fic for silverdoll14!

[nino_mod]

For: silverdoll14
From: :3.

Title: Microattractions
Pairing/Focus: Nino/Ohno
Rating: PG
Word count: 10,038
Warnings: Minimal medical jargon
Summary: Microattractions. The understated moments and behaviors that make us realize someone is the kind of person we might want to spend a life with
Notes: This was inspired by a video of Matthew Hussey about microattractions. Also, I do not own the song mentioned in the story. It's been a while since I last wrote anything. Hope you like it!


-=-

He was standing precariously balanced on one leg as he used the other leg as a makeshift ledge to support his backpack which he opened to bring out his jacket. He was at the airport, and he predicted that he would be welcomed with a cool winter breeze once he let himself out of the gates.

The arrival area was packed with people. How nice it would be to have someone in the crowd waving a placard in the air with his name on it waiting for his arrival and welcoming him, he wondered.

As he was spacing out over his apparent loneliness, he felt a swift movement running past him.

It was a man in his thirties, donned in salaryman attire, rushing to meet two cute chubby girls around five years old and hugging them in an instant. The woman standing beside them, presumably the man’s wife, was watching them fondly with her hand softly placed on the man’s shoulder. It was almost like a dramatic scene from a movie. Ohno cautiously looked around for cameras if they were indeed filming.

Shifting his gaze a little, he saw a man around his age, watching the scene as well. There was appreciation in those eyes mirroring his own, but underneath there seemed to be envy as well. Those unguarded eyes weren’t lying. That rare moment of raw humanity encouraged him to continue his field. He had just come back from Osaka after a break to regain his drive.

-=-

The usual hustle and bustle of the university greeted him like a blow to the chest. Students huddled in groups, as if a squadron ready to face war. There was determination and purposefulness in the way they carried themselves that it almost felt like a mockery to Ohno’s existence.

His very existence in that university was a sham, he felt. Little by little he had lost passion in what he was doing. A few scribbles and doodles here and there were fine but he just couldn’t cross over the wall of having to create a grand piece of art worthy of a final culminating project. There wasn’t any turning point for this. He just gradually lost interest, with nothing to draw inspiration from.

With his thoughts occupied while he was walking, he was unable to notice the small step on the floor before him. Startled, he twisted his body to cushion the fall, causing him to land on his buttocks, but in the process accidentally twisting his ankle. His vision became blurry as if his surroundings became shrouded with a veil of darkness. More than the shock at the suddenness of the events, he couldn’t move due to the pain on his left ankle. Placing both hands on his sides in an effort to lift himself, he pursed his lips in pain at the slightest movement. Thoughts that he would probably be lying there the whole night, friendless and pathetic, crossed his mind.

As his vision cleared, he saw a hand extending out in front of him. “Come on, let me help you,” he vaguely heard a voice in his periphery. He was trying to contain his pain with his arms tensely holding himself up from the floor that he couldn’t figure out how to even move. Without looking at the owner of the hand, he reached out to it, and he was lifted up to sit at the nearest bench. Even the slightest weight bearing caused pain.

Before he was even able to thank the man, or at the very least see his face, he was already being ordered, "Stay here. I will get pain relievers and bandage for that." The man said with an air of authority, almost akin to a doctor who is competent in his field.

Ohno snorted. It wasn't like he could move or do anything else anyway. He was basically stuck there.

He inspected his ankle and noted swelling and redness. He had his fair share of frolicking and horseplay back when he was young so he was quite familiar with first aids. It was R.I.C.E. if he remembered correctly. Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevate. He felt almost helpless as resting and elevating were all he could do at the moment.

A few minutes have passed before he saw a shadow of a person rushing to his direction. It was already sunset and there were less people around.

Ohno realized then that it was the same man he saw at the airport a few days back – the man who witnessed the heartwarming reunion of the family the same moment as Ohno. By that idea alone, Ohno already felt a connection with the man.

The man was wearing comfortable chinos underneath a sweater, Ohno noted. His hair was unstyled and a little messy from the run. He placed the brown bag he was carrying on the bench near where Ohno was sitting. A bottle of water and some medicines were extracted from it, being handed over to the poor injured patient. “Don’t worry. It’s not poison,” the man said with a smirk.

Ohno drank the pain reliever, and afterwards realizing that he was forgetting something very important. “I didn’t even get your name and you are helping me so much. I am Ohno Satoshi,” he said with a slight bow, really thankful for this heaven-sent guy who has been helping him voluntarily right from the start.

“You can call me Nino,” he said with a shrug as he carefully examined Ohno’s ankle. He took out an ice compress and placed it on the affected joint. “It doesn’t seem fractured – probably just a sprain. You just have to rest it for a while. Avoid walking using the affected foot, though I guess that would be difficult given that you’re a student.” He said as he prepared the elastic bandage to wrap on the swollen ankle.

Ohno was staring at the meticulous way this man named Nino wrapped the bandage on his ankle, as if each layer was laid down calculatingly with equal distance from the previous. Nino must have also been a playful child back when he was young to be so familiar with first aid, Ohno thought.

“Why are you doing this?” Ohno asked out of the blue. Well it wasn’t really out of the blue since it was indeed strange that a total stranger would go out of his way to help another stranger. They weren’t friends, not even acquaintances. There must have been some strange moral obligation driving this guy, Ohno thought.

“Oh, um, well…” Nino said as he hastily placed the packaging of the elastic bandage back to the brown bag, as if ready to leave and take flight, and avoid the conversation altogether.

“Is someone going to pick you up?” Nino said as he stood up. He looked around and found that it was already getting dark.

“Yes, yes!” Ohno said, sensing the awkward atmosphere, and not wanting to keep this stranger any longer from what he was supposed to be doing. It was a Sunday – a rest day – and he must have been stealing precious moments of rest from this Good Samaritan of a stranger.

