Aki Nakanishi sat at the café he usually stayed at. He liked the atmosphere of it, and the fact that he could sip on some hot coffee while completing his university assignments was absolutely heavenly to him. However, he often kept his eye on the foreign barista that worked there. He had gorgeous hazel eyes and fluffy black hair. He was Korean, but his facial features were so well constructed he might as well have been a model.
The male seemed to notice him and flashed a warm smile. "Here again? You're here every evening."
'Oh his voice is always so warm and friendly, it just makes me melt.'
"Yeah, I'm here as always. You've got a nice café going on," Aki chuckled as he gathered up his things.
"Thank you very much! Are you leaving now?"The barista asked as he cleaned up the table that was next to Aki's. "Yeah, I have to go to work,"Aki replied as he stood up. He shouldered his bag and gathered up his books. 'What if he's already taken?'. Aki took a deep breath and let it out. He wanted to try his luck at least, he had been trying to muster up the courage for weeks now. "Um...could I have your number please?"He asked, and felt his cheeks go crimson after he said it. "Oh, me?".
The barista's face was just as flustered, yet he was glowing with underlying happiness beneath his shy face. The other three employees watched from the counter and the kitchen. Aki held his breath and stood his ground as he waited for an answer. "Sure," The barista smiled and handed Aki his phone.
'That smile, his face, they have so much innocence and purity in them. I'm not sure if I deserve him'.
Both of them exchanged numbers and names. His name was Ryu Jaehwan and he was 21 years old. Aki was overjoyed to have gotten his number. Even throughout basketball coaching he kept texting him. "Coach! Did you see my shot?"A player called out excitedly. "Mm-hmm," Aki replied curtly. He had parked his butt on the bench and hadn't moved since training began. "Nakanishi-sensei!" They whined and the player who called out for him earlier scoffed. "Nakanishi-sensei, you pay your girlfriend too much attention,".
Meanwhile at the café, Jaehwan was being teased by his colleagues. "Oh, so he hung around here every evening to scout you out. You must be very special," Chisako jeered and playfully punched his shoulder. "Yeah, it's not everyday that a handsome and mysterious man asks for your number. Especially when there's two pretty girls in this very café," Manami smirked and leaned against the counter. "Ah, I'm jealous."
"Chi-chan, Nami-chan, you don't have to be jealous of Jae-san. You have me!" Yamato snickered from the backroom. "I'd rather date a cactus than go on a date with you," Chisako shrieked and threw her phone at him. Manami merely made a rude sound from her mouth as she watched Jaehwan from afar, watching him text away with occasional giggles and subtle smiles. "What a lucky bastard."
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A week later, Aki greeted Jae with a tight hug. "I'm here again," He grinned. "Welcome back Nakanishi-kun." Jaehwan chuckled and felt Aki's hands move to his waist. "Oi! Don't flirt on the job!" Chisako grumbled and stooped to pull Jaehwan away from Aki. "Chi-chan, it's not a busy day anyway. Let Ryu-san spend some time with his potential partner,"Yamato smirked but he sat Aki down and began interrogating him. "How old are you? What do you work as? Are you still in school? Where do you live?". Aki's eyes widened.
"That's a lot of questions....". He stood up and bowed. "My name is Aki Nakanishi! I'm 21 years old and I work as a part-time basketball coach while going to university!"He announced proudly and looked up to see Jaehwan's blushing face. 'Oh my god, he's so cute and precious'. Yamato laughed and looked Aki in the eye. "Do you think you're worthy enough to take care of Ryu-san?".
Taken aback by the question, Aki held Jaehwan's hand under the table and caressed it gently. "I'm confident that I can take care of Ryu-kun!". Jaehwan hid his flushed face in his hands. Aki pulled his hands away from his face and pressed them close to his heart. "Promise."
"Aki's and Jaehwan's heartbeats beat as a unit. Their faces crimson yet their eyes full of light and pure love. Aki's hands felt warm in Jaehwan's cold hands.
Yamato got up and went back to the backroom. "I guess you're a good guy,". Aki pulled Jaehwan closer to him. "I don't have any work today. Wanna chat over a drink? My treat,"He smiled as he got up. Jaehwan nodded and took off his apron. They left the café holding hands, Yamato gushing over them. "Goodbye lovebirds~~"He cooed while making kiss noises, waving goodbye to them.
