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1. My Bitter Coffee and You Sweet Smile
“Irasshaimase!”
Here comes my favorite voice and smile.
“Ah! Sho-san! Hot cappuccino with a coffee bun?” I nod shortly and sit on the counter.
“Yes, please. Thank you, Nino-san.”
“Don’t call me Nino-san. Nino is enough. I told you so, right?” The man in front of me, Nino, grins. I enjoy seeing him. The problem is, I hate coffee. It’s bitter and leaves a weird aftertaste on my tongue. My stomach always reacts violently after I drink coffee. The first time I drank coffee, I couldn’t sleep all night and had diarrhea in the next morning. What an unpleasant experience. Well, I can tolerate it now, just a little, after going here regularly. So, I can see him as many as I can. “Here’s your hot cappuccino and coffee bun. Enjoy!”
“Thanks, Nino.” I can build my coffee tolerance as long as he’s here. “Itadakimasu!” I just need to sip my cappuccino bit by bit while seeing him working, enjoying my bitter coffee and his sweet smile.
2. Boop the Snoot
1
Sho was swimming leisurely in a pink water swimming pool when someone tapped his arm.
“Sho-chan, wakey-wakey!” Nino tapped Sho’s arm. Sho realized that he was in his bed with Nino’s voice near him.
“Hm? What time is it?” Sho frowned and opened his bleary eyes. He searched for Nino’s voice.
“Seven.”
“Eh? Where will you go?” Sho saw Nino wearing clothes for going out.
“TV Guide photo session.”
“With Aiba-kun?”
“Yes. I should go now. I’ve prepared your breakfast. See you,” Nino booped their noses lovingly and walked out of the bedroom. Sho touched his nose with a silly grin on his face as the door closed.
2
“Sho-chan, I’m home!” Nino arrived to their home and found Sho was working something on his laptop in their living room.
“Hey!” Sho hugged Nino’s waist. Nino tilted Sho’s face up and bent forward to boop their noses.
“I bought this,” Nino swayed a plastic bag filled with gyoza and stir-fried veggies. “You haven’t had your dinner, right? Come on, set the table!”
3
“Tadaimaaa~” Nino opened the apartment door with a shiver.
“Tadaimaaa~” Sho entered their home afterward.
“The wind is cold!”
“It’s already April tho…”
“Your nose!” Nino pointed Sho’s nose while chuckling.
“What’s wrong?” Sho tried to look at his nose.
“It’s red! C’mere…” A pair of warm hands reached Sho’s face and a cold boop landed on his button nose.
4
“Walk straight… Stop,” Nino gave an instruction to the blindfolded Sho.
“Okay,” Sho followed it obediently.
“Turn right- No no. That’s left, Sho-chan!”
“Sorry. Right, right…” Sho stretched out his hands, trying to touch anything as clue.
“Great. Two steps forward. Can you smell your treat?”
Sho sniffed his surroundings. He smelt something delicious, “Yes, yes!”
“Now, turn right again and walk straight- NO- THAT’S LEFT!”
“HURTS!” Sho smashed his face on the wall and hit his nose hard.
Nino scurried to check Sho while Sho took the blindfold off, “I told you to turn right, not turn left!”
“I’m confused!” Sho whined and pouted.
“But you’re so funny, walking like a penguin,” Nino stifled a chuckle.
“My nose hurts…” Sho touched his bruised nose.
“Awww, sorry…” Nino booped then kissed Sho’s nose carefully.
5
“Sho-chan...” Nino called Sho from the dining room.
“Yes?” Sho, who was washing their clothes, peeked from the laundry room.
“Can you get me a script book on my table?” Sho only nodded and got what Nino needed.
“This Asadake script?” Sho asked from their working room and Nino hummed. Sho was curious so he opened the book and found out about Nino’s next project. “Huh? Asadake?!” Sho shouted this time and came toward Nino.
Nino laughed and nodded, “Yes, you’re right.”
“It’s about that famous photographer, Asada Masashi?” Sho couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Yeah.”
“I only knew that his family’s story will be made into a film,” Sho sat beside Nino and put the script on the table, “and what’s your role?”
Nino tilted his head, “Asada... san?”
Sho hit Nino’s arm playfuly, “Which Asada-san, Nino?”
“Asada Masashi, Sho-chan. Who else?”
Sho gasped, “Oh my- NINO!” Sho grabbed Nino’s hands tightly and swayed them hard, “that’s great! Congrats!”
“Yeah, yeah...”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I told you just now, right?” Nino smirked.
“... You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Sho reached Nino’s nape to boop their noses. Nino only grinned and closed his eyes, enjoying the boop.
3. Sho's Smile
I’m ready for a job interview. I’ve practiced and simulated the interview with my friend. I wear my best suit and come to the building. After taking a big breath, I enter my future office. I put my best smile and greet the security guy in front of the receptionist desk, showing my interview invitation. He shows the direction to the interview will take place. There are 4 other applicants who are already waiting for their turn. I sit on the prepared chair and wait.
