The Secret Will
PART II
The next morning Akihito found himself sitting across Asami at the breakfast table, even though his mind was somewhere far away.
Good thing the other man was occupied with reading the morning newspaper, otherwise he'd probably find Akihito's silence quite uncharacteristic.
The problem was that the young man's mind couldn't stop flashing back to the previous night's events. After all, if Asami's behavior had seemed a little off in the office, what to say of his later antics in bed while making love to Akihito?
Yes, love. Not sex. And that was what was bothering the photographer.
Asami Ryuuichi had actually made love to Akihito. Slow, deliberate, passionate love that didn't seem to have an ending, which although being a more than welcomed surprise for the latter was also completely out of character for the former, who was known to have the libido of a Roman sex god, which in turn made 'slowness' and 'gentleness' words not normally associated with his sex repertoire.
No one needed to tell Akihito at that point that something was definitely off with the other man, but if the yakuza was reticent to come clean with the photographer at this point, he couldn't blame the latter for taking the first step to try to dig out the truth.
And so Akihito was about to speak up and ask him what was going on, when Asami beat him to it.
"Do you have anything planned out for the weekend?" Asami asked unexpectedly, placing down the newspaper next to his coffee mug.
"Huh... No, not yet. I'm off this weekend." Which was not entirely true. Akihito had a pile of Internet research to do for his next work assignment, but he had a feeling, lazy as he was in such cases, that he wouldn't be advancing too much on it.
Asami seemed satisfied with his answer. "I need to go to Bali this weekend in order to oversee the plans for the new resort Feilong and I are building together there. It's only going to take me half a day, but I was planning to stick around for the weekend to relax a bit... Would you like to come along? We'd be staying at a villa at the Bulgari resort..."
Bali? Relax? Resort? Akihito was answering yes before his brain had even finished processing Asami's invitation.
It was only seconds later, that the facts in his head started weaving themselves together. First the unexpected Legal Will document, then Asami's reluctance to tell him whatever it was the yakuza had tried to tell him, then the never ending love making session and now an invitation for a weekend getaway.
What the bloody hell was going on?
"Asami, what-?" Akihito started, but was quickly interrupted by the sound of Asami's cellphone going off on top of the table.
And even though the older man took no time in picking up the call, Akihito was still able to catch the name of Asami's lawyer on the cellphone's screen.
The yakuza still seemed to hesitate for a second, but eventually got up from his chair and moved to the balcony outside the living room, where he could talk with his lawyer without being heard. The official excuse he gave to Akihito before disappearing from the room was that it was a business call regarding the new resort, but even though the photographer casually nodded in understanding, he didn't buy into the excuse at all.
Since when did Asami ever bother with leaving the room he was in to talk on his cellphone? No, there was definitely something fishy going on, and Akihito would be damned if he wouldn't find out exactly what it was.
Making use of his stakeout skills, the photographer quickly scanned the balcony's entrance, easily noticing a perfect blind spot behind the curtains framing the balcony doors where he could hide without being seen by Asami, but that would still be in hearing range of the other man.
Akihito was making his way towards his hideout, when a voice suddenly called out to him from behind, nearly making him jump up in the air from the unexpected scare.
"Takaba-san!" Asami's trusty assistant Kirishima said, as he appeared on the living room's threshold coming from the hallway. "Glad to find you still at home."
"Ha, Kirishima-san! Good morning. You're here early today!" Akihito exclaimed surprised. It was true that it was quite unusual to see Kirishima so soon. He usually waited until around 11 a.m. to pick up Asami and drive him to the office.
"Yes, I was hoping to have a word with you before you left for work." The assistant explained, suddenly looking around the room. "Is... Asami-sama still sleeping?"
"Oh no. He's on the balcony talking on his cellphone. What was it you wanted to talk about with me?"
"I'm assuming Asami-sama has already spoken to you regarding the trip to Bali this weekend..."
"Yeah, he just did actually."
"Great. I assume you'll be joining him on the trip then."
"I... I guess so..." Akihito smiled nervously. He always felt like a freeloader when he took advantage of Asami's offers. He bet that trip wasn't cheap.
"Good. I'll make all the necessary arrangements for your plane tickets then. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll just need you to send me your passport information as usual." Kirishima said, in full diligent secretary mode.
"T-Thanks. I'll email it to you today then."
Akihito thought that was the end of the conversation between them, but for some reason Kirishima wouldn't move from his spot.
An infant could had perceived the change of expression in the assistant's face as he suddenly looked towards the balcony, seeming to ponder whether or not to speak what was on his mind.
"Say Takaba-san,... did Asami-sama say anything else to you?"
His voice sounded so ominous that Akihito felt that familiar anxious pang grip his heart again.
"About what?" He asked, his tone barely masking his fear.
"About the-" Kirishima started, only to nervously avert his eyes from Akihito the next second, his focus changing to something appearing behind the youngster. "Ah, Asami-sama, good morning!" He exclaimed promptly, as his boss returned from the balcony.
"'Morning. You're here early." Asami observed, as he causally walked towards the breakfast table and put on his suit's jacket, which had been dangling from a chair.
"Yes. I thought I'd stop by a bit earlier to run a few details regarding the Bali trip with Takaba-san. Also, Feilong-sama's secretary faxed over the revised budget plans for the bar and lounge areas of the resort. I was hoping you might be able to check them on your way to the office."
Asami had to make an effort not to roll his eyes at the news. "Why do I have a feeling you're about to tell me Feilong is still over budget on them..."
