nanami kento was is anything but causal
you remember the day you first saw him like it was yesterday. the day was ending as the sky turned a pinkish orange. the walk home felt much harder than usual due to the excessive heat. you stepped inside of a local bakery to buy a sweet drink to cool you off.
he didn’t notice you at first, he was too engrossed with reading the menu in front of him. you took advantage of his obliviousness and studied him carefully. his blonde hair was perfect, not a single strand out of place. his beige suit was crisp, without a single wrinkle in sight. it made him look like someone important. tired eyes scanned the menu once more before he walked up to the counter to order.
out of all the things in the shop, nanami decided to order bread. yes, bread, even though they had pastries galore lining their displays, the man chose to order bread instead.
you were baffled to say the least. to each their own but…bread? you made a face before quickly looking away. he paid and tipped generously then sat down at one of the tables.
you ordered, chatted with the cashier, and waited patiently as they made your drink. to kill time, and to avoid staring at him again, you scrolled on your phone.
little did you know, nanami noticed you the second you walked in. how could he not? you were wearing a beautiful yellow sundress that made you glow. every time you beamed it felt like the sun itself was shining down, brightening up the day. he was curious, but a bit shy. would offering you the seat across from him freak you out? yes, nanami decided, yes it would. if some random stranger told him to sit down across from him, he’d politely decline. unless it was you of course. it was something about you that drew him in and piqued his curiosity. nanami snuck another glance at you. this time, your eyes met. you were already staring at him. you quickly looked away, embarrassed to have been caught in the act.
nanami felt the air in his lungs thin when your eyes locked. despite the fact he was just caught staring, he looked at you again. he couldn’t explain why, it was like looking directly into the sun as a kid when you know you’re not supposed to, but he did it anyway. why? because it was worth it. curiosity killed the cat, but the cat died in the bask of beauty and warmth. and you, you were that defined. nanami was sure of it. you captivated him without even trying, just by existing.
unprepared to go another day, another second without being able to bask in your presence, he got up from his seat and approached you. he surprised the both of you by making such a bold move so suddenly. he cleared his throat before speaking.
“excuse me, i was just—” his mind went blank. what was his excuse for bothering you again? “i was wondering what drink you ordered. i’ve been coming here for so long i’ve yet to try their drink selection.” or their anything selection. nanami bought solely bread here…but you didn’t need to know that.
you blinked at him. “oh i uh, asked her to freestyle it. it’s my first time here, so i asked her if she could just make what she thought was best…” you responded sheepishly. “you and i will find out, together, i guess?” you said with a laugh. he chuckled softly, a small smile peeking through.
that was your first “together.” there were many more after that.
on your first date, he made his intentions as clear as ever. “i think you’re intelligent and beautiful. i’d like to get to know you more, if that’s okay with you.” you smiled shyly behind your wine glass at the restaurant he got reservations for the second you said agreed to going out with him at the bakery.
“i’d like that.” you nodded.
he walked you up to your door later that night. he made sure you got into your apartment safely before driving off. each date after that, he surprised you more and more. flowers every date, learning new baking recipes together, teaching you danish, dreaming of a trip to malaysia. never for a moment did you doubt nanami's devotion to you. he was a breath of fresh air in a world that tried to suffocate you every chance it got.
before you knew it, you couldn’t imagine a world without together. without your breadwinner. until you had to.
the call with yuji started off silently. you said his name repeatedly, but got no reply. a voice in your head told you that something had gone wrong, but you refused to believe it.
“i’m really sorry,” he eventually croaked into the phone. your heart dropped to your stomach. “sorry? sorry for what yuji?” you chuckled, but it was forced. you sat down on the coach and tried to make yourself busy. you went back to ironing nanami’s work shirts and put the ear to your phone.
ignoring the pit in your stomach wasn’t smart. you felt sick to your stomach. you got up and poured yourself a glass of water. still, nothing from yuji. the time lapsed almost the minutes now. maybe he had to leave his phone unattended to do something? you patiently waited by the phone for a couple more minutes until he finally spoke.
“nanami… he—he didn’t make it. i’m so sorry, there was nothing i…” you drowned his voice out, those first few words wounding you. the hand holding the phone trembled. you watched, frozen in place, as the phone slipped out of your hands and descended to the ground. even from here, you could still hear yuji’s voice, small as ever, giving you his condolences. the pang in your chest traveled through your veins to the rest of your body. you couldn't move. couldn't breathe. couldn't think.
you sat there, barely moving an inch. your mind immediately went to the pain he must've endured. tears started to form in the corners of your eyes. you blinked them away and choked back a sob. yuji called out your name again, but it sounded so distant that it barely registered in your head. you wanted to respond—you really did—but you were struggling to get oxygen in your lungs. the last thing you needed right now was pity, even if it wasn't ill-intended.
after a few minutes of hyperventilating in the middle of your living room. you listened for yuji. he was quiet now, seemingly giving you some time to compose yourself. a beat passed before he said the words that completely shattered you:
"in his last breath...he told me to tell you he loved you. more than anything."
you collapsed. your knees went completely weak as his words sunk in. the pang was back—no, it never went away. it intensified, squeezing your already stressed heart. more tears spilled down your cheeks. it felt like the walls of the room were closing in and you couldn't escape. you didn't want to. what was the point now that the person you loved the most was gone?
luckily for you, yuji decided to twist the knife as well.
"and he murmured something incoherent. i think it was... something something don't worry...malaysia?"
your mind immediately flashed back to when he first told you about it. how desperately he wanted to go. you offered to go there as your honeymoon destination, but he refused. he insisted to go where you wanted to instead. you selfishly agreed, and now you have to live with the fact that you took that away from it. he could have seen the one place he had his sights set on, but he gave it up for you. your husband did that a lot. he quite literally gave his last words to you. to let you and the world know that he loved you, more than anything, and he somehow already knew you’d blame yourself for malaysia.
but it was too late. you would blame yourself for the rest of your life. you clutched one of his collared shirt to your chest, chest tightening for the nth time that night.
somewhere in the background, you heard yuji say something about coming over. you didn't reply. instead, you laid your head on the couch and closed your eyes to meet your love in the only place he was sure to be—your dreams.
you could practically feel the sand in between your toes, light breeze kissing your face. the sweltering sun was difficult to bear, but you were on a mission. you scanned the beach and spotted the person you were looking for. your husband was sun lounging and reading a book further down the beach. you walked up and beamed at him. ironically, he seemed completely unaffected by the heat. there was no umbrella shielding the chair from the sun. in fact, he appeared to be drawn to it, facing it and staring, hard. the the second you approached him, he set the book aside and greeted you.
"there you are. i was wondering if you had gotten lost."
you giggled, the sound music to nanami's ears. "you wouldn't let that happen, now would you?"
he shook his head. "of course not," he said solemnly. "plus, i’ll always be here waiting for you."
"promise?" you held out your pinky.
he hooked yours with his own.
you woke up in a cold sweat, chest heaving. the room blurred. you tried to blink away the tears, but they wouldn't let up. you gave up and let them fall once more. even though it was just a dream, it still hurt. he was never coming home. he broke his promise before he could even get the chance to make it, and that truth burned. that night, you cried yourself to sleep, holding one of his shirts closely to your chest. you could sleep forever if that meant not keeping him waiting too long.
shitpost ... barely proof read ... n i don't have it in me to make it cuter :/
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