I apply as a receptionist. Well, I’m confident with my handsome smile- not that reason. I’m always amazed with receptionists since long time ago and inspired to be like them someday. This is my chance to reach my dream job.
One by one applicant enters the room. My turn is getting closer. I admit that I’m a bit nervous, but I’ll do my best on my interview. Then suddenly, I hear hurried steps getting closer to me. I turn to the sound and see a man, a bit older than me, scurries through the corridor. He sits across to me. He looks really nervous, maybe he oversleeps and comes late? And what’s with the crooked tie and untidy collar? Did he study until midnight for this interview? He catches his breath while catching everyone’s attention.
I don’t know where the courage come from, but I stand up and give him my tumbler.
“Eh?” He looks up.
“Please drink and calm yourself first.” I think it’s a solidarity between jobseekers. He takes my tumbler and gulps a third of my drink, not complaining tho.
“Thanks a lot,” he smiles and sighs.
“You’re welcome. Um... can I?” I point his tie and collar.
He looks down to the direction, “Ah! Yes, please!”
He stands up while I redo his tie and collar. How old is he? He can’t even knot his own tie!
“I overslept and believe me or not,” he chuckles, “I can’t knot my tie.”
“Yes, you cannot,” I swear I can hear a stifle of chuckle from some people in the corridor.
“Nice word play,” he looks down and smiles.
“And you have a nice tie now.”
“Thank you very much... Um...”
“Ninomiya.”
“Ah, thank you very much, Ninomiya-san. I’m Sakurai by the way.” That’s the greatest smile I ever know.
“You are very welcome, Sakurai-san.” I can’t lose to his smile.
-
My training month as a receptionist walks smoothly. My mentor, Ohno-senpai, shows how things work sleepily. But don’t let his appearance deceive you. He’s an excellent receptionist, so professional in his job but laid back in his break time. It’s like he has a secret switch on his nape.
I don’t meet that Sakurai guy again. Maybe he doesn’t get the job here?
“Nino, can you give this document to Sho-chan on the third floor? He’s in the Accounting department,” Ohno asks.
“Yes, I can.” I take the document and goes to the third floor. The department is crowded, people pace here and there, typing furiously, bringing paper and checking them. So hectic like a battlefield. Thankfully, I’m a receptionist. I ask the nearest employee I meet, “Excuse me, where can I meet Sho-san? There’s a document I need to give him.”
The man answers, “He’s in the third cubicle from here-“ a guy comes out from the mentioned cubicle, “Ah, Sakurai-san! A document for you!”
Oh. Our gaze meets. It’s him. That Sakurai guy. He passes his interview.
I’m sure that we have the same surprised expression. The crowd suddenly looks blur. I can only focus on him.
Oh.
That smile. It becomes softer now.
I can’t lose to his smile.
4. Sex Ratio Determination of Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster)
This is based on my Genetics project in my university day back in 2013. The setting is in the Genetics class-slash-laboratory. It has a whiteboard, stools, and long tables like an ordinary laboratory but there is a stove, sinks, blender, and big shelves full of experiment boxes on the left, right, and the back of the class as experiment equipment.
A. Get one jar of wild type (N) and eye missing (eym) strain of fruit fly from genetics lab. The lecturer assistant would explain the general steps.
N strain
eym strain
Sho and Nino sat across to each other in the crowded class while observing two jars of fruit flies. “We got these strains,” Sho said.
“Yeah. Do you know what the project we will do?” Nino asked.
“Judging from the strains, I think we’ll be experimenting about sex ratio.”
“Genius!”
“No, I’ve asked some senpai before.”
Nino chuckled, “Okay...”
“But they said that sex ratio project is easier than others.”
“I hope so. Hope we’ll survive this semester,” Nino bowed slightly.
“Yeah,” Sho smiled and bowed back. “What should we do now?”
“Borrow a stereo microscope to document its morphology feature?”
“Good idea.”
B. Prepare the medium and home for the fruit fly babies.
Blend these in a blender, pour it in a pan, and bring to boil. Take one scoop of the medium to the bottle and keep the rest in a container. You should keep the container in the fridge.
The flies' home, made from a jam's jar.
Sho and Nino were sitting on the floor. Sho was cutting a layer of sponge into circles to clog the jars while Nino was preparing glass jars for their experiment. The lab was relatively crowded; some students were cooking their medium.
“How many batches of medium we should make?” Sho asked.
“One? We have a big container, right?” Nino responded.
“Yeah. In our box,” Sho pointed their project box on the shelf with his chin. The box was to keep their project and equipment.
Nino nodded, “Now, who’s gonna buy the banana?”
