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When the elevator stopped with a ding, Daigo felt his legs routinely start to exit the lift and enter the long, pristine hallway of the top floor within Mine’s office building. Daigo was no stranger to large properties- the Tojo Clan’s HQ, although not precisely a castle, wasn’t exactly a small shack either. But even if he had visited the building enough to know precisely where to go and he had long been numb to the intricate and expensive interior decor, the lengthy walk down the hall to Mine’s personal office always felt incredibly empty. In truth, it wasn’t long necessarily in length, but in feeling: the striking white walls with only blots of dark doors and door frames were his only company, nary another person nor sound around to remind him he hadn’t died on the way up and wasn’t stuck in a sort of judgemental limbo. All in all, it was an isolating experience, his only solace being that the door to Mine’s office truthfully wasn’t too far from the elevator’s doors.
Music, however, infected the vacant hall- faint, but undoubtedly noticeable in the typically-silent corridor. Daigo’s ears instinctively became pert at the foreign presence, his dress shoes clicking across the pearl floors as the subtle sound only increased the more Daigo neared his destination.
The knock on the mahogany door’s golden accent felt more like a formality than an actual request to enter, Daigo forgoing waiting to hear any such reply as he stepped into the large space. When he did, he felt a sort of fresh air as he was allowed to bask in the ethereal feel of the well-decorated office, the artful chandelier dangling from the high ceiling never failing to capture Daigo’s attention every time he stepped foot into the room. Even more, as Daigo settled into the new environment, he was able to confidently place the pleasant music coming from somewhere in the area.
But just as Daigo’s attention was stolen by the light above and the music from somewhere, Mine- seemingly immersed in his work at his desk by the back of the room- also glanced up from his paperwork, casting Daigo an acknowledging glance before looking at a small desk clock beside him. When he did, his eyebrows furrowed together. “You’re a bit early, aren’t you Daigo-san?”
Confused, Daigo walked deeper into the office, the sound of the melody increasing the closer he got to Mine’s desk. “Not by much- why, is that a problem?” Daigo grinned when he saw Mine look at him briefly, his eyes soon flickering to the floor as he rose from his seat.
“Of course not. I just hadn’t expected you to be here by now.”
“I’m only five minutes early, Mine,” Daigo laughed. “I can wait outside if it’s that much trouble.” His tone was teasing as he leaned over the desk into Mine’s space, though Mine was brisk to walk around the furniture in-between them after he set his documents to the side.
“That would just be ridiculous. Besides…” As Mine walked towards a door on the left wall, he briefly looked over his shoulder with a quaint smile. “It’s a welcomed surprise- much better than arriving half an hour late.”
Though Mine had already opened the door and slipped into the next room, Daigo felt himself reach out for him regardless with pink cheeks: he had been late just once due to a fight in the street, yet Mine never allowed Daigo to forget- perhaps his suit jacket having been on backwards when he finally arrived at the bar was one of the motivators for reminding him whenever he could.
Amidst Mine’s absence, Daigo could only find refuge from the embarrassing memory from the upbeat melody that still permeated the room. With nothing left to focus on, he could now clearly hear the woman’s energetic voice, the lyrics of an upbeat pop song coming through a gold and black radio on Mine’s shelf. Daigo hadn’t been an avid radio listener, but he at least knew the song would manifest seemingly everywhere he went, though he couldn’t precisely complain as he began mumbling the lyrics to himself; the song managed to worm its way into Daigo’s ears, but that was undeniably do in part to its rather cheerful melody and carefree message.
Daigo was only left with the energetic tune for a short amount of time until Mine reappeared with a gray trench coat clinging to his broad frame, a pleasant contrast to Daigo’s own midnight coat hanging off him. When Mine reentered, he stared at Daigo perplexed, Daigo in turn stopping his singing as pink returned to his complexion. “Ah- are we ready to go then?”
Mine hadn’t responded as he walked across the room, having found the radio still on eliciting a quiet oh from him as he moved to turn it off. “We should be in a moment: I thought I had turned this off earlier, but I see I was too preoccupied to do so.”
“Don’t turn it off yet- I think I like this song,” Daigo interrupted. And so Mine stopped, carefully removing his hand from the radio’s button and slipping it into his coat pocket with a quizzical look.
“You think?”
