Chapter Text
Miya Osamu doesn’t think Onigiri Miya is the most romantic restaurant. At least, that wasn’t his intention.
The way Akaashi Keiji is looking at the menu says otherwise.
Osamu chuckles to himself. Akaashi has been a regular at Onigiri Miya for a while now, yet the smell of fresh rice and seasoned tuna still never fails to bring that particular smile to his face. It's somewhat akin to a lover looking at their other half, with an adoration that transcends the banalities of an aging relationship.
It’s a look of love. Love that fills one’s whole being up so much that it spills into their gaze, their hands, their words, their actions.
Osamu always sees how Akaashi observes the onigiri on his plate with appreciation, picks each one up with calculated care and chews slowly, savoring the flavors and textures dancing in his mouth. Osamu always has a lingering smile on his face when, every time he finishes eating, Akaashi bows with a small grin and a “Thank you, Myaa-sam!”.
“Please, ‘Kaashi-kun, just call me Osamu,” he had told him after he served the deliriously sleep-deprived editor dinner past closing one night, when his overtime was miserable and Onigiri Miya was just around the corner, “Yer a regular enough, yer tired feet even brought ya here without ya realizing.”
Akaashi blushed at that, bowing a little bit again. “Thank you, Osamu–” Akaashi looked up slightly with a teasing glint in his eye, “-san.”
Osamu rolled his eyes playfully, and they shared a laugh.
“I’m sorry again for coming so late. I imagine you wanted to go home and rest.” Akaashi apologized again.
Osamu basically had to drag Akaashi into his restaurant when he scurried away after seeing the closed sign on the door. He wouldn’t stop apologizing and trying to leave, but one whiff of his favorite nanohana onigiri shut him up quickly.
After multiple reassurances that he was always welcome, Akaashi relented, and has since started coming more frequently.
The particularly soft look on Akaashi’s face when he eats is the reason why Osamu loves cooking. It feels like his purpose, to be able to provide someone with so much happiness through the food he serves, especially someone like Akaashi, who normally sports a very neutral face, only changing when he’s either really into something, or when he’s scheming–in the months that Osamu has gotten to know Akaashi, he’s learned that he can be very playful, quick wit with a sharp tongue that can probably hold its own to Atsumu’s banter.
“Atsumu-san, you better slow down your eating or you’ll choke.”
Atsumu’s onigiri is half-stuffed into his mouth when Akaashi looks over at him with a concerned and amused look. “Yer one to talk, Keiji-kun!” Atsumu replies, voice muffled by rice and tuna, “I’ve seen ya scarf down onigiri like it’s nobody’s business.”
Akaashi hums as he looks back at the menu, “Only when I’m desperate. Otherwise, I like to eat my food nice and slow.” He enunciates the last part as his eyes meet Osamu behind the counter.
Osamu chokes on the bottle of water he’s drinking and Atsumu laughs out loud. Truth is, Akaashi has been like this for a few weeks now. It drives Osamu nuts, because it feels like a switch just flipped and suddenly Akaashi is showing him his teasing side, his frankly quite evil side.
Akaashi only smiles as he gives Osamu a thumbs up and a face of you good there? “Don’t cough on my food, Osamu.”
“How do you know this is yours?” Osamu narrows his eyes playfully at him, “And what happened to ‘please, Osamu-san’?”
Akaashi laughs lightly. “You put extra nanohana filling in those two onigiri riiiight,” he reaches over and points to two particularly plump onigiri on the plate Osamu is working on, “there.”
“Hey! Ya never give me, Bokkun and Sho-kun any extra filling!” Atsumu yells out from his seat next to Bokuto, who’s nodding his head, “And we’re just as much regulars as Keiji-kun!”
“Oh, I only give extra to the good customers who don’t cause a ruckus or a noise complaint,” Osamu replies, “That’s why Sakusa-kun gets extra too.” Amidst the protests from Bokuto and Atsumu, Osamu winks at Akaashi. He’s satisfied when he sees a light blush creep up Akaashi’s face.
For as much as Akaashi is a tease, he’s just as easy to rile up as Osamu.
“Myaa-sam, you should just teach Akaashi how to make onigiri!”
And just like that, Akaashi’s face turns beet-red. It’s a lovely sight for Osamu. “Bokuto-san!”
Bokuto keeps going, “What? You’ve always told me you wanted to learn from Myaa-sam. I’m sure he doesn’t mind.”
Osamu leans over the counter to where Akaashi is standing still, frozen and still blushing profusely. “Ya’ve always wanted to learn from me ?”
Akaashi clicks his tongue when he looks over to him. “Don’t flatter yourself, Osamu-san.”
Osamu laughs as he hands Akaashi his plate, “Ah, it’s back to Osamu-san now.”
Osamu doesn’t have much else to do since the store is usually empty in the mid-afternoon hours. He watches as his three regulars proceed to finish their onigiri, letting his mind wander.
As much as they love annoying him, it’s nice having his brother and his friends around so much. It’s the reason why he chose Osaka as his main branch and where he’d spend most of his time, right in the middle of the boisterous noise that the MSBY Black Jackals seem to carry around with them.
