched out a hand to the other side of the bed, hoping to find the warmth of someone else's body sleeping next to him, but he discovered that Nino wasn’t there.

Maybe he’s in the bathroom.
“Kazu?” he called as he stood up, yawning loudly. He reached out a hand to the table at his right hand, grabbing his glasses to put them on. He had a bad feeling at the strange silence he received in response.

“Did you fall sleep in the bathroom?” he asked while standing up, going to the bathroom to look for him, not surprised by the fact of not seeing him there either.

What the hell is going on?

Returning to the room again, he saw a note on the nightstand right next to where Nino had been sleeping. Jun took it with a long sigh, immediately recognizing the Nino’s perfect calligraphy.


I had to return to Tokyo, my mother called me to tell me that my cat is sick and I didn’t feel calm being away from him.

I'm sorry to leave this way, but I think it's for the best, since my work here is done. Please, give my apologies to your family, tell them that it was a pleasure for Kazuko to have been there with them, especially your mother... she was very nice in giving me that gift, but I cannot accept it. It is something that I just don't deserve.

See you, Jun.

Good luck on your trip back to America.

K.


On the nightstand rested a small black box, and inside were the hairpins that Kazuko was wearing at the wedding, which Jun had no idea had been a gift from his mother. The truth was that the young actor was confused, trying to understand why Nino had gone in that way, so abrupt... so strange, and on top of that, such a sharp note gave him much to think about, since he knew that Nino didn’t have a cat, so he was certainly lying.

Until all the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together.

It had all been his fault.

In the early morning, when they were alone in their bedroom, he had let himself be carried away and had asked Nino to go out on a date, and he had also kissed him; a kiss that had nothing to do with the fact that they were pretending to be a couple.

He had kissed Nino because he wanted it so badly.

He had kissed Nino because all night long he kept thinking about how sweet his lips were, because he had not been able to get that unique sensation out of his head when their mouths were joined during that moment they danced at the wedding reception, because Nino’s scent was driving him crazy, because...

“I'm an idiot... I'm completely stupid,” Jun muttered. He left the already wrinkled note and the box with the hairpins on the table, trying to figure out what to do. He wanted to call Nino, but he was sure that he wouldn’t pick up; he wanted to go after him and apologize for his attitude, but he wasn’t sure if Nino would want to listen to him. He had crossed the blurred line between fiction and reality, between what he was supposed to do and what he really wanted, and he let himself go believing that Nino might feel the same way as him, abruptly hitting a hard, cold and huge wall called ‘reality.’

Nino saw him as a friend, and everything that happened between them was a mere performance, a favor he did to make him look good in front of his parents, and Jun and his damn intensity had ruined everything. Their friendship had died and he, only he was the one responsible of that.

Now, Jun had a big question left… should he look for Nino and apologize for his stupidity, or just let it go? Should he risk their friendship or just return to New York without looking back? Reason told him that the correct thing was to give Nino some time and space to process things and think; however, his heart told him that he should not let him go, that regardless of the confusion he obviously felt, the ideal situation was for Nino to continue existing in his life at least as a friend.

Jun knew what he had to do.

***

Nino looked out the plane window with an absent expression as the clouds faded away, leaving behind Okinawa, Jun, and all of those wrong thoughts that he told himself he had to forget. But right now, he had something more important to think about, and the best thing he could do was bury the memories of that weekend deep in his mind. Haruka was asleep in the other row of seats, so Aiba took the opportunity to stand up and sit next to Nino, where he looked at him with a questioning expression.

“Okay, Nino... it has been enough silence from you. I’d like to know why we’re fleeing Tokyo like this, as if we were fugitives.”

“First of all, we aren’t fugitives, we simply returned to Tokyo because my work here is done,” Nino answered through his teeth, looking out the window again, trying to ignore his best friend.

“Sure. I’m aware that I can get distracted at times, but it doesn’t make me an idiot. Besides, I know you and I know when you’re lying. And just so you know, you’re doing it this time.” Masaki touched one of his shoulders, making Nino look him into his eyes for a moment. “I'm worried about you, yesterday you looked so radiant and happy... unlike now. You look exhausted and miserable. I want to know why we’re returning now when it wasn’t supposed to be at this hour.”

“Because I screwed up everything, Masaki. You’re happy now?”

“What do you mean, Kazu? Did you have an argument with Jun?”