“Bye,” Nino said before he bolted away to the direction of the main building of the campus.

Ohno stared dumbfoundedly at the man’s form diminishing in the distance. And then it hit him. He didn’t even get to say thank you.

-=-

Upon reaching the entryway of his apartment, Nino felt exhausted. He came from an all-night duty at the hospital and he barely slept at all. The first thing he did was to heat some water for his ever reliable cup ramen. As he was absently stirring the noodles with his chopsticks, there was a nagging thought in his head that he should have accompanied the guy to the hospital to have an X-ray done to rule out a fracture. He wasn’t highly considering one but it would have been prudent to be sure.

He sat on his couch by the window – his favorite spot – with a warm cup of ramen on one hand and chopsticks on the other. It would have been a really comforting moment if it were any other night, but the guilt and uneasiness was eating him up. Surely a friend of Ohno would have come to fetch him, Nino thought. Surely he had friends, right? Yet, if his intuitions were accurate, the injured man was the type of person who didn’t want to be a burden to other people, and mostly keeping things to himself.

After disposing his food stuff, he donned a jacket before leaving his apartment to go back to the bench from earlier. He wasn’t even surprised to find the man lying down on the bench, treating the place as his living room, with his bandaged foot resting on the back rest of the bench. At least he was complying with one of the basic principles of first aid. Elevate. He had his forearm on his face, blocking the light from entering his eyes.

“Why are you still here? I thought your friend would have picked you up by now,” Nino said, hands on his waist, as if scolding a child.

Ohno almost jumped in surprise by the sudden presence beside him.

"Did you even call anyone?" Nino glared, with one eyebrow shot as high as it could go.

Intimidated was an understatement. Ohno was almost frightened at the rays of annoyance the man was exuding. "I - I didnt want to bother anyone.." he muttered looking down at his feet, with a distant hope that the scary man's attention would be diverted to take pity on him.

"So I'm no one now if that's the case," Nino murmured before he crouched down offering his back to the injured.

"Come on, I'll carry you to the hospital. You'll need X-rays for that ankle just to be sure," he said commandingly.

The image of this man giving him a piggyback ride all the way to the hospital bewildered Ohno. It was unthinkable that a stranger would go to such length to help him. Was he being paid to do this? Or a dare by his mean buddies perhaps?

"NO! I'm okay, really!" shaking his head and his hands 'no.' If only his feet were at their maximal capacity, he would have shaken his feet 'no' as well.

"Stubborn old man," he said in mock exasperation. "Fine, I'll get a wheelchair for you," he got up and went away again.

A part of Ohno wanted to escape the embarrassing situation that befell him. Yet he also didn't want the man's efforts and good will to be put to waste. Besides, at the state he was in, he would probably only be able to cover a few meters before his savior returned.

As he was sitting on the wheelchair, being wheeled to the nearby hospital, Ohno was starting to get nervous. He didn't know what topic of small talk he would use. He figured he should at least have the decency of being an entertaining company to this man.

Before he realized it, a humming tune floated in the air, piercing the awkward silence.

"It's Bench and Coffee by Bump of Chicken, in case you are wondering," Nino said looking at the night sky while he continued pushing the wheel chair. "Are you familiar with this song?"

There was no reply but the man didn't seem to mind. He continued humming the tune that has been playing on repeat on his mind at that time.

After X-rays were done and fracture was ruled out, the next issue would be how he was to get home. It was already 8 in the evening and he was trying his best to muffle the sounds from his grumbling stomach.

"Where do you live?" Nino asked as they were exiting the hospital. Ohno didn't answer. Also, he couldn't find a way out of this mess. However, if he didn't answer, Nino wouldn't know which direction to wheel him to.

"If you don't tell me, I'll bring you to my apartment," Nino threatened as he accelerated his pushing on the wheelchair and leading him to who-knows-where.

"I-It's at Sunshine Residences!" Ohno said in a bind.

Nino decelerated a little but continued his pushing, apparently aware of the place they were headed to. It was relatively near – just a couple of blocks away.

"It's at the first floor," Ohno said pointing to the door of his apartment when they arrived.

"You're lucky you live in the first floor. Otherwise I would have made you stay in my place," Nino smiled. "Make sure you place ice compress on your ankle. And keep it elevated while you sleep okay?" Nino said once Ohno was safely back home.

“O-okay,” Ohno replied. He felt strange. He was already back home to his apartment yet he felt uneasy.

"I would have loved to have some tea but you seriously need to rest," Nino said teasingly as he was about to close the door, leaving Ohno embarrassed about neglecting his duty as a gracious host.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to invite Nino inside, the latter intervened. "Seriously. Rest."

-=-

By the time Nino got home, he realized that he still had laundry to do and kitchenware to wash.

He got out of work late that day, and the unexpected turn of events deprived him of hours of precious rest. It was almost midnight when he welcomed the comfort of his bed. It was mere seconds after closing his eyes that he was transported to dreamland.

His exhaustion hindered his brain from remembering to set up an alarm. It was half past seven in the morning by the time he was awake, way past the 7 AM calltime at work. Had it not been for the rays of the risen sun directed to his face, he wouldn't have been awake.

Upon reaching the hospital, his shirt was slightly soaked in sweat from the sprint from his home. He immediately looked for his senior to apologize for his tardiness.

When he entered the resident's callroom, some regarded him with malicious eyes. There were whisperings going on. "A son of a god is never late, everyone else is simply early," someone sneered.

Nino was a son of a renowned surgeon who was boasting of a hundred percent success rate, whose face is sometimes shown in television for interviews. Naturally, higher expectations were placed on Nino by his superiors, being his son and all. And every mistake was met with raised eyebrows and harsh criticisms by his peers, driven by envy. They view him as someone who doesn't have to toil too much in life, someone whose life was served on a silver platter.

Back when he was younger, he used to be someone who teased his friends a lot, at times borderline mean, but everything a friendly banter. His friends understood him and were still fond of him despite his character.