Sho paused, “I’ll buy it. You prepare the sets, then standby for the blender and stove queue.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I can’t cook. I’ve prepared the sponges, tissue paper, and hatching papers.” Sho got up and left Nino to buy bananas, “See you!”
“Sho-chan!” Nino sighed, “that brat.”
-
“I’m back!” Sho was out of breath when he arrived to the lab.
Nino turned backward, “You’re slow! Now peel and cut the banana and I’ll blender it.” Nino gave him a knife and a plastic bowl.
“Sorry, traffic jam,” Sho reached a stool near Nino and sat on it.
“It’s okay. We should be quick, we have Human Anatomy class in an hour,” Nino took another knife to help Sho.
-
“Sho-chan, get the jars and sponges! And our container!” Nino commanded while stirring the medium on the stove.
“Coming!” Sho held a tray containing 4 clean glass jars. He peeked in the big pan filled with medium, “Uwah, it’s bubbling hot!”
“Watch out. I’ll pour it into the jars while you pour the remaining into the container,” Nino poured the thick and scalding medium into the jars, using a ladle carefully. He then moved the jars to the tray near the window to let them cool.
“Okay,” Sho complied what Nino said.
“Yosh, just let it cool and-” Nino looked at the wall clock, “Crap, we’re late!” Nino poured cold water into the tray and hurried to attend the next class.
“Argh! Nino, wait!” Sho put the container on the tray, beside the jars, and put on the lid loosely. He grabbed his bag and followed Nino.
B. Make backup stocks of fruit flies
The straw. Use this to transfer the flies from bottle to bottle.
Sho and Nino were sitting on the lab stool. Their class was over so they could continue their project.
“Can you take the flies?” Sho asked.
“Eh? Me?” Nino asked Sho back.
“Yeah. We should take and transfer them into other jars,” Sho took a narrow and transparent vinyl hose filtered with a gauze. They transferred the flies from jar to jar using the equipment. It had Nino’s initial on it. “Suck them.”
“Yuck!” Nino shook his head in disgust.
“Nino, we can’t finish today’s target if you keep avoiding it. You can do it,” Sho gave the straw to Nino.
Nino looked at the straw and muttered, “Sho-chan, I hate bugs...”
“Take the flies that are the closest to the sponge. Look.” Sho took his own straw and showed the way to Nino, “It’s easy, right?”
Nino nudged the sponge open a bit with his thumb and put the straw in but failed, “Sho-chaaan, I hate the smell...”
“I know. Come on.”
“You’ll take the responsibility if I swallow the flies or medium.”
“Yeah. Now suck.”
Nino tried one more time and sucked the flies out of the jar. Nino transferred it to a jar filled with a fresh medium, “Yuck, the medium smells disgusting and I inhale the rotten smell.”
Sho gave him a thumb up, “Good job. Don’t insert your straw too deep, just as deep as the sponge. You’ll get better at sucking it in no time.”
Nino chuckled, “You sound lewd.”
D. Mating time for the first parental (P1)
Imago in a reserved straw called ampoule. It comes from the fly's cocoon from the bottle.
“The imagoes?” Sho asked.
“Check,” Nino answered.
“The male and female ones?”
“Yeah.”
“The medium sets?”
“Check.”
“The straw?”
“Check.”
“Your courage?”
“Check- Huh?”
Sho chuckled, “Just kidding. I’ll transfer them, okay?”
Nino nodded, “Okay. Don’t slip your hand.”
“Don’t worry.” Sho took the imagos from the reserved straw and put them into the new jar with medium. “Done.”
“Now we only wait for them to mate, right?” Nino asked.
Sho nodded while observing the female and male fruit flies. It felt like the flies just had an arranged marriage and soon they’d be parents. “Yeah. Happy mating, flies.”
E. Count and identify the sex of the offspring
“You’re ready?” Nino asked.
Sho was preparing a table in their logbook, “Yup.”
Nino took the first jar, “F1 for N cross, first jar.” Nino sucked the offspring and squinted to check its sex from the transparent straw, “Female... One, two, three.”
“Three females,” Sho wrote the data on the table.
Nino continued checking all the offspring’s sex, “Male... Two.”
“Two males.”
“That’s it.”
“Eh?” Sho lifted his eyebrows.
“It’s still the first day, Sho-chan.”
Sho paused, “Ah, yes.”
“Now the next N cross, second jar. Male... Four.”
“Okay.”
“And two females.” Nino sighed hard and cough a little. “The medium’s fume... I hate it.”
“Ganbatte, Nino. Wanna change?” Sho gave the logbook to Nino and took his own straw.
“Yes, please.” Nino was ready to write their results, “Six jars to go...”
F. Repeat the cross to make the second generation (F2) until the seventh generation (F7)
Time went by fast, so fast that it was almost at the end of semester. The day was slowly changing to the night. Sho and Nino were still in the lab, getting data and making stocks.
