VII - Who Do You Trust?
Bright, dazzling colourful lights from the chandeliers and wall lamps. Slow and lighthearted jazzy music playing in the background, served as an accompaniment to the small chatters between honorable guests. The lounge of the five-star hotel was filled with VIPs and important persons who were invited to celebrate the opening of another branch of Mist Jewelry along with the reintroduction of the president's one and only heir - Shindo Mikaela.
As soon as they arrived at the hotel, with Yuu driving the limousine for the first time in his life, Mika was the first to popped out of the vehicle, only to be bombarded by thousands of questions by the news