Leaving the music free to play, Daigo couldn’t refrain from smiling and tapping his foot to the beat, gently rolling his shoulders to the track's chorus. “It’s been following me all week, but I think it’s growing on me.”
A scoff of disbelief was all Mine gave in response to the information, leaving to Daigo to quietly enjoy himself until he decided to speak again. “You know, I’m honestly surprised you were listening to this. It’s usually dead quiet in here…”
Mine had taken to leaning against the shelf, crossing his arms as he idly listened to the music. “I only had it on to hear about the news: discussion surrounding that base in Okinawa has become popular enough to reach Tokyo’s radio stations. I reasoned it would be best if I kept myself up to date on any news regarding the matter. But the broadcast ended some time ago...”
Daigo was compelled to frown at the mention of the Okinawa situation. He had made plans to spend time with Mine with the strict purpose he wouldn’t have to think of anything that would stress him out: over the past few weeks, negotiators had started to become more assertive in their offers to sell the land- something Daigo was sure he'd have to die before it was to go through. To combat the feeling, Daigo forced a smile as he looked at Mine. “Well, you should keep it on more. This place is so beautiful, but it’s also pretty big: don’t you get lonely in here all day? Music’s always been great company, in my experience.”
Mine was silent for a moment, his body slightly tensing as the music opted to substitute his quietness. “I appreciate your concerns, Daigo-san. However, I work best when I don’t have any distractions: I wouldn’t want…” Mine paused, eyeing the radio with hesitance. “This music to bother me.”
Surprisingly, Daigo found himself somewhat offended as he stopped his lukewarm dancing, moving from his spot to stand in front of Mine. “You’re not a fan? It’d be nice to have on in the background for how it sounds at least- just so you’re not sitting in silence.”
Despite his effort, Mine wasn’t convinced, a slight grimace tugging at his mouth at the suggestion. “What’s the point of listening to music if you’re not going to pay attention to it? If you’re going to put something on, you should be taking the time to appreciate the work that went into creating it. I can’t do that if I’m tending to my own work.”
At his explanation, Daigo felt taken aback and a tad guilty: Mine could have provided any response but that, and Daigo would have been ready to accept it. Though as his eyes wandered around the room to distract himself with the numerous pieces of artwork bringing color to the otherwise white space, he wasn’t sure he should have been so shocked to find Mine wanted to cherish the absolute value of a piece’s artistic expression.
Disregarding the misunderstanding on his part, Daigo felt a wondrous idea come upon him in an instant. “Alright, why don’t we do that then?” Tilting his head, Mine offered him a perplexed look. “There's no better way to enjoy music than through a little dancing: I’m sure the barkeep won’t mind if we’re a late by a bit- maybe those five extra minutes won’t be for nothing after all.”
“Dance…?” The word came alien from Mine, letting it linger on his tongue as his frown deepened. However, Daigo hadn’t allowed him to resume his thought as he reached for his hand, taking hold of his wrist before gently pulling him towards him. As Mine stumbled forward, Daigo could only chuckle at his own abrupt action.
“Yeah! I promise I won’t step on your feet,” Daigo teased, though when he had Mine in his arms his partner only looked at the floor confused.
“...I can’t say I can promise the same thing,” came Mine’s hushed confession.
Daigo felt his smile soften alongside the light raise of his eyebrow. “There’s no need to be modest, Mine! I’m sure you’re a great dancer.”
“I would be inclined to agree with you but… I’ve never so much as attempted to: I can’t be great at something I have never done.” Was Daigo fair in his shock? With the way Mine held himself so poised and eloquent, Daigo was sure he would have been assumed a fool if he hadn't suspected Mine had some form of formal dancing experience under his belt. Yet as Mine stood still, Daigo was steadily realizing he was telling the truth.
The current song was beginning to drift away, offering a short intermission before the next song started up. From a song that made Daigo’s blood pump, the transition to a rather slow and melodious ballad had Daigo moving on his own, his voice a tender tone. “How about I teach you then?”
Taking his free hand, he placed it on the small of Mine’s back and pulled him closer, just enough so their chests began to brush against each other. With Mine’s wrist still in his other hand, he shifted his hold so he could clasp their palms together, holding their arms up and away from them as he intertwined their fingers. “Put your other hand on my shoulder,” Daigo instructed, standing up straighter. Whether it was due to Mine's seemingly natural tendency to heed Daigo's word, he refrained from posing any opposition nor reluctance to the impromptu lesson as he followed the order without delay.