However when he started his training as a pediatric resident, things had changed. What was once a carefree playful personality became serious and stoic, for fear of being misunderstood by his fellow colleagues. Because of the frazzling day to day activities and responsibilities at the hospital, he steadily became unable to meet his old friends more frequently.

An idea became ingrained in him that he had to work extra hard to deserve his position in the pediatric residency training program, even extending to the aspect of friendship and family – that he had to work extra hard to gain their love.

Nino simply bowed while in the callroom, ignoring his surroundings, and went to his desk to gather his stuff. Donning his white coat and placing his stethoscope in his pocket, he was ready to start his day.

There was a caricature of a dog pinned on the wall of his desk. It was licking its paw with a speech bubble saying "Do your best!" He had several of these dog caricatures with different breeds, different poses and different messages on speech bubbles as well.

He used to work part-time at a busy coffee shop and one of his co-workers showed him various caricatures drawn in black ink on yellow post-its, apparently left by a customer. Being occupied with his tasks then, he wasn't able to investigate the origin of those drawings but he kept some of them. For some strange reason, dogs with speech bubbles motivated him, being a dog lover himself.

-=-

To walk was a struggle he previously hadn't deemed possible. He used to consider himself quite athletic, being a badminton player and occasional track and fielder. To not be able to walk properly has left him pondering over some things - things which he shouldn't be pondering at the moment since he knew he had classes he couldn't afford to miss lest he failed to graduate.

He discovered a way to circumvent the problem - kneeling his left knee on a plastic chair and using it as a makeshift crutch. His ankle was painful but his knee wasn't, so it worked. In the desire to have a breath of fresh air, he got out of his apartment through the front door dragging the chair along with him, not caring how strange it would appear to his neighbors.

He heard something drop on the floor from the other side as he opened the door. Looking closely, he found a pair of crutches on the floor. To say that he was stunned was an understatement. He almost believed in fairy godmothers at that moment, or angels for that matter.

He tried the crutches on and it was a perfect fit.

There was only one person who knew both his predicament and the location of his house. It overwhelmed Ohno that someone would go to such length to help him. He knew he should thank and repay the man but he didn't know where the man lived or what course he studied. Or perhaps he was already working, but he looked way too young to already be part of the country's workforce. He knew nothing, and he regretted that he simply let the moment pass when they were together.

He went back to his apartment to gather his belongings. His thoughts were filled with the man from the day before. Ohno had never worn crutches before but it was instinct that taught him how.

Days passed and not even the shadow of the man was in sight. His ankle steadily healed as he followed the doctorly advice. The crutches were already neatly tucked in the corner of his room, not knowing how to return them to the man.

-=-

Ohno was in the campus when he saw the man again, a couple of weeks since he last saw him. Nino was clad in a white coat, head held high, and with confidence in his steps. The earpieces of a blue stethoscope were peeking through his pockets.

So he was a doctor, Ohno thought.

Ohno should have known given the manner he treated his sprained ankle at that time. He should have gotten an inkling back then, and not when the curiosity regarding the man built up more and more within him, waiting for the inevitable fall.

A doctor couldn't possibly want to have anything to do with a good for nothing pathetic excuse of an artist like him. An accomplished attractive person like Nino would have so many options for a partner, or a friend at least. There was no way he would be chosen, Ohno thought.

Ohno wanted to approach him to thank him. He really did. However the feeling of worthlessness and self-pity got the better of him. He would postpone it for later, he thought. Besides, Nino seemed busy. Although Ohno knew that it was just a lame excuse.

-=-

It was already morning but Nino still had tons of work to do. He was on 24 hour duty the night before and it was as if an invitation was sent to different families to bring their kids to the emergency room that night. He barely had time to eat, only a quick onigiri while he was facilitating the X-rays of 3 different kids.

After endorsing to the next team on duty, he left the building for a while to have a breath of fresh air and do some stretching while doing so. He was still wearing the same clothes from the day before and he couldn't wait to go home to have a quick shower.

He saw a stray kitten near the corner of the building lying beside a bush. Nino rushed back to the hospital building, coming out a few minutes later bringing a shallow container and a pack of milk.

He found someone crouching and petting the kitten as soon as he came back. He was torn between walking forward to feed the cat along with the man in sight, or to go back to the building to give the man some privacy with the kitten. Nino himself knew how therapeutic pets could be. But when he moved closer he was able to recognize the man.

"Ohno-san," Nino called out. He was glad that the man's ankle seemed to have already healed. Crouching like that would have been extremely painful, or almost impossible, for a recently injured ankle.

The man looked at up and seemed startled at Nino's appearance.

"It's good that your ankle seems fine," Nino commented as he further crossed the distance to Ohno and the kitten. "I brought some milk to feed the cat," Nino said.

"Nino!" Someone called and both Nino and Ohno turned to look at the opening door.

"Aiba-chan, what's up?" It was another man adorned in a white coat. He must be one of Nino's colleagues, Ohno thought. He was as dignified and respectable as Nino seemed.

"I just wanted to clarify something regarding the patient you endorsed," he said as Nino walked nearer to the man called Aiba-chan. They must be close enough to be called such.

Ohno continued feeding and petting the cat. From an outsider's point of view, he would seem busy but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Nino.

Nino was a professional, doing a very respectable job. He seemed to be surrounded by fine reputed people as well. Nino must be more attuned to academic and medical related conversations which Ohno couldn't offer. Ohno didn't have many friends, and he was comfortable with being alone most of time. There were times when he found himself boring; and all the more would he shy away from people and keep to himself instead.

He became too absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't quickly notice Nino sitting by the bench perusing the sketchbook that was distinctly Ohno’s.

He looked at Nino in horror and shouted, "Hey! Who gave you permission to look at that?!" Ohno brutally snatched the sketchbook from Nino's hands and ran away.