Smoking a cigarette, Manami stared at them from the outside of the cafe. "You really think that Aki kid won't break his heart?". Yamato leaned on the chalkboard sign as their shadows disappeared into the night. "Aki seems like a good boy. I know that he'll make Jae-san very happy,". Yamato's eyes darkened as he and Manami hung outside the café. "The Boss won't be very happy to hear about it though,".
Aki bought some drinks from the convenience store nearby. He planned to drink them elsewhere but Jaehwan offered to take Aki to his condominium. "We can enjoy them in peace,"He smiled and jangled the keys to his home. The door opened and Jaehwan switched the lights on. "It's quite a humble abode, but it's cozy and spacious". Aki was surprised that he could afford such a lovely place with a barista's salary. "Does your job pay you well, Ryu-kun?" Aki asked as he set the drinks on the coffee table.
"Well, let's just say someone bought this for me,"Jaehwan chuckled as he set the keys in its holder. He settled on the futon, patting the empty spot next to him. Aki stripped off his coat, amazed. 'He must really be a lucky boy if someone would have been willing to drop such an expensive looking condo for him'. Aki plopped himself next to Jaehwan, his arms instantly wrapping themselves around his waist."I know I already asked you this via text message, but we're dating right?" He asked, opening a drink for him. Jaehwan blushed and took the drink from Aki shyly. "Of course. You're a nice guy,".
They drank as they chatted with each other. "Why do you hang around the café so much?" Jaehwan asked as he leaned against Aki's shoulder. "Ryu-kun-"He began but Jaehwan hushed him. "We're on first name terms now. You'll call me Jae and I'll call you Aki,". He grinned shyly right after, his cheeks flushed pink. Aki could have died from the cuteness right there and then. "Jae, I don't really have a home to begin with. My parents sent me abroad after finding out I was homosexual. The only family I have left is my little sister, Asuna. and my older brother, Sumi,"Aki pouted and chugged his drink fiercely.
Jaehwan couldn't find his tongue for a while. "Is that so? Where do you live then?". He finally said and sat up, turning to look Aki in the eyes. "I sleep in the university's empty dorm room. I also eat every meal there and live my life alone there." To Aki's surprise, Jaehwan squeezed his hand gently. "That doesn't sound very healthy, Aki! Wait, where does Asuna live?".
Slurping down the remains of his drink, Aki cleared his can before conjuring a reply. "She lives with my grandparents. As much as they don't want anything to do with me, they're too old to pick Asuna up from school. So I do. I also attend her parent teacher meetings. I also pay all her school fees and give her money to spend."
His partner listened well. To him, Aki was strong. He'd been through a lot. "Am I able to see Asuna soon?". Aki put his empty can down. "Sure! I'll bring her over once I'm ready for you to meet her,". Aki's face had become flushed by then. "Jae, can I touch you? I'm sorry, it's a bit shameless of me to ask considering we just started going out together,". Jaehwan blushed but laid down on the futon, making himself more vulnerable.
"Go ahead Aki,". Aki towered over Jaehwan and moved his hands up his shirt, touching his soft skin. Aki could also feel Jaehwan's ribcage pretty easily, making him wonder truly how skinny Jaehwan was. Not one of Aki's former partners had ever given him such a sensation. Or maybe Aki just wasn't drunk at the time. "A-Aki.."Jaehwan moaned softly and put his hands on his shoulders shyly.
"You really seem to like this, Jae. I really hope I'm making you feel good," Aki grinned as he eyed the growing bulge in between his boyfriend's legs and gave him a few hickeys on his neck. His neck had such rough looking welts and scratches around it. It was strange.
Guilt was all over Jaehwan's face. "A-Aki...I have something to tell you,"Jaehwan panted as he felt sharp teeth nibble on his neck. Aki arched his eyebrow and looked his new partner in the eyes. He wondered what it was. "Aki, I'm sorry". What would Jaehwan have to be sorry for? "A-Aki...I have a Master, I've always had one for the past 11 years. He-". Jaehwan began to explain but stopped, biting his lip to hold back tears.