“Now what do I do?” As Daigo looked at Mine and his tight shoulders, he clicked his tongue, the song's slow intro presenting a perfect period to iron out any mistakes early on.
“Relax your arms a bit, you don’t want to be too rigid.” And again, Mine followed without question, allowing his muscles to ease and his arms to slightly slack.
“...And now?”
Before continuing his instructions, Daigo listened for the music’s tempo. As the song neared its bridge, its easy going beat and relaxing instrumentals were accompanied by a woman singing with a bold, melancholy passion. “Follow my feet, I’ll keep it simple: I’m just going to step to the left, and you’re going to follow and step to your right. Then we’re going to do that but in reverse and repeat: easy peasy. I’ll go slow, just in case…” Just as Daigo said, the directions were easily simple enough for Mine to repeat after him, the pair taking a gingerly step to the left first, only to step back to the right on time with the song's beat. To himself, Daigo counted with a hum, keeping themselves in-line with the tempo, and though Mine had moved with some hesitancy, Daigo wasn’t surprised to see him adjust to the rather plain movement soon enough. “See? It’s not so bad.”
“Mhm…” Mine was paying acute attention to Daigo, and surely that must have been why he was able to pick up the routine so easily. While Daigo would check their feet on occasion, every time he looked up to check Mine he would consistently find his deep-hazel eyes watching him, though when Daigo sought to return the gaze his attention suddenly fell to the floor to check their stepping. Even if Daigo wasn’t sure why he seemed dead set on avoiding his eyes, he nevertheless found Mine’s timidness amusing and allowed his hips to rock more as he opted to add more of a sway to their dance. Once he felt as though Mine was comfortable with the flow, Daigo stopped his counting and checking, Mine finally seeming prepared to look at him directly as well. When he did finally look at him, Daigo was suddenly conscious of how close they were. Could it have been the way the chandelier above highlighted Mine’s chestnut hair and chocolate eyes that had Daigo enamored? Perhaps the song’s lyrics were just starting to make him feel feather light, the gentle cymbals of the drums seemingly punctuating each romantic word the woman sang.
Because I’m with you, I’m able to go on.
Because I’m with you, I am still here…
Daigo wasn’t sure how long the song was, but soon he felt inclined to pull Mine more into his space, the shy hand on his back gently pressing themselves together. With Mine but a breath away from his face, he was only now able to see the faint color affecting his pale cheeks as they adopted a rosy hue.
“How am I doing?” Mine finally murmured, breaking the peaceful quiet between them as he swayed lazily with Daigo, his eyes now openly fixated on him.
“Hm?” Truly, Daigo forgot he was supposed to be teaching Mine, instead too caught in the subtle sparkle of his eyes, the faint smell of citrus, wood, and the aroma jasmine drawing his attention from the question even more. He replayed the inquiry again in his mind, letting his mouth hang open with a praise of some sort at the ready, yet he could only smile foolishly. “...I told you you’d be great.”
“Thank you, I can only do so well because of you." With a break, Mine looked at him curiously. "Where did you learn to dance, if I may ask?” The brief riffs of a guitar nearly drowned out the lighthearted chuckle from Daigo.
“You’re speaking too highly of me, Mine. You should talk to my mother if you really want a good teacher.” Letting the memories of his childhood flood his mind, Daigo felt a sort of sorrowful nostalgia. While he had rather clumsy feet during their initial lessons and his mother was ready to remind him so with scoldings, when he did finally get the hang of things, he was certain there would be no greater peace than to feel his mother’s careful embrace while they swayed on the lone dance floor. He had been so small then, and at the time his mother was one of the places of refuge he found from his superficial world as she enveloped him with her silk kimono. Ruminating on it, he suddenly became overly aware he hadn’t actually seen her in some time, never mind got to give her a hug: despite the years having melted away, he was sure that fact was still true to an extent. He attempted to brute force through his regret with a grin, and if Mine noticed he was kind enough to not press the apparent sadness in his eyes. “She was much better at this than I am…”
Comfort came in the slight squeeze on Daigo’s shoulder, Mine’s other hand in his own similarly giving him a firmer grip. “I prefer you as my teacher, Daigo-san. With all due respect to your mother, I’m not sure she would have been able to educate me as well as you have.”