Aiba witnessed the whole exchanged and examined Nino curiously. Ohno said something rude to Nino. Normally the latter would have snapped when someone talked to him or treated him that way. But Nino seemed to be holding himself back.

"I'm surprised you didn’t get angry with him," Aiba commented as they walked back to the building.

"Somehow, I understand his feelings of insecurity," Nino murmured. 'And that drawing style seems surprisingly familiar,’ Nino wondered.

-=-

When Ohno reached the College of Fine Arts Building – his sanctuary for the day, a place Nino couldn't find – he faced the brick wall and softly hit his forehead on it repeatedly in a mixture of frustration and disappointment with himself.

"Why did I walk out? I didn't even get to thank him which was my purpose from the start. I just made things worse!" Ohno hissed in agitation.

When he calmed down a bit, he sat at the nearest wooden bench and brought out his yellow post-it and black pen. Ohno started drawing a caricature of the cat from earlier, a bowl of milk on the side, its paw drawn up as if hitting the head of the man whose features were similar to Ohno's. There was a speech bubble that said 'Idiot.'

Once Ohno was satisfied with his little artwork, he had second thoughts regarding leaving the post-it on the table and waiting for someone to pick it up.

He chose to keep it instead. To remind himself of that day.

-=-

With a laptop and a can of cold beer, Nino went to the roof deck of his apartment building complex to work. He was able to go home past lunch, and the rest of the hours were spent sleeping to recharge his batteries for another day of struggle. He was lucky he woke up despite not setting his alarm. He still had a report to finish, and working at the roof deck – amidst the quietness – somehow cleared his mind.

However when he reached the top of the stairs, he found that the usual quietness wasn't there. Instead, he heard someone humming to a familiar tune. There was clarity in the man's voice, and power as well.

Still clad in the shadows, he continued listening and discovered that it was indeed Bench and Coffee by Bump of Chicken. He was just singing that song a couple of weeks ago! Nino considered it a coincidence that someone had the same song choice as him, despite that song being from years back.

As Nino took a peek as to who was humming, he saw a man crouched against the wall with a notebook resting on his thighs. Or was it a sketchbook? Moving closer, Nino was able to confirm his suspicions.

The moment their gazes met, the humming man was alarmed. He appeared embarrassed and cornered at the same time. Nino knew that Ohno lived in the same apartment complex when he brought him home that fateful day. Yet Ohno knew nothing about this so his reaction then was expected.

"Are you stalking me?" Nino teased lightly in an effort to keep the air light between them.

"How can I be stalking you when I got here first?" Ohno said flustered, gathering his belongings in preparation to leave.

"Maybe you seduced me to climb up here," Nino joking said as he situated himself in his favorite spot near the clothespins.

"What are you talking about? You're so full of yourself," Ohno replied in exasperation.

"I live here in one of the apartments on the second floor. Just in case you're wondering if I am simply projecting the stalking accusation to you," Nino said.

Ohno was already about to leave when Nino called out, "Thank you for remembering the song I mentioned back when I brought you to the hospital. You sang it even better than the original version." Nino said.

Ohno stared at him. Gone was the playfulness, instead there was sincerity and should he say tenderness in the way Nino was looking at him.

"I looked it up. It had good lyrics," Ohno replied as he watched Nino nodded in agreement. He was already opening his laptop, ready to get to work. Ohno watched as Nino started to place his headphones but stopped midway and removed it altogether. It must have been a force of habit, Ohno thought.

Ohno smiled in gratitude. He took it as Nino's way to express that he didn't want to shut Ohno out - that he was ready to listen to whatever Ohno had to say.

"Listen," Ohno started. "I'm really sorry for being rude to you earlier today."

"It's alright. I was the one out of line," Nino said regretfully.

"No! My insecurity got the better of me. I wanted to see you to properly thank you for everything you have done that night. I haven't even returned the crutches you lent to me. That was really thoughtful of you," Ohno said earnestly.

"It's okay, you can keep them. You seem like a clumsy guy. You might need crutches again in the future. Who knows?" Nino chuckled before taking in a gulp of beer.

"I should have suspected you were a doctor then," Ohno said returning to his previous seat. "What with how you were insistent in having the X-rays done and forcing me to comply with the treatment plan. I appreciate that you went out of your way to help me," Ohno said looking up at the constellations, pointedly not looking at Nino due to embarrassment.

"My father was a renowned heart surgeon, you know? People really looked up to him. He was even interviewed in television a couple of times. He was partly the reason why I wanted to be a doctor. Everyone is expecting me to be like him," Nino said before he drank another gulp of beer.

"But I don't want to be like him. I learned that people leave even if they promised a thousand times they won't," Nino said with an air of finality as he started typing on his laptop.

Ohno wanted to probe but he felt like it was a boundary he shouldn't cross. Yet.

"I am in my final year in my course," Ohno started. Nino glanced up at him and the smile on his face encouraged Ohno to continue.

"Fine Arts. I used to like painting landscapes and seascapes. Fishes are my favorite - different kinds and different colors. I also used to sketch some portraits…"

"But?" Nino probed when Ohno stopped talking.

"Our thesis is due in less than a month and I have no idea what to do," Ohno said resignedly. "I recently had a little holiday to Osaka to gain some inspiration but there's still nothing." Ohno was hugging his legs and swaying, as if a little kid who was lost.

Nino continued typing on his laptop but listened to Ohno intently.

"Maybe you need a change of environment," Nino suggested.

"I already did that. I went to Osaka," Ohno sighed. Maybe no one could help him after all. He continued to stare at the stars. Didn't people from ancient times derive a lot of information from the night sky? Like which direction they should go, or even prophecies of what the future would hold for that matter. How he wished the night sky would be able to answer his question as well.

"But you haven't been to the pediatric ward," Nino said with a hint of a smirk in his features as he continued with his report. A distinct strike on the 'Enter' button on his keypad marked the pause in his work.