“Something worse.” Nino let out a loud sigh, looking down at his hands, which rested on his legs. “When we returned from the wedding party, he was painfully sweet with me... he asked me on a date, he thanked me for everything I did for him and then he kissed me. That kiss was so sincere that it really touched everything inside me and I began to doubt my feelings for him. At the moment, I felt so euphoric and happy, I enjoyed it so much. Until…”

“Until what?” asked Aiba after a moment of silence.

“Until I realized that wasn’t even real, Masaki. Jun was just being sweet to Kazuko, his fake girlfriend... I couldn't sleep thinking about what to do, and honestly, I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.”

“You know you did something stupid, right? You could talk to him and clear things up, you don't know if Jun is also as confused as you are.”

“No, I didn’t want to and I still don’t want to do anything… to begin with, if he had wanted to, he would have taken me to meet his family as I am – as a man – and he wouldn’t have put me through everything I went through this weekend. And for the record, I don't blame him for anything, because, as matter of fact, I accepted without hesitation. But don't you think that he could have taken me without the need for a disguise, just being Kazunari? That means that Jun doesn’t want to be involved with a man, he sees me as a friend and I abused that privilege, I was a complete idiot allowing myself to feel something more for him, and I couldn’t continue in that place knowing that.”

“Kazu, I think you should at least talk to him... you don't know what Jun may be thinking right now, for God’s sake.”

“I'm sorry, but being rejected is something I can’t handle, and I'm completely sure that he’d do that. It’s so easy for you to give me that kind of advice when you aren’t going through this... I can’t go out of the blue and tell Jun, ‘hey, it happens that our little game has made me see you in a different way and I’d love if we could give ourselves a chance to be a couple.’” Nino tried to fix his disheveled bangs, shaking his head. “That won't happen... and honestly, I have more important things to think about, so... if you'll excuse me, I don't want to talk about this now, Masaki.”

“I hope you're not making a mistake.”

Nino let out a humorless laugh.

“I've been going from mistake to mistake for a long time, one more, one less... it doesn't matter anymore.” He shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant at that comment.

Nino was completely sure that he was doing the right thing, and that the best thing was to stay out of the situation, let Jun return to America and then, perhaps in a few weeks, call him when that silly confusion had dispersed, because he didn’t want to lose his friendship. He was sure that Jun would understand the situation and after a while, they could laugh about it.

But, if that was the right thing to do, then... why did he feel so sad?

***

“Thank you very much for helping me… have a nice day.”

Jun ended the call, placing the cell phone on the bed, and then went over to move his bags by the door, just to wait for the moment to return to Tokyo. After calling the airline, he was able to make a change to fly back to the city at night, try to find Nino, and fix things with him before leaving to go back to the U.S.

He had received a text from Sho inviting him to have brunch before leaving for Tokyo too, due to work commitments, so while he was getting ready to going out, he had called Nino a few times and was not surprised at all that he didn’t pick up. Jun decided to go a step further and sent a message to Aiba, asking him to contact him as soon as possible. Now all he had to do was wait for him to reply.

After putting the cell phone in the back pocket of his dark jeans, he left the room only to find the house plunged into the deepest of silences, and thought with a smile that it was because Kimi had left for her honeymoon after the reception. His beautiful and loud sister was the reason why there was always laughter in the house.

Upon leaving, he found his mother sitting on the steps leading to the front garden, looking at the flowers in silence while having a cup of tea. Eleanor, after seeing him, gave a wide smile full of love for her son.

“Good morning, mother.” Jun sat down next to her on the stairs, slowly approaching her to kiss one of her cheeks.

“Good morning dear. I didn’t imagine that you would be awake at this time...”

“Neither did I, but Sho-kun invited me to have brunch with him and I couldn't say no.” She nodded before taking another sip of tea, leaving the cup on the bottom step to focus on her son.

“You’re going alone? Kazuko still sleeping?” she asked gently.

“Kazuko... she had to go to Tokyo early this morning...” Jun started to say, avoiding his mother's gaze. “Her cat is sick and she didn’t feel calm being away from him. So she decided to go back early, but... she asked me to apologize to you for not properly saying goodbye.”

“But everything is fine with her? Why didn't you accompany her?”

“I'm leaving tonight, first I wanted to discuss it with you and also take the opportunity to say goodbye.”

“I see,” Eleanor answered, relieved. “You know, Jun? When you came home with her, there was something about her that I didn't like. I felt like she wasn’t completely convincing, but I told myself that the best thing to do was to try to meet her this weekend. And then we had that little discussion in which she took part...”

Jun kept quiet, looking into his mother’s eyes.

