Snow On The Peak

Chapter two

"Satoshi!" Naru called opening the door to reveal her brother. "Nii-chan, we need to go. Oba-chan's asking for our help down at the bread shop."

Satoshi looked up. "Why are you asking me to go? I never help down there. Besides, I should probably go fishing today."

"You can wait a day!" Naru smiled taking her brother's arm. "C'mon! I think Oba-chan's wanting you to meet the Ninomiya boy. She met him last night and said he was dripping wet and looked like a sad wet dog."

Satoshi stood up and put on his sandals. "And she's wanting me to meet him... why?"

Naru shrugged. "Who knows. She just wants your help. Maybe Jun-kun didn't show up today."

Satoshi just frowned as he followed his sister out the door. It was a beautiful day anyway. He might as well take a walk.

The town was only a mile from the Ohno house, and Naru and Satoshi were so used to walking the road that it didn't seem to take long at all to get into the little town they called home. Already, the streets were busy with people out buying things and working. People were buying cloth and fish and anything else you could think of. As a child, Satoshi loved to just sit around and watch people as they walked by with their new treasures.

When they walked into the small bread shop, Satoshi could smell the oven running. The main baker, Matsumoto Jun, looked up as they came in and smiled when he saw Naru. "Naru-san!" he exclaimed. "Ohayou gozaimasu!"

"Ohayou gozaimasu!" Naru smiled back. Satoshi couldn't help but smile a little when he saw the blush past by hs sister's cheeks. "Is Oba-chan here?"

"She's out back," Jun said. "I can call her if you want."

The curtains opened up again, and two men walked into the small shop. Satoshi didn't recognize him, so he thought maybe they were the new people in town. "Ohayou gozaimasu," one bowed to Jun. "Is the lady from last night here?"

Jun nodded again. "Hai. Let me go get her."

As Jun left, Naru turned to the men. "Ah, you must be the new people. It's nice to meet you."

The first man bowed. "Hajimemashite. Aiba Masaki desu. And the one hiding behind me is my younger brother, Ninomiya Kazunari."

"Eh?" Naru said looking at the two. "You don't share the same family name?"

"We used to," the smaller man said suddenly, looking away from what he was looking at on one of the shelves. "But then we found out I belonged to someone else, and it changed. We're half brothers, but don't think that I'm anything like my pathetic father across from here."

Masaki smiled slightly. "He isn't too impressed with Ninomiya-san," he whispered to Naru. "He doesn't really seem to like him all that much."

"No one does," Naru said before Kazunari accidentally knocked down a basket.

Satoshi quickly went down to help him pick it up, but they reached for it at the same time and Kazunari's hand overlapped Satoshi's. Both men stopped and looked at each other surprised. The first thing Satoshi noticed about the man was his eyes. They were a beautiful brown, and they seemed so innocent, like they could look into your soul. It gave Satoshi goosebumps before he let go of the basket and stood up. "Excuse me," he told him. "I was trying to help."

Kazunari stood up. "No, don't apologize. The fault is mine."

"Naru! Satoshi!" Oba-san suddenly said walking in. "I'm glad you could make it. I have a few dozen bread loafes that need delivered."

"Oba-san!" Naru groaned. "Why us?"

Oba-san smiled. "Because you weren't doing anything, am I right?" She handed them each a large basket full of bread and listed off names of people that needed them.

As Satoshi left, he looked back at Kazunari. "It was nice to meet you Ninomiya-san."

He frowned. "Call me Kazunari. I have no pride in being a Ninomiya. It was nice to meet you too...." He trailed off, not knowing the other's name.

"Ohno," the man answered for him. "Ohno Satoshi."

Kazunari nodded. "Ohno-san."