“Why do they keep mating? How many eggs they hatch? When will we finish this project?” Nino bombarded Sho with questions. He put his straw on the table to take rest.
Sho just chuckled as he put yeast and hatching paper in the jar filled with medium, “Because it’s their nature. Soon, Nino. We’ve reached F6 now.”
“It’s nearly 3000 offspring! Can’t they calm down?” Nino rubbed his face tiredly.
“Nino...”
“I can’t smell properly. Everything smells like a rotten medium. That acidic fume, ugh. I remember the flies every time I see banana, sponges, or jars. They take our lives forever.”
“Everything for our babies~” Sho cooed the stock jars in front of him.
“Do you hear me?”
“Hello, babies~ I’ll transfer you into your new home~” Sho sucked the flies using his straw and transferred them into the new jars.
“Freak.”
“Don’t listen to him, okay? I love you since you’re mere a microscopic egg,” Sho patted the sponge clog.
Nino continued counting and checking the offspring’s sex, “We should pass this subject with a big capital A or I’ll rage,” he wrote the results while whining.
Sho talked to the flies in the jars, “Say, ‘Ganbatte, Nino-papa!’.”
“Sho-chan, are you high from the medium or something?”
“At least you don’t freak out over bugs now, right? Because they’re your babies now~” Nino could only sigh and slid his head on the table tiredly.
G. Make the report and present it in the class
This was the day. They were presenting their semester-extensive project in front of their classmates.
“... Based on our experiment and the analysis using Chi-square test, we concluded that the sex ratio in Drosophila melanogaster was approximately 1:1 for both N cross and eym cross. That’s the end of our presentation. Questions?” Sho explained and opened a discussion session.
“Why did you cross N strain with N strain and eym strain with eym strain? Is there any reason for it?” Jun, their friend asked.
“Thanks for your question, Jun-kun.” Nino replied him with a smile. “We want to prove Mendel’s law of segregation in sex chromosomes. There are two types of sex chromosomes in fruit fly, X and Y, so it has both 50% of chance to determine the sex. The consequence of this law is the random fertilization which makes 1:1 sex ratio. Therefore, we need to avoid all factors that biases the ratio, such as sex linkage and lethal genes, that can emerge from a different strain cross. That’s why we don’t cross N strain with eym strain and do the same strain crosses instead.”
-
Two weeks after the project presentation...
“What are you doing?” Sho came into the lab and found Nino squatting in front of their boxes. From having only one box at the start of the semester, they had six boxes full of jars and other stuff now.
Nino turned up, “Counting all the jars and other equipment.”
“What for?” Sho put his bag down and joined his lab partner.
“We will sell it to the juniors.”
“Ah, great. They need that. Have you found a potential buyer?”
“Daigo-kun from B class. He has booked our jars since 2 weeks ago.” Nino noted the number of the jars and put them in an extra box, “Thankfully, we pass this subject so we can sell these.”
“Somehow I miss our fly babies...” Sho was holding the last stocks Nino had made before he came. They should give them back to the lab.
“How about you breed them in your house if you miss them that bad?”
Sho laughed and hit Nino’s arm, “My mom will kill me.”
“At least we get our money back. I won’t repeat this experiment again. It’s time and energy consuming. I’m tired of squinting hard and making medium,” Nino sighed heavily.
“And inhaling the acidic and smelly fume,” Sho shuddered. “It’s a miracle it doesn’t melt our throat.”
Nino laughed bitterly.
5. Whenever You Call
Nino, are you free now?
A minute later, Sho’s phone screen lit, Nino’s call ID appeared on it. Sho got a video call from him. Sho picked it up immediately.
“Nino!” Sho waved and Nino waved back. The screen showed their bedroom. Sho was in his pajamas, lying on his stomach, and hugging his body pillow. Nino snorted, seeing Sho’s sleepy face and messy hair.
“Hi! You should sleep,” Nino chuckled.
“Not before calling you...” Sho yawned.
“Hey, you’re sleepy! Just sleep, Sho-chan.”
“No... I miss you...” Sho rubbed his eyes with his hand sleepily.
“I’ll be home in two days. Just wait for it.”
“Too long. I need my real Nino, not this body pillow,” Sho showed his body pillow to the screen.
Nino laughed, “Yeah, yeah, bear with it, Sho-chan. Pretend that it’s me.”
“Every day. Can’t sleep without cuddling it.”
“Should I talk you to sleep?”
“Yes, please, I need it...”
Nino told about his day, his costumes to recreate Asada family photos, his fake tattoo, funny moments on the filming location, everything. Sho responded and talked back, but then he just hummed and hummed till Nino couldn’t hear him anymore. The screen was full of Sho’s head shoved on the body pillow and Sho’s muffled snoring.
“Good night, Sho-chan...” Nino smiled on the screen and pressed the end call button.