“At first I was offended, because I felt that she had no right to get involved in something private as family matters, but... there was something about her that reminded me of me a long time ago and from that moment, I decided to look at her carefully. What I’m going to say is… I’m proud that you have chosen a woman with the strength of Kazuko as your partner, and it’s admiring to see that she protects you with such ferocity without caring about anything else.”

“Wow, I didn't know you were so observant, mom.” They both smiled, and Jun's mother sighed.

“Let me tell you this… when your father and I met, we got married soon and I remember that I came to Japan with him, leaving everything behind in order to start a new life. My parents weren’t wealthy, but they had some money saved as an inheritance for me and my brothers. But as soon as I married your father, I asked for my share. On the other side, your father sold the old family bakery and with our savings, we bought an old farm with a few hens on the outskirts of the city and started raising them and selling eggs. People told us that we were crazy, that this business wasn’t going to prosper and we were fools for not keeping the bakery, but your father wanted his own money, to go his own way… and I was always by his side, helping him in everything, working side by side with him until we achieved what we have now. What started with a simple farm and some chickens, is now a business of international fame and we achieved all that by supporting each other.”

Eleanor sighed and looked back at her son.

“Seeing Kazuko protect you in that way, reminded me of when I did the same for your father... that's why I understood that I’m not to judge you if you want to choose another path, another way to succeed.”

“All that thanks to Kazuko...” whispered Jun, feeling touched.

“I want to apologize for waiting until now to realize how wrong I was regarding you and your profession... I’d love to support you and be your biggest fan, as it should have been from the beginning.”

Jun didn’t answer, just hugged his mother tight, radiating happiness. That was what he had always wanted, to have the acceptance of his parents, so that they could realize how serious he was about his acting career.

And he had succeeded thanks to Nino.

“I love you, mom... you make me the happiest man on earth by saying those words to me.”

“Forgive me for putting you through so much to get my approval.” She kissed one of her son's cheeks, smiling again. “I love you too, my beautiful son. And as for Kazuko, that girl is worth gold, Jun. I hope you don't let her go, because luck doesn’t come into your life twice and I can assure you that both of you were lucky to meet each other.”

His mother was absolutely right.

He had been tremendously fortunate to be with Nino that weekend, to discover the beautiful human being that he was and to see how much it mattered to him to see him well with his family. Nino had accomplished in few days what he couldn’t achieve in years, and now he was even more grateful to him for everything he had done. And now, Jun was sure that he needed Nino in his life.

He couldn't let him go… he didn't want to let him go.

***

When Nino arrived at his apartment, he took a quick shower, turned off his phone and got in bed to sleep and prevent himself from thinking about what had happened that weekend and the doubts that were eating away at his being, asking himself again and again if what he had done was really right. To avoid continuing to repeat the painful phrase ‘what if...?’ in his mind over and over, the huge favor he could do for himself was to rest that day and try to see what he could do with his life the next day.

When he opened his eyes, he was in complete darkness, and when he turned on his phone, he saw that it was after eleven at night and he had several missed calls from Jun. He felt his heart skip a beat just from reading his name among his contacts.

With a long sigh, he sat up to wash his face and make instant ramen for dinner; maybe he would play Fortnite for a little while and go to sleep again. He thought idly about going to the employment agency at next day to figure things out.

As he went into the living room with the cup of instant ramen in one hand and chopsticks in the other, he heard the doorbell and paused for a few seconds, looking towards the door with a confused expression.

“I'm going,” he called, and left the ramen and chopsticks on the table before heading towards the door, opening it only slightly due to the chain that prevented him from opening it fully. His soul dropped to his feet when he found Jun there, looking at him with a sad expression that made his heart shrink. “What are you doing here, Jun?”

“I came to check on your cat and see how he’s doing. I was quite worried when I read the note you left me earlier.”

Nino bit his lower lip when he heard him, and let out a soft sigh.

"Well... he's better after having some medicine," he replied while avoiding the gaze of the latter.

“Can I go inside and see him?”

“Jun, I don't have a cat. I came back because... I needed to leave Okinawa,” he said after trying to think of a good excuse that never came.

“From the beginning I knew that the cat thing was a lie.”

Nino looked at him, puzzled.

“Then why did you come?”

“Because I want to talk to you, Kazu... I know that I’m probably the person you least want to see right now, but please, I need to tell you some things.”

Nino shut the door in Jun’s face, repeating over and over again in his head that this wasn’t happening. But he couldn't act like a coward, if Jun wanted to speak, he couldn't deny him. He had every right to ask. Besides, not everyone was like Nino, who preferred to run away rather than face things.