Curly haired Aki shrugged it off as something like that didn't really bother him. "With a pretty face like yours, who couldn't possibly resist you? But does it really matter?". Jaehwan's previously guilt-ridden face was flooded with relief. "Y-you don't mind?"He gulped as tears began to etch down his face. Aki looked a little surprised to see him cry and wiped his tears away, smiling as he kissed his forehead protectively. "Why should I care about it if I'm holding you in my arms now?". Jaehwan felt reassured.
At that moment, he felt like his love for Aki grew even more. "Please stay with me,". He held Aki's hand tightly and shot him his best puppy eyes. Aki looked interested. "Are you sure it's okay?"Aki asked as he wrapped his arms around his partner's waist and nuzzled into his stomach tenderly.
"I want you to be around me, Aki. Please..."Jaehwan begged, giggling softly, feeling ticklish. "Alright, but I have to collect my stuff from the empty dorm,"Aki agreed, grateful that Jaehwan was willing to let him live with him. They ended up cuddling on the sofa until they fell asleep, embracing each other warmly.
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"Aki, wake up. We have a lecture today, don't we?". Aki groaned as he sat up. "Is it Dr Asshole's lecture?". He really hated Dr Asahina because of how flirtatious he was with his students. "He's not an ass. Come on, we shouldn't be late for his class,".
As reluctant as Aki was, Jaehwan was adamant on being on time. Eventually, he budged. Jaehwan drove them to university in his car, again, gifted to him by someone special. After parking the car, they still had a bit of time to spare before class began so they just waited in the hallway.
A rather short figure male knocked into Jaehwan while speeding down the hall. "Did you never learn to run down the hall?"Aki huffed and pulled Jaehwan close to him, holding his hand tightly. "Maybe it'd be easier if I didn't have to raise myself,"The male grumbled as he darted to class.
Surprise was all Aki could feel when he saw him enter their classroom. "He's in our lecture? I've never noticed him before,". Jaehwan looked up and shrugged as he rested his head against Aki's chest, feeling well and protected. "I think he's one of those in the invisible crowd,".
Physically there during the lecture, but mentally elsewhere, Aki noticed that Asahina kept his eyes on the male that was rude to them earlier. 'Oh, Dr Asahina's interested in him? What does he see in him?'. As the lecture progressed, the lecturer did not take his eyes off of the male. 'He must really be interested in him. Huh, that's his type?'. Aki gagged and tried to focus on the remainder of the lecture.
Just after the lecture ended, the professor called out to the boy he kept his eyes on. "Kirishima-kun, come see me and Hirai-sensei."
Disgusting. 'There he goes making moves on his students again. Disgusting pervert doctor'. "Aki? We need to pack your stuff, remember?"Jaehwan whispered as he shook his partner's shoulders gently. "Oh? Yeah. Wait for me in the car, I'll pack up my stuff,"He smiled and kissed his cheek.
Gathering up his stuff, he ran into someone while cleaning up. "Eh? Nakanishi-kun? You've found a place to live?"A girl asked as she passed by the dorms. She was Aki's group mate for assignments last year and was sort of a friend. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm glad to be out of here".
She was ecstatic. "Really? Can I pay you a visit soon?". Aki grinned nervously, holding his suitcase firmly. "I'm not sure about it Aoki-chan-"He replied but the girl leaned in and took a whiff of his scent, scrunching her nose.
"Eh? You smell like alcohol. Have you been sleeping around with other men again?". Aki backed off and ran his hand through his hair. "I actually have a boyfriend now, Aoki-chan,"He sighed and Hana laughed. "That's what you said last time. Aren't you sick of getting cheated on?". Aki hung his head, ashamed. "Well, he's different this time. He wanted me to live with him,". Hana patted his shoulder, a smirk on her face. "Okay then, okay, it's your love life so I shouldn't interfere but I hope he's good to you,".
After being held back, he made it to the parking lot, opening the car door carefully. "Sorry to keep you waiting Jae. I ran into someone and we talked for a bit,". Jaehwan smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Aki. Let's get you home." He drove back to the condominium and helped Aki settle in.