… and when people (read: Atsumu) ask him if a certain someone was also a factor, Osamu would simply reply that him working in the same city was merely a coincidence.
“Ya lovesick bastard, I didn’t even mention a name!”
Atsumu caught his brother in his web of manipulation as they were moving Osamu into his new apartment.
“It’s Keiji-kuuun!” Atsumu elbowed Osamu repeatedly as he tried to escape the conversation.
“Shut up!”
“Ah, it was only a matter of time, huh?” Atsumu kept talking while Osamu unpacked his kitchen supplies, “With the way ya look at each other.”
Osamu gave him a weird look. “What way?”
“Ya know, like ya wanna tussle and make out.”
Osamu shook his head. “He’s a lil’ shit like like ya, he’s just more comfortable showin’ it now,” he sighed, “that ain’t much of an indicator.”
“Ya know, I think yer real talent is being in denial.”
“Fuck off, are ya gonna help me unpack here?”
“--san? Hello?”
Osamu blinks out of his reverie to see Akaashi staring at him, amused. He slides his plate over the counter, “Thank you for the food.”
Osamu laughs a little nervously, taking the plate and setting it aside. Akaashi doesn’t move, so Osamu asks, “D’ya need something else, ‘Kaashi?”
Akaashi shifts in his place. “Uhm,” he fiddles with his fingers again, a nervous tic he’s had since high school, “would you not mind teaching me? How to make onigiri?”
Osamu didn’t expect that, so he perks up in slightly uncontained excitement, “Really? Doubling down now, are we?”
“Oh shush, maybe I’m just taking advantage of the fact that you’re the best onigiri man in Osaka.”
“Ya know yer just inflating my ego, right?”
That makes Akaashi roll his eyes and Osamu laughs, “Okay, okay. I’ll teach ya."
Akaashi smiles, soft and sweet and a little giddy. “Okay. Onigiri man.”
“Can we change the name, though?”
“Best Onigiri Man, then.”
“That’s only slightly better!”
“Aye let’s go, ‘Samu!” Atsumu slaps Osamu on the back some time later, when he gets dragged into closing up with his brother, “Ya scored a date with yer crush!”
Osamu bonks Atsumu’s head with a roll of paper towels. “I’m pretty sure it’s not a date, ‘Tsumu.”
“Yer telling me that the man ya’ve been pinin’ over and flirtin’ with for the past year asked ya to teach him how to make his favorite dish , all nervous and giddy and shit, and yer not gonna take that as a chance?”
“I don’t wanna risk anything! We’re good friends, and that’s goin’ real well for me.”
Atsumu shuts up for a little bit, but Osamu knows not to trust it.
It’s not a date. Osamu can’t get his hopes up on this being a date because if he jumps and finds that Akaashi hasn’t followed, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to make onigiri ever again, and his career is kind of riding on him making onigiri for the rest of his life.
“Ya ever watch Ghost ?” comes tumbling out of Atsumu’s mouth next.
“Yeah I’ve watched it,” Osamu’s eyes narrow, “where are ya goin’ with this?”
Atsumu smiles wickedly and turns his phone screen towards Osamu. It’s on Google Images, showing Osamu the most iconic scene in the movie: the pottery scene.
“What am I gonna do with this?”
Atsumu rolls his eyes. “Duh, ya recreate it with Keiji–”
“No.”
“ ‘Samu! I’m tryna help ya!”
Osamu wipes the counter a little more aggressively, trying to fight the blush creeping up his face, “I don’t need yer help.”
“Yer blushing.”
“Am not! ”
“It’s easy, ‘Samu, just casually step behind him and watch him make the onigiri over his shoulder–yer taller than him anyway–and even if he’s only doin’ something slightly different, ya swoop in and–”
“Oh my god, shut up!”
The thought of feeling Akaashi’s hands resting against his is making him kind of giddy in an incredibly embarrassing way, providing ample entertainment for his evil, evil twin. “Ya know Keiji-kun likes ya back, right?”
“We’re not doin’ this again.”
“No, no. I’m serious, ‘Samu,” Atsumu leans forward and flicks Osamu’s arm, “I can guarantee ya he knows how much ya care about him. How could he not? Yer the least subtle person I’ve ever met–”
“Get to the point, ‘Tsumu.”
“Jeez, what a prick,” Atsumu rolls his eyes, “Ya make each other happy. We can all see it. He’s only ever so cheerful when he’s at Onigiri Miya, an’ that’s all yer doing.”
Osamu grumbles, but doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t want to set himself up for disappointment.
Most Loyal Customer
Are you free Friday evening?
Best Onigiri Man
Hm?
OH
RIGHT
Yes
I close at 8, so anytime after is fine
Most Loyal Customer
Should I pick up the ingredients?
Best Onigiri Man
Kaashi what kind of onigiri restaurant owner would I be if I didn’t have the ingredients in my kitchen already
Most Loyal Customer
Oh
You’re right
Best Onigiri Man
Lol so after 8 on Friday?
Most Loyal Customer
Perfect
It’s a date then
[seen 22:04]
Inferior Miya
[image attached]
What the fuck
What the fuck
Shoulda Been Womb Dinner
ITS A DATE