He removed the chain before opening the door widely, stepping aside for Jun to enter his small apartment, lighting everything with just his presence.

“Sorry for the mess, I haven't had time to clean up.”

“It’s obvious, you haven’t been home these days... don’t worry about that,” Jun replied softly, taking off his shoes to go to the living room. Nino closed the door behind him, then followed silently behind Jun, not knowing what to say.

“You can sit on the couch if you want.”

“Thank you,” the younger man said, sitting on the couch and offering a disapproving look at the cup of instant ramen. But he kept quiet and waited for Nino to sit next to him before speaking. “You see, I... I’ve come to tell you a few things before returning to America.”

"Jun, before you speak..." Nino took a deep breath, looking up to meet his brown eyes. “Sorry for leaving you like that, it was very impulsive and stupid of me.”

“Being impulsive and stupid is something very like you,” Jun answered with a slight smile, clearing his throat before speaking again. “When I read your note this morning, I felt sad, because I wanted you to stay in Okinawa and have that date that I promised you, but then I realized that I was being completely selfish, believing that you would accept to go out with me just like that. I want to apologize for believing I had the right to treat you the way I did, for… for having kissed you at that time.”

Nino looked straight into Jun’s eyes and inhaled heavily, as he felt that he was suddenly short of breath.

“Although I was so happy and grateful to you for everything you did for me, that I let myself be carried away by the emotion of the moment, I wanted... I don't know, I wanted to make you see how you were making me feel, and…I kissed you because I thought you might feel the same way about me.”

“Wait a moment... do you mean that when you kissed me, it wasn’t because you wanted me to be Kazuko?” Nino asked.

“Not at all, I kissed you because I wanted to. I wanted to kiss you, Kazunari. Not Kazuko,” Jun replied, looking at him with a frown. “Wait… what the hell were you thinking?”

"I’m so damn stupid, geez. Jun… please, forgive me," he muttered under his breath, covering his face with his hands, feeling like the most foolish person on the planet. “I can't believe that Masaki was right the whole time and I... really, forgive me.”

“What's going on? Could you please explain yourself to me?” Jun said, gently taking Nino’s wrists away from his face, looking into his eyes, waiting for an explanation.

“It was just that, I thought you kissed me like that because you were still acting... and that you just wanted me to want to go out with you as Kazuko and thus keep your family pleased. I was feeling upset because I thought you only saw me as the guy who pretended to be a woman so that others would leave you alone, while I was…”

He stopped, looking down at his knees.

“While you were having feelings for me? Is that why you left this morning, Kazunari?” Nino felt Jun's warm fingers grasp his chin, lifting his face so that their gazes met once more. Nino bit his lower lip, feeling embarrassed with himself for causing that misunderstanding just because he hadn’t properly spoken about his feelings. “Were you afraid that I would reject you if you were honest with me?”

“I was scared, Jun. We’re supposed to be friends, and I was doing this to help you, and the fact that I felt something more for you, made me feel bad about myself – as if I was an outsider that took advantage of you and your family, who opened the doors of their home to me with so much love. Forgive me for being this damn stupid.”

“You don't have to ask me for forgiveness. It’s understandable that you are afraid, and so am I... our friendship is something that I treasure, but I’m not going to deny that it excites me to think that different kind of future awaits us.”

Nino took one of Jun’s hands, interlacing their fingers delicately, then looked into his eyes again.

“But... I had doubts, I didn’t know whether to come for you or not, but my mother advised me not to let you go and... here I am.”

“Your mother is amazing.” Both smiled and Nino gave Jun’s hand a tiny squeeze. “In this weekend by your side, I had the opportunity to get to know you more, ending up becoming captivated by you. I felt like the luckiest person in the world to be with you, to have your attention… because as we were acting, I kept thinking about how good it felt to have that kind of relationship with you. I can't tell you that I'm in love, but... I’d like to feel that way again.”

“It's the same with you, Kazu. This weekend at your side made me realize how wonderful a person you are. When I came here, I just wanted to apologize to you and that when I came out, at least continue to be your friend, but the truth is that I’d like us to have that date that we couldn’t have. I want to spend the rest of my time here with you until I return to America, and see where it will take us.”

“Are you serious, Jun-pon?” Nino's face lit up, outlining a smile full of illusion. “Even if I don't wear makeup, a wig, and pretty clothes anymore?”

“Why would I not want to go out with you, if you are beautiful? It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a guy. Don’t you get it, Kazunari...? I’m crazy about you, whether you’re Kazuko, you, or anything you want.”

