You certainly didn't anticipate feeling this nervous.
It hit you all at once, as soon as the two of you walked through the doors and into the main lobby where at least a dozen other people stood, waiting for further instructions about the program that was due to start. You weren't sure what to expect— everyone looked so important and professional— no doubt some of them must be famed in this industry or some other circumstance, otherwise they probably wouldn't be here right now.
Now, you could understand why Osamu looked so visibly nervous on the drive here— especially when the two of you lock eyes, a shared expression of utter timorousness in your faces as you both start to think that maybe you shouldn't be here. Lack of self confidence was unfortunately something you were accustomed to, but it was odd to see him holding onto a sliver of self doubt.
Osamu may not be as loud and obnoxious as his twin; he may not be so overly enthusiastic and extroverted— but he was just as prideful, just as cocky as the man who shared an exact copy of his dna. To see him as anything but, was an interesting turn of events.
"We can do this," you whisper to him, your tone hushed as give his arm a squeeze of reassurance. You weren't sure why you were doing it, maybe because it would be easier for you to be more comfortable if he was his usual annoyingly arrogant self.
He smiles, a flicker of light in his eyes show you that your words had at least some effect on him. His lips part slightly, as if he was about to respond with his own words of encouragement until another door abruptly swings open— and it's Kenji who emerges from the other side.
He greets his guest as his dark eyes scan the crowd, until they meet yours. He smiles with a wink, acknowledging that he's recognized you from your meeting down at the hotel bar the other day. No one else seems to notice or even care, well... except for Osamu. He exchanges a glance between you and the chef, watching how your smile reaches your eyes at the man's flirtatious gesture. With a roll of his eyes, he reaches an arm around your shoulders, giving a firm squeeze and a smile of his own, to which you reciprocate for a moment— chalking it up to a consolation for the nerves the two of you had been experiencing.
Kenji locks eyes with Osamu briefly, just before averting his attention back on the crowd. He introduces himself and makes a few lighthearted jokes while giving the run down of the program, explaining what you'll be looking forward to this weekend at his workshop. You watch on, wide-eyed and excited to accumulate new information about the restaurant business and hopefully learn something new that could help your bakery. No matter how attractive chef Nakamura was, you wouldn't let that distract you from your goals here.
A few moments later, the group makes their way through the lobby and into the kitchen. It's huge, much bigger than yours and Osamu's combined— but then again, Kenji's restaurant would call for such a large space, provided the amount of customers he must serve daily. You wondered what it must be like to be so successful— would you even be able to achieve something like this? It was a dream, but one that didn't seem feasible at the moment... if at all.
There are individual tables spread out over the expanse of the kitchen, all decorated with cooking utensils and fancy laminated pamphlets with the chef's face plastered right on front, accompanied by his signature written in black in across the page. Osamu can't help but scoff at the fact that Kenji seems awfully full of himself— picking up the pamphlet to examine the rest of it with a huff.
"Is this guy fer real?" He questions, his tone hushed as he turns to face you— only to be met with your starstruck gaze as you hold the paper in your hands so delicately, as if it were made of gold.
"Thank you all for coming today!" Kenji's voice booms, echoing throughout the walls of the kitchen as he claps his hands together to garner everyone's attention. "We'll get started in just a moment, but I wanted to take the time to
meet with each pair individually, get to know you all and what you hope to gain from this experience."
He starts at the front and begins to work his way through each table, making sure to take his time speaking with his guests. Osamu doesn't pay much kind as he prepares himself for the real reason why he even came here— to cook, and make business connections in the restaurant industry. He's pleased that you seem to share the same sentiments, watching how you carefully set out your cooking utensils in front of you and wrap your apron around your waist.
"Good to see you again, miss l/n," the chef smiles, finally appearing on your side of the table. He gives you an enthusiastic smile, to which you politely return. Osamu seems less than impressed, but he puts in his best effort to keep his game face on as he watches the exchange between the two of you.
"It's good to see you too," you reply, your tone sugary sweet, ignoring the way Osamu snickers under his breath at your blatant attempt to flirt with the man.
"You look beautiful."
This, he whispers into the shell of your ear, his deep voice reverberates lowly so that only you can hear his compliment— though, it isn't lost on Osamu, who starts to feel like he doesn't exist anymore with the way the two of you seem to get lost in your own little world together as you chat back and forth; your girlish giggling starts to make him feel sick to his stomach.
"Osamu Miya," he interjects, sticking his hand out in between the two of you, unabashedly making his presence known.