For some reason, Kirishima found his boss' comment amusing. "Well sir, it seems Feilong-sama is still pretty adamant on ordering that expensive Italian marble for the bar's countertops." He was about to add more when he noticed his boss reaching for his cigarette pack and taking out a new cigar which he quickly lighted against his lips.
"Should...Should you be smoking, sir?"
Akihito found the question so odd that he was sure he frowned while looking at Kirishima.
He wasn't the only one to have a reaction to the question, although in Asami's case, it was the stern look that suddenly came over his features that gave it away.
"It's fine." The older man said, his piercing eyes a warning for his subordinate not to pursue the topic any further.
"Yes, sir." Kirishima acquiesced immediately, despite the worried look with which he suddenly stared at Asami as the latter picked up his briefcase and walked towards the front door of the apartment.
His boss failed to catch it, but the same couldn't be said for Akihito, who too stared at Asami as a disturbing suspicion started forming in his mind.
There were times when Akihito tolerated hanging out with Mitarai on stakeout assignments, and then there were times when if he'd had a loose brick at hand, Akihito was certain he would already have smashed it on the other man's head.
Today was one of the latter times.
The young man was pretty sure that if he had to spend another fifteen minutes with his colleague cooped up inside the unmarked car they were in, 200 meters in front of Tokyo University Hospital' s side entrance doors, Mitarai would soon become a patient of the emergency unit of that fine institution.
In truth though, if he had to blame anyone for being stuck with that unexpected assignment that night, it would have to be the adulterous politician he and Mitarai had photographed the night before.
It seemed that after making the morning newspapers along with his mistress and causing a national scandal of unheard proportions, the politician's legitimate wife had taken upon herself the task of vindication and had shot her cheating husband on his foot.
Not that the last bit of information was public knowledge yet, but news travels fast in Tokyo's underworld where Akihito's news agency informants usually sniff around for the latest big scoop, which was why he and Mitarai had been drafted to stake out that particular hospital where the politician had been reportedly brought to.
Clever as they were, Akihito and Mitarai had avoided the main entrance of the hospital where a medical representative was currently lying with all his teeth to the growing array of reporters assembled there, saying that no members of the government were currently admitted as patients at Tokyo University Hospital.
No. Both photographers knew that their best bet at catching a glimpse of the injured politian was the hospital's side entrance, which also served as entrance to the external clinic operating on the premises, and so they had spent the last three hours with their eyes glued on the glass sliding doors and their cameras ready for action.
A fairly boring yet simple assignment, were it not for the obnoxious fact that Mitarai decided to go on one of his rants regarding the ill state of the Japanese marital vows.
"You know what the problem is nowadays?"
"What?" Akihito replied mechanically, dreaming of that loose brick in his hand.
"People just don't have any respect for each other anymore. It's like no one cares about promises or vows. One look at their neighbor's pastures and everyone wants to jump inside their fence."
For a moment the young photographer felt tempted to remind Mitarai that the latter was on his second failed marriage and that if the rumors around the news' agency were true, Mitarai's first marriage had ended precisely because he'd been rolling around in his neighbor's pastures, and by 'pastures' he meant his neighbor's wife...
As Mitarai shifted his monologue to the dangers of guns and enraged wives, Akihito couldn't help but sigh.
He really did not want to be there at the moment. His mind had been a mess since the night before when he'd first took notice of Asami's Legal Will document, and even though he'd tried to distract himself with work during the day, Akihito couldn't shake off the feeling that something was clearly not right with Asami and that he was the only one that wasn't in on it at this point.
Akihito had tempted for hours with the idea of calling Kirishima directly and asking the man what was going on with his boss, but his loyalty towards Asami would certainly silence him, plus, the last thing Akihito wanted was for Kirishima to tell the older man that he suspected something was wrong with him.
The young photographer had already decided to have a direct conversation with Asami himself once they'd reached Bali. After all, they'd be leaving for the airport early on the next morning, so he only had to live with his anxiousness for a few more hours.
He was so immersed on his thoughts that he barely registered Mitarai's voice calling out to him.
"Hey Takaba, wake up! Big fish approaching." The man said, pointing his camera at a black limo that had just stopped in front of the hospital's side entryway.
Akihito was quick to position his camera as well, but after a minute or so of focusing the limo's back doors with his viewfinder, nothing had happened yet.
"No one's coming out." The young man said, stating the obvious.
"Which means," Mitarai replied hopeful. "that someone is getting in."
No sooner than the photographer had pronounced those words, then the sliding doors opened up to reveal a middle-aged man dressed in a business suit, who was making his way towards the limo while talking on an iPhone.
Akihito had to bite his tongue not to say anything out loud. He could hear Mitarai's camera working as the man snapped photos of the unknown target, but his own fingers seemed to had frozen up.
What the bloody hell was Kirishima doing there?
The answer came two seconds later, as another impeccably dressed man walked past the sliding doors in the direction of the limo.
"What the hell!" Mitarai exclaimed frustrated. "That's not the politician. Who the hell is that?"
Akihito wasn't sure if his heart was even beating anymore, yet he had a distinct feeling his hands were shaking as he mumbled the man's name before the latter disappeared inside the black limo.
"Asami..."
(To be continued…)
A/N: Thanks for your comments on the last chapter ;) Hope you enjoyed this one. I don't want to give the plot away, but I guess I can say "not all is what it seems" ;) Until next time... the boys are going to Bali! he he