He looked at Ohno encouragingly. "Believe me, you'll be amazed what those kids say and do."

-=-

They had the little educational field trip to the hospital the day after. Nino had Ohno pretend to be a brother of a patient so people would not get suspicious of his presence.

"This is Jirou-kun. Leukemia patient that caught a bad pneumonia, with his blood counts falling. He's about to graduate middle school," Nino gave a quick introduction to Ohno before entering the room.

"Nino-sensei!" the kid said excitedly. When Nino came closer they did a little fist bump, graceful in their movements implying that they have done this a couple of times before.

"Jirou-kun! How are you today? No more fever?" Nino said as he examined the kid's forehead and conjunctiva.

"None. And I have levelled up my Pokemon! Look!" He showed the screen of his Gameboy to Nino.

"That's great! You still seem pale so we just need to transfuse another pack of blood, okay? It won't hinder you from playing anyway," Nino said as he placed an entry in the chart.

“Okay! Let’s play together again sometime, sensei!” Jirou said in earnest.

“That would be great! I’ll find time,” Nino replied happily.

-

The next patient was a high school girl with brain tumor who was admitted for dehydration from vomiting.

"Kyoko-chan! How are you feeling today?" Nino asked as they entered the room. There was another lady in the room - another high schooler by her looks and her uniform.

"Just a little nauseated but I'm alright," she said. "This is my friend Yuriko."

"Kyoko-chan! You didn't tell me your attending doctor is good looking!" the lady named Yuriko squealed.

Ohno sideglanced at Nino and saw the latter blushing slightly while trying to compose himself. He was wearing neatly ironed shirt and slacks underneath his coat. His hair was also oiled meticulously to style. It was unlike the time they first met. It was indeed refreshing, even to Ohno.

"He even brought with him a good looking uncle," Yuriko remarked.

With this, Nino snickered.

"Uncle?" Ohno whispered under his breath, as if he was in an existential crisis.

"Yuriko was just telling me the graduation preparations in our school, Nino-sensei," Kyoko said while fumbling with her bear stuffed toy. It was her good luck charm. Kyoko always brought the toy to every hospital check-up. Even in her sleep, it was always beside her to keep her safe. She didn't mind if others would perceive it as childish. If it made her happy, then so be it.

"She is going to graduate top of our class, sensei!" Yuriko said excitedly while looking at Kyoko with pride.

"Second. That Kazuya has a knack of beating me," She said with an exaggerated pout.

"Poor Kazuya must be choking on his food right now with how you are talking about him," Nino teased good-naturedly. "And Yuriko-san, it's about time you go to school."

"Okay! If the good-looking doctor says so," Yuriko left with a salute.

-

The next patient was a grade schooler with a congenital heart disease. He was admitted to the hospital for difficulty of breathing, and afterwards intubated and hooked to a mechanical ventilator.

"He was just extubated yesterday and currently recovering from pneumonia," Nino said gloomily. The kid must have been in the worst condition among Nino's patients, Ohno surmised.

"Good morning Fujiwara-san," Nino spoke to the father of the kid. Ohno opted to just stay by the door to give privacy to the family. After a while, the father and Nino were motioning to leave the room, leaving the sleeping kid for a while.

"He's still weak. Doesn't want to eat much. I know he should be resting but it bothers me that he's just asleep all the time – as if I will lose him without even saying goodbye," The father said as he sat on the nearest bench in surrender. Nino quickly sat beside him and placed an arm on his back to calm him down. "I'm sorry sensei. It's just that he's been in and out of the hospital since he was a kid. He's a fighter I know but it still pains me seeing him like this."

"That's natural to feel that way. Yusuke-kun is really brave," Nino said.

"He was just talking about graduation, sensei. He had been delayed in his schooling because of his frequent hospitalizations. Just a week ago he was telling me how excited he was that he would finally graduate elementary school with his classmates. And now this," The father sigh resignedly. He had calmed down a bit but the melancholic atmosphere was pressing.

"We will do nutritional upbuilding and rehabilitation for him. We also need to continue his antibiotics for now," Nino said. "And of course your presence by his side is an important factor for his recovery."

"Of course, Ninomiya-sensei. I'm always here," the father said firmly as he shook Nino's hand and went back in.

Ohno approached him again after the father returned to the room.

"How about you?" Ohno asked.

"Huh?" Nino glanced back at Ohno curiously.

"How are you feeling today? Are you alright, Ninomiya-sensei?" Ohno asked in apparent concern.

Nino seemed surprised by the sudden question. It was rare that someone would ask him such a question. It was usually his mother who did so. Or Aiba-chan who was also probably busy doing rounds with his patients.

"Uhm, it's just that, uhm," Ohno started, slightly uncomfortable with Nino's reaction. "I don't know much about the medical profession but... don't you get tired of taking care of patients sometimes? Especially the really sick ones. If it were me I would be drained of energy."

"I do. Of course I do. I get tired and sick of everything that I just want to go home, have a break, take a vacation away from here. But if I do that, who would be doing the job that I left? I have a duty here. Anyway, through time, I have learned ways how to cope and not go crazy here."

"Ways how to cope such as?"

"Such as helping a random good-looking stranger who got injured and making him my friend?" Nino chuckled as he moved to walk to the room of the next patient.

"Or should I say good looking uncle?" Nino teased.

"Enough with the uncle already," Ohno groaned. He didn't know how old Nino was, but Ohno was still a student for crying out loud. If there was an uncle between the two of them then that would be Nino. However Ohno couldn't deny the youthfulness in the man's features. Despite the innate stress of his job, Nino didn't seem to age.

They looked at five more patients before Nino invited him to the roof deck of the hospital.

"You seem to like roof decks a lot," Ohno commented when they reached the top.

"It's quiet. There's no one around. Being here helps me clear my head," Nino said as he stared out to the horizon.