One of their phones kept ringing as they were finishing up. 'Uh....Sumi's calling me??'. Aki looked up and wiped his brow nervously. "Jae, could you handle the rest? My brother's calling me,". Jaehwan agreed and patted Aki's back. "Sumi, why are you calling me?".
Lunch was being prepared by Jaehwan so that they could eat together before he had to go to work. "Oh..I just wanted to annoy you for living in your college dorm. It must be lonely there,". Aki smiled hearing his brother's friendly voice. "Thanks, Sumi. I'm actually living with my boyfriend now." Sumi's tone changed. "Oh? Are you going steady? Last I heard, you and Takara-kun only lasted a couple months,".
Covering his face with his hands, Aki slumped in the futon after hearing Sumi bring up his ex. "Oi, don't bring up his name in front of my boyfriend." Jaehwan couldn't help but hear the conversation progress as he fried some eggs and pork in the skillet. "Takara-kun cheated on me. But I know my boyfriend this time is different! He's so pure, he could never hurt me,".
Sumi laughed on the end of the phone. "You're still childlike. But I guess that's your charm. I'll come visit you later in the year. Keep me informed." Jaehwan served lunch to Aki before he hurriedly went to his room to change into his work uniform.
'Different? How different could I be? And what was this about being pure? I don't get it..'
"Ah, you always look handsome in your uniform,"Aki smiled and picked up his chopsticks when he saw Jaehwan at the staircase. "Yeah, thank you. Eat up, you and I have work today, what a pity,". Aki noticed that Jaehwan's mood changed after Sumi talked about his ex. "Why not, Jae? You seem to love your job. I mean, you're surrounded by loads of people who love you,"Aki chuckled as he ate happily. "I do..But sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I didn't leave. Would I still be able to live freely and work?".
His sharp eyes noticed that Jae was staring at the silver ring that he usually wore around his right ring finger. "Did your Master give that to you before you moved?"He asked and was met with a shy nod. "He said that he would leave my left ring finger free for the one I want to marry but he stole my other ring finger. He wanted me to be connected with him for life." Aki arched an eyebrow hearing this. 'He sounds pretty controlling. I hope Jae's okay'.
"If you don't like it you should just take it off-"
"I can't do that either. He made me swear to keep it on,".
It was like a mouse in a mousetrap. "But then again, he taught me a lot and gave me plenty too." He looked down and continued eating silently. "It's the least I can do for the man who did everything to make me happy." Aki knew that Jaehwan still loved his Master, it was easy to tell from the tone of his voice and his flushed cheeks.
Obviously, if you've spent years and years with them, it's hard to get rid of that love. "Aki, please know that I still love you. The love I have for you and the love I have for him is different-". Aki held a finger to Jae's lips gently to reassure him. "I know. He's your owner and I'm your boyfriend. We've established that. Okay?". Jaehwan looked down, a little ashamed.
"I-If you're not okay with that, I could-"
"I can't get rid of the relationships you've had before me. But I can always up my game, to make sure that this relationship is the one that you'll always choose over those."
Jaehwan had begun crying and Aki was surprised. 'Oh my, he must have felt like he was burdening me'. Aki wrapped his arms around Jaehwan tenderly. "Now, now. My beautiful Jae, you're shining like a star everywhere you go. I don't care who picked you up as long as you run back into my arms after every time,". He wiped Jaehwan's tears and smiled at him, pecking his lips sweetly.
"Now don't cry. You have to go to work right? I think-" Aki began reassuring him but he stopped as his lips were sealed with a kiss.
'Mmm..His kiss always feels good'.
"I'll be off for work , Aki. I love you," Came Jaehwan's soft voice. "Of course. I'll do the dishes before I go to my job. I love you too," Aki smiled and kissed his lips again. Jaehwan left his home, leaving Aki alone in his condominium.
'Ah, he's so pure and new to everything. That's what makes me love him so much'.
He let cold water from the tap sluice down his arms as he laid the dirty dishes in the sink. He picked up the sponge, deep in thought. He wondered if he would ever meet the man who took care of Jaehwan. But then again, did he want to? Or would the man want to meet him instead?
_φ(･ω･ Author's Note
I hope this chapter was enough to give you an idea of this couple. Let me know what you think in the comments! Voting is also appreciated! Thank you for reading this chapter of A Heart To Heal! ♡