Daigo let some noise of disagreement drawl out of the corner of his mouth, the claim doing well to drag him away from his woe. “Eh…? I don’t know; what makes you say that?”
Mine appeared hesitant, sparing himself a few seconds to properly collect his thoughts before continuing. “Dancing and music go hand in hand: you can only properly enjoy both by fully immersing yourself within them. Furthermore, dancing is… a partnership.” Daigo’s focus on the music had started to wane the more Mine spoke, the unfamiliar way his voice lowered into a timid tone captivating his ears. “With all due respect to your mother, I can’t confidently say I would be as invested in dancing with her as I am with you.”
Daigo wanted to make a joke of some sort- maybe it was to quell the flutters in his stomach hearing Mine’s adoration for him. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t muster the ability to do so, instead letting the song share his sentiments for him.
As usual, you are always by my side
I’m grateful for the today’s that I have with you…
“Then I guess it’s my turn to confess that I’m glad I get to dance with you,” Daigo finally breathed, inviting a light tint to the tips of Mine’s ears. There wasn’t anything left to say after that, a seemingly mutual agreement to let the remnants of the guitars and drums communicate on their part. When only the melody floated through the air, Daigo became conscious of his greedy staring at Mine’s face, small details about him he neglected to notice at once becoming clear to him. At the same time, it was strange to be able to experience Mine so silent; although Mine had a reputation for only speaking necessarily, he seemed to always find a moment worth necessary to comment on, his speech always coming with a promise to be professional and curt. How was he able to complain in that privilege, though: with no talks of business or Clan matters to flow from his lips so effortlessly, Daigo was given the chance to appreciate their rather pouty appearance. The radio was cruel for having selected such an emotional song, for the longer Daigo admired Mine's handsome face he could only feel himself become compelled to press their lips together.
While Mine was certainly not his mother, he couldn't deny that holding him in his arms was beginning to invite a similar secure feeling. Now that he was older and taller, he was able to properly grasp his partner and offer that same secure hold as his mother had. More so, now that his partner was his closest companion- a man who had not only went through excessive efforts to constantly prove his devotion, but was a man who was someone Daigo could safely open up to and feel human around- it would have been arduous for anyone to totally stall the way his heart thumped against his chest once he realized the true intimacy of their moment.
But to his dismay, such moment would inevitably pass. Before long, the final chords of the music echoed through the office, an invasive break cutting the song off before it could properly fade away. Even so, neither Daigo nor Mine felt compelled to cease their subdued dancing, comically enough letting themselves move to a broadcast regarding a new brand of rice crackers on the market.
Mine was at least able to note the hilarity of their situation, a grin delicately tugging at the corner of his mouth. “...I don’t suppose we’re supposed to keep dancing once the song’s over, are we?” Daigo couldn’t refrain from returning his infectious smile.
“Probably not. Why- do you want to stop?” Looking up to the ceiling, Daigo felt himself rock Mine more playfully, the action rousing a modest chuckle from his partner. “I guess we shouldn’t keep the barkeep from waiting too long…”
“Forgive me if I somehow suggested I wanted to,” Mine tittered, his response prompting Daigo to resume leading them in a tamed fashion as he pressed his forehead to Daigo's shoulder to regain his balance. “I only thought it strange to resume without any music.”
Hearing the cracker commercial behind them somehow continue, Daigo pried himself from Mine as he went to the radio and shut it off before promptly returning to him, quick to put himself back into their prior position. “We don’t need music. It’d be nice, but I think I’m okay like this- just dancing with you.” Once Daigo restarted their dancing Mine appeared ready to agree as he held onto him with sureness, once back in Daigo’s arm swinging with him and their deaf rhythm.
“I agree. I wasn’t able to focus on the song, anyhow.” An apology to the barkeep was in order at some point: he wouldn’t be too happy to hear Daigo requested he reserve the bar for the two of them only for the pair to neglect showing up. But as Daigo moved to press his cheek against Mine’s, the hold on his back becoming a hug as he held him close, he relished in the warm embrace he found himself in. Mine was right: the music from before was nothing short of beautiful, but how could he truly be able to adore what he had before him when he let the lyrics tug at his heart- though in truth, he couldn't deny sharing such serenity with Mine was doing something similar to him.
He could only hope the barkeep was able to understand.