"And besides, there's a strong wind blowing which make the scene more dramatic. It feels like I'm in a movie or something," Nino joked.

Ohno watched as Nino closed his eyes and let the wind brush his face. The way that Nino could always say something to lighten up the mood attracted him to Ohno all the more.

"What is something you are grateful for?" Nino asked after he opened his eyes.

By the softness of his expression, Ohno knew that Nino wasn't simply teasing. He wasn't asking the question to make Ohno thank him for bringing him to the hospital. He wasn't fishing for compliments. He seemed to genuinely want to ask the question.

The openness and the gentleness of how Nino asked the question somehow tugged at Ohno's heartstrings that he wanted to answer the question as truthfully as he can.

"That I am healthy," Ohno answered finally after giving it some thought. He remembered all the patients they visited earlier. It was only when one has gotten sick that he would realize how blessed it was to be healthy.

"Says someone who just recovered from a sprain," Nino chuckled.

"That's different!" Ohno retorted.

"I know. I know," Nino lifted his hands in surrender. "I was just thinking... I'm not really familiar with the requirements of the fine arts department," Nino paused and glanced at Ohno.

Ohno realized that Nino has gone back to the main reason why Ohno was in the hospital building in the first place.

"But if large scale artworks scare you, why not make several small artworks and piece them together to form one large artwork? Baby steps, you know?" Nino said before he started looking through his records, checking which laboratory results to follow up, and motioning towards the exit.

"I was just thinking too," Ohno called out, making Nino halt in his steps to look back. "It's graduation ceremony in a week's time."

Nino nodded encouragingly, waiting for Ohno to deliver his point.

"Some of your patients should be graduating but couldn't attend their ceremonies since they're admitted in the hospital, right? I'm sure there are more graduating kids taken care by your other colleagues. Why not make a graduation ceremony for them in the hospital? That way they would be able to attend," Ohno said excitedly. He had been pondering on it since they did their rounds. The patients may be of different ages but they were all supposed to be graduating from their respective classes.

Nino was taken aback. It was the first time since he had known Ohno that his eyes sparkled in enthusiasm - as if with renewed purpose. Nino brought him to the hospital to give him a fresh perspective and his plan seemed to have worked. How he wanted to maintain and kindle that spark at that moment.

"If you lend us a hand into making it happen then that would be great," Nino beamed.

-=-

They planned to set the date to the day after the actual graduation ceremonies at their schools. Ohno insisted this since that way, their friends and classmates would be able to come to celebrate with them as well. Ohno seemed to be really into the planning of this activity that Nino was starting to get concerned.

"Ohno-san, I know it was your idea and I know that you probably want to see the event through, but shouldn't you be working on your final project by now?" Nino asked while Ohno was sketching the layout of the hall where the ceremony would take place. "I just wanted to give you a different perspective when I invited you here. I didn't want it to take too much of your precious time. How will you able to complete your project if you busy yourself here?" Nino said placing a hand on Ohno's shoulder as if to drive some sense into his head.

"Don't worry," Ohno said dismissively as he continued sketching. A few seconds passed and Ohno noticed that Nino was just staring blankly at the paper in front of him.

"Hey," Ohno gently called out. Nino seemed bothered still. Worry was painted in his features.

"I listened to what you said before," Ohno started. "I was too focused on the idea of making a grand piece of artwork to the point that I got too stressed over it. Making small artworks centering on a certain theme was indeed plausible. Small artworks are indeed fun. I still make caricatures on post-its every now and then." Nino swiftly turned his head to him, comically, as if Ohno could hear the crack in Nino's neck. Nino seemed surprised, making Ohno wonder what that was all about.

"I figured that I could make several artworks and display it during the graduation ceremony. I will set up the back drop as well. My professor approved of it," Ohno said happily.

"But shouldn't you be creating those artworks? It's due in a few days. I'll take care of the logistics within the hospital. You don't need to come here every day," Nino insisted.

"I just needed a little more inspiration for what I will paint, that's all," Ohno said while doodling on the edge of the paper that had the layout of the hall.

"Oh, I see. So that's what it's all about," Nino said in a sing-song voice, grinning from ear to ear. "You wanted to see me every day to gain inspiration."

"What are you talking about?" Ohno demanded, flustered. "I meant the kids! The patients! I wanted to paint them in their daily life setting. You're such an idiot."

Nino chuckled, satisfied with the idea that Ohno was already comfortable with him. They were comfortable with each other.

-=-

Amidst the preparation for the graduation ceremony, Nino also had an oral presentation for research to prepare for. His research was chosen among the rest of his colleagues. Being truthful about it, he knew that some of his colleagues - a minority perhaps, but still considerable in number - were just waiting for him to gloriously fail in any endeavor that he would undergo. It wasn't even just a hunch. They were actually pretty vocal about it. The curse of being a son of a renowned doctor, he supposed.

While Nino was working overtime on his presentation in a nondescript coffeeshop near the hospital, his phone started ringing indicating an incoming call from Ohno. They had previously exchanged phone numbers for easier communication.

"Hello?"

"Nino, I need to ask you something," Ohno started conversationally. "What is the color of chemo drugs?"

It took Nino a few seconds to figure out why Ohno was asking such a thing. Did he have cancer? Was there something that Ohno wasn’t telling him? But then, he realized, it must have been for his painting.

"They're usually just clear, mixed with IV fluids. They're usually wrapped in cloth too for light protection," Nino answered as he closed his laptop and looked through the window outside. He could take a little break from his work.

"Oh! I didn't know that!"

Nino heard conversations in the background from Ohno's side of the line. He could barely make out the words but it sounded something like yakiniku. Ohno must have been working in the university and some of his friends must have invited him to go out, Nino inferred.

"You seem busy?" Nino commented in an effort to confirm his hunch.

"My friends are planning to go out for yakiniku to celebrate the end of their thesis presentation," Ohno said.