Kenji's face is undistinguished— if he was bothered by Miya's interruption, he didn't make it known. Instead, he simply gives him a smile, grasping his hand quite firmly and giving it a good shake.
"I was hoping for a chance to meet your brother," Nakamura says curtly, "I'm a big volleyball fan, MSBY especially."
Osamu grits his teeth at the mention of his twin, but he plays it cool and nods politely, despite the obvious reminder that he's only here because of Atsumu.
"Oh, do you play?" You ask, trying to alleviate the awkward tension that's beginning to form between the two of them.
"In my free time, which unfortunately isn't very often these days."
"I feel that," Osamu chuckles, deciding to appease you and play nice with the chef who grows increasingly more irritating with each cocky smirk he gives you."I used to love ta play in high school. My brother and I were known fer our skills on the court— it's too bad I don't get to play much these days."
Okay, maybe he'll brag just a bit.
"Hm— seems like only one of you was good enough to go pro, huh?" Kenji teases, giving Osamu a playful pat on the back, contrasting the harsh slap he delivers right to his ego.
You begin to let out a lighthearted laughter, until you notice Osamu doesn't seem to find the joke very funny. You're quick to notice the way his eyes seem downcast and sullen, while his shoulders slump slightly from his usually prideful posture. You've know Osamu for a good part of your life— the two of you used to be best friends after all— so you know that being compared to his brother is something that haunts him nearly every single day.
It's almost inevitable when it comes to twins; people always want to know how they're alike, or how they're different— who is better at what, who's worse at this or that— and for most of his life, Osamu has always been the least favorite twin, just falling short of his overtly charismatic brother.
Atsumu was exuberant, playful, outgoing, and a talented athlete with the ability to make almost anyone fall for his charms; sometimes even expressing that he was the more handsome twin, when they literally have the same face!
Osamu was different, in more ways than one. He wasn't nearly as extroverted as his brother, opting for a more quite and laidback personality— maybe one would consider him boring when comparing him to his loud-mouthed twin.
He likes cooking more than volleyball (although the two were both very near and dear to his heart), which is why he decided to make a career out of doing what he loves most, rather than go pro with Atsumu; though surely he could have, if he really wanted to. God knows how much his brother pressed him about it.
In fact, he could do anything that Atsumu does... if he wanted to.
But, he doesn't.
He just wants to be himself— why does that make him so unlikeable compared to his brother?
You were the only one to see him as he was, his own person, rather that just one of the 'Miya twins.' You spent time with him, not Atsumu. You loved cooking with him, not watching Atsumu play volleyball. You laughed at his jokes, made his heart soar with your adorable smile and honey spoken words. For once, someone had chosen him over his brother.
You were his... until you weren't.
Until Atsumu told him your little secret;
one that broke his heart.
It makes him feel so small again, standing here now with you and another man that's seemingly better than him in the only aspect that ever really mattered to him: cooking.
Would you choose Kenji Nakamura over him? He was sure of it with the way you made sure to remind him that you despised him, even after agreeing to let bygones be— a business partner is all that you would ever want from him. It was foolish of him to think otherwise.
He won't say any of this out loud— Osamu is similar to his brother in at the very least, one thing... and that's his prideful egoism. He won't let the chef know that he's hurt by the words he's said, so he simply laughs it off.
"Yeah, guess so."
And although Osamu smiles brightly with those pearly white teeth of his, you know he's faking it... and for once in the longest while, your heart actually aches for him.
"So, y/n... I'm free this evening, after I'm done with these next few classes. I'd love to take you out tonight." Kenji says this with such radiant confidence, as if anyone would even dream of saying no to a date with him.
Osamu looks to you and gives you a smile of encouragement, willing you to live out your fantasy of Kenji Nakamura despite the fact that the two of you made plans of your own this evening. If it made you happy, the least he could do was step aside. It's what a good friend— or, business partner— would do, after all.
"Wow, that sounds great actually," you reply, the tone of your voice is that of gleeful surprise, almost in disbelief that someone like Kenji would even consider asking you out on a date.
Osamu's resolve crumbles just a bit, though he remains stoic on the outside despite the fact that he's hurt by the way you so enthusiastically accepted the chef's offer.
Though, suddenly, he feels the warm pressure of your palm gently wrapping itself around his bicep, pulling yourself closer towards him, gazing into his handsome gunmetal eyes with a reassuring smile.
"I appreciate the invitation, Chef Nakamura...
But tonight, I already have plans."