Nino didn’t say anything, he just threw himself into Jun’s arms, hugging him round the neck and joining their mouths in a slow kiss full of promises. He left behind that fear of ruining his friendship with Jun, because he was sure that both of them treasured that relationship and nothing would change, even though things would become a little different between them from now on.

“Forgive me for being so stupid and thinking that about you... I’m really sorry for causing this bad time for both of us.”

“Don’t ask me for forgiveness... it was all worth it to realize the terrible mistake I was going to make if I let you go, if I left Japan and left all this, and you, behind.” Jun wrapped his arms around Nino’s slim waist, sitting him on his lap. “It was all worth it.”

“It was all worth it, including having suffered in heels all weekend.”

Jun's beautiful laugh echoed throughout the apartment.

“I promise to make it up to you, gorgeous. So starting from now, go... go get dressed and leave that not-at-all-nutritious instant ramen and let's have a proper dinner.”

“So, will this be this our first date?” inquired Nino with a shy smile.

“Of course, I need to spend the most of these last hours with you.” Jun kissed the corners of Nino’s lips delicately before pushing him up gently. “Come on, go get changed and make yourself more handsome for me.”

After listening to him, Nino’s cheeks turned red as he nodded happily. He went to his bedroom to change his pajamas for something more decent, wishing from the bottom of his heart that things would go well with Jun during these last few hours at his side.

He wasn't sure what the future held for both of them, he wasn't sure if in the future they would even be a couple or if they would function as such, but he had the feeling that if they could make each other so happy and make each other feel so complete in a fake relationship, then perhaps as a true couple they could cultivate a love that was worth living for.

“Hurry up! Those tacos are not going to eat themselves!” He heard Jun scream from the living room.

“Shut up and be patient, Jun-pon, good things worth the wait,” Nino replied with a smile, shaking his head.

It wasn’t time to think, it was time to leave doubts behind and enjoy that night.

It was time to stop pretending and instead let himself get carried away by what he wanted.

It was time to share a real love with Jun.

The End.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

This story is nice and heartwarming. They are so adorable together. I love when Jun rubbing Nino's feet after long day on heels, that's very sweet of him. Thank you for sharing.

[reveetoile]

This story is very cute and heartwarming. Jun and Nino are so adorable and comfortable around each other. It's easy for everybody to see that they really care for each other and probably love each other already without realising right from the beginning.
I just hope Nino's family will accept Kazu as a man and understand their charade for the wedding.

[(Anonymous)]

I love this! I can imagine Nino being a really beautiful girl. And I'm a sucker for fake dating stories. I really like how Kazuko stood up for Jun! Must protect them both.
It has just the right amount of angst.
Thank you for writing this story! I really enjoyed it!
- icecreamsuki

[mikunicchi]

Dear Anon, I loved this story! Thank you so much for writing this!!
I love fake relationship stories and I love how they performed so well during the whole wedding haha I love how Nino stood up for Jun cause hey! Nino is the president of Protecting Matsumoto Jun club hahaha
This was a great read! Thank you very much for writing this!

[satoyan]

I really enjoyed this story! I love that Jun and Nino are good friends and that friendship is important to them, from beginning to end. I love Aiba and Haruka, both together and in how they help Nino. I love Jun's sister, aw, she's just wonderful. I love the destination wedding setting, so fun, and getting to hear about all of Nino's outfits. I felt for Nino when he thought he'd overstepped, and loved that Jun chased after him so that they could explain things to each other. I love their kissing!! All of the kisses in this fic are great. And finally, I love that Nino and Jun are going to see how things go together, knowing that their friendship will last no matter what. It feels realistic but also romantic, to me, that they're going to explore what it will be like to be together in a different way. Thank you for sharing! ♥

[azurevanillasky]

Okay! First off, sorry for the delay. My life went nuts this month. Second, oh my god I love this! Fun fact not included in my request list, this is a favourite trope of mine! But, also, like, I am so glad you had fun writing this! Thank you! <4

[jkc80]

Another beautiful friendship that got stronger over time and even though they weren’t looking for it and realised it, it turned into love. Beautifully written well done.

[aprelia]

“Shut up and be patient, Jun-pon, good things worth the wait,”

Yeah, good things worth the wait indeed. I can imagine Kazuko and Jun-pon would be the most perfect couple, but Jun-Nino friendship also precious. And the last part was the sweetest moment of the whole story. The fact that Jun fall for Nino being Nino not Kazuko and Nino get over his doubt kinda make me relieved. I really enjoyed this story ❤

Thank you for writing this lovely story :)