"Oh, that's great then! That way you can take a break for a while," Nino said.

"I won't go. The battle is not yet over for me," Ohno said seriously.

There was silence in Nino's side of the line. A 'battle' was a rather dramatic way of putting it, but that was indeed what it was. They were both about to undergo battles soon, and the idea that they were together facing this was a blessing in itself.

"Hey, before you nag me about not eating properly, I have already brought food here with me," Ohno mistook Nino's silence for disapproval.

"Anyway, how are you?" Ohno asked. It was a general open-ended question which Nino was free to answer however way he liked. He could tease Ohno like how he usually did. Yet the sincerity and evident concern in Ohno's voice drove Nino to be honest once and for all.

"I have an oral presentation for my research tomorrow at the hospital," Nino said trying his best to sound neutral and nonchalant, pretending that the pressure and stress of it all wasn't weighing down on him.

It took a moment before Ohno replied, "Are you ready?"

"The presentation slides are done. I'm just practicing my script," Nino said with a laugh to hide his anxiety.

Nino heard loud and exaggerated inhalation and exhalation on Ohno's side of the line. "Come on, do it with me. Inhale. Exhale. Breathing exercises can help you calm down," Ohno said demonstrating how it should be done.

"What are you talking about? I am calm," Nino said slightly flustered that he was suddenly being taught relaxation techniques. Was he being too obvious?

"Okay... Okay, that's good. Listen, I have to go back to work now," Ohno said.

"Don't forget to eat okay?" Nino settled for those parting words. He somehow knew that it was pointless to say 'Do your best' when he was sure Ohno would be doing so.

"Yes mom. Bye."

-=-

Nino came to work the following day wearing neatly pressed coat and tie, matched with leather shoes freshly drawn from the cabinet. He was doing breathing exercises repeatedly since the time he woke up, while eating breakfast, while getting dressed, and while walking. He even took a low dose of Propranolol to calm his nerves.

He started doing rounds on his patients before his presentation later that morning. His first patient was not in the room and Nino was informed by the nurses that Jirou-kun was in the common playroom.

When he reached the place, he saw the unexpected sight of Ohno having an art session with some kids including Jirou-kun.

"Sensei!" as soon as Jirou-kun called out, all eyes turned to Nino. "You should join us, sensei! Ohno-sensei is teaching us tricks how to draw trees and plants," the kid said excitedly after doing a fist bump when he reached Nino.

"Hey everyone, continue practicing while I talk to Ninomiya-sensei here alright?" Ohno asked, acting like an upright teacher. Everyone replied in agreement.

"Looking smart today, Ninomiya-sensei," Ohno remarked as he approached Nino and fixed his tie. Nino was slightly startled by the spontaneity of Ohno’s actions.

"What are you doing slacking here? Shouldn't you be working on your project? It's due in two days!" Nino said.

Without gracing him with a reply, Ohno placed his hand squarely on Nino's back. Nino didn't realize how tense he was before Ohno's warmth reached him. As if a magic spell has befallen between them, Nino felt his body relaxing.

No words were exchanged thereafter. Ohno merely gave Nino a small smile before going back to the kids he was engaging in an art session with.

-=-

The presentation was a success to say the least. Several of Nino’s professors approached him to congratulate him for an interesting topic and a well conducted research. He received praises from some of his colleagues and a huge bear hug from Aiba when they returned to the callroom.

"You were great, Nino! You charmed them all! You didn't even seem nervous which was a first," Aiba said excitedly. "But is there something you want to tell me?" Aiba wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Nino stared at Aiba weirdly, clueless as to what he was trying to say.

"I passed by the children's playroom earlier this morning, you know?" Aiba said stifling his grin as if his face would explode in laughter.

"Okay," Nino said, feigning nonchalance. Aiba must have seen.

“I remember him,” Aiba said, referring to the time Ohno walked out after Nino took a peek of his sketchbook.

"We are collaborating for the upcoming graduation ceremony. You've heard of it right?"

"Yes, two of my patients will join the ceremony. They're really excited," Aiba said.

"That's great! I'll just attend to a few more logistics concerns for the ceremony," Nino said as he was motioning to leave.

"I'm happy you have found someone who can calm you down like that," Aiba said softly, so different from his loud and boisterous self that Nino just knew that he was sincere.

"Let's make this graduation ceremony the best there ever is," Nino said, diverting the focus of the conversation.

-=-

The day of the graduation ceremony arrived in the blink of an eye. Nino came early to the venue that day to prepare and found Ohno already there.

There were several 20x24 inch canvases lined up against the wall. They were covered with a translucent veil, a hint of the colors visible yet the details not quite - as if teasing Nino's senses the moment he saw them.

It must have been a stroke of genius for Ohno to have completed all 10 artworks in a few days. His eyes were bloodshot from his allnighters yet he seemed happy and content. Focusing on his preparations, it took a while before Ohno noticed Nino's presence.

Nino was holding a small bouquet of flowers – yellow roses and daffodils – and Ohno's curious gaze was pointedly directed towards it.

"These, uhm, these are for the graduates. We organized to collect monetary contribution from the staff and the other families in the pediatric ward. I just picked flowers that were in season," Nino said hastily. He was terrified that Ohno would tease him and ask if those flowers were meant for him. Nino was almost sure he would get a taste of his own medicine so he went for a preemptive strike.

"Yellow is a beautiful color," Ohno said.

"Yeah," Nino said moving swiftly to the stage to set up the bouquets and the certificates, an act to keep himself busy and away from Ohno.

After around half an hour, the kids started entering the hall. The patients were wearing their school uniforms as what was the usual custom in their graduation. They were with their schoolmates and friends, chatting animatedly about anything under the sun. The students’ respective homeroom teachers were also invited to attend.

One boy was on a wheelchair while another girl had a face mask on and an IV stand in tow, yet there were smiles on all of their faces.

Every graduate was called on stage and each was given a certificate. Some pushed themselves to stand to walk despite their weak state as testament to their achievement, as if they have been to war and now receiving a badge of courage. They were delighted to receive the bouquet of flowers as well.

When it was Jirou's turn, he requested if he could speak in front of everyone.

"Good morning. My name is Yamada Jirou and I have just graduated from middle school," he said proudly, head held high as everyone gave a congratulatory applause. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nino-sensei for organizing this ceremony. It really means a lot to us."

Everyone turned to where Nino was at the side of the stage and applauded once again. Nino was touched that his efforts were recognized by one of his patients. He simply bowed in front of everyone, his heart full.

"I would also like to thank Ohno-sensei for giving us the chance to learn art and appreciate art. All the paintings adorning our venue were painted by him. Besides, Ninomiya-sensei told us that it was Ohno-san who came up with the idea of providing a graduation ceremony for us," Jirou said proudly, extending a hand to the direction where Ohno was.
Ohno was taken aback by the sudden attention, but in a good way. It felt uplifting that his efforts were recognized. Nino was right after all. Greatness wasn't measured by the size of your work. Even small things could mean something.

He felt a gentle push from the back and saw that it was from his professor. She signaled the direction of the stage and Ohno knew just what to do.

He stood onstage and took the microphone after he exchanged a glance with Nino.

"Good morning everyone," Ohno started as he scanned the audience and found attentive faces of the kids that inspired him to continue. "Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this - to be a part of your lives," Ohno paused and momentarily glanced to the side to where Nino was. "Just recently I began to lost faith in myself and lost inspiration in what I do. I even went as far as going to Osaka to have a change of scenery but to no avail. I have almost given up on graduating on time. It was really lucky that Ninomiya-sensei offered a little tour of the hospital. Your lives have become a part of mine. Congratulations on your graduation!" Ohno said and bowed in front of everyone. He received a warm applause from everyone in the hall.

Nino was teary eyed. Ohno was so different from the time they first met. Nino was proud of him for having the courage to show his work - to reveal himself to the world. It was a momentous event and it tugged at his heartstrings.

-=-

It was only after the entire ceremony that Nino was able to carefully examine Ohno's artworks.

One was an image of a little girl playing with a doll while undergoing chemo. It was what Ohno asked about that night. Her IV drip had cloth covering as light protection as what Nino said.

Another image was a teenager about to undergo MRI, but the focus of the image was the charm bracelet adorning her wrist, similar to the bracelet on the wrist of the hand that was holding hers.

Another image was a man squatting and leaning against the wall, head facing down, and an arm held out holding a kid's toy car.

For some paintings, the colors were rich and vibrant, while for others they were somber and subdued, effectively depicting the mood the artist wanted to convey. The last painting was a shadow of two guys, one taller than the other, their hands meeting in an act of fist bump. Nino smiled upon seeing it. He knew fully well where that came from.

They were already clearing up the venue, which meant that the paintings also needed to go. Nino found a yellow post-it stuck on the back of the canvas.

It depicted a little kitten drinking milk from a shallow can. The patterns on kitten’s fur were similar to the one they saw on the hospital grounds. There was a speech bubble on top saying:

"I'm glad I met you."

It didn't feel like a greeting done out of politeness. The kanji and hiragana characters were written carefully with precision, as if conveying the sincerity of the artist's feelings.

Nino took it and slipped it between the pages of his little notebook safely tucked in his breast pocket.

-=-

Ohno opted to help in cleaning up the hall before he packed up his works. He was in good spirits. His professor gave positive feedback regarding his works before leaving. Many of the kids approached him to thank him before they went back to their respective hospital rooms.

Since Nino was the head of logistics for the ceremony, much of the materials were to be returned to his desk in their callroom.

The other residents showed Ohno the location of Nino's desk. After dropping a pile of cloths and paper on the desk, he found a yellow post-it on the wall. It looked old judging by the creases and folds on the edges. The stickiness had worn off so it was only attached to the wall with a sticky tape.

Not caring that he was trespassing on Nino's property, Ohno grabbed that post-it and was on a mission to find Nino. He found him in the hall looking at his most special work - the one of the shadows of two people doing a fist bump.

"There's something I'd like to ask," Ohno said and was panting a little when he reached Nino.

Nino looked at him curiously and was startled at the post-it that Ohno was holding.

"Can you tell me where you got this?" Ohno asked. “Please?”

Rather than being appalled that Ohno went through the stuff on his desk, Nino wanted to clarify things once and for all. He already had his suspicions from before.

"When I was in college, I used to work part-time in a cafe as a cashier. One of my co-workers has been picking up post-its left on the table. He kept showing them to me since he knew I liked dogs. I don't think he was able to identify who left those post-its after all," Nino said as he surveyed Ohno's features while he told the story.

'But you didn't have to display it on your desk,' Ohno wanted to say but it sounded accusatory, even to him.

"I know it may sound strange but the caricature of the dog has motivated me, especially when I already became a doctor," Nino said gently taking the post-it from Ohno's hand.

"It did?" Ohno wondered softly.

"I have several more of these kept in my drawer. I tend to choose which dog breed or which message in the speech bubble would be appropriate for the day," Nino said with a content smile.

Nino brought out the notebook from his pocket and brought out the post-it from earlier that was attached to the back of the painting.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Nino said looking kindly at Ohno. "It had the same style. I somehow had an idea that it was you since I looked through your sketch book. They're really good," Nino sincerely said.

"You helped me gain my bearings back. You gave me inspiration and gave me a new perspective towards life. And the fact that the drawings I did from way back meant something to someone is really touching,” Ohno began, teary-eyed from overwhelming emotion. “I- I couldn't find the right words on how to thank you for everything. None of them sounded right."

"We'll find the words together," Nino said warmly, reaching out for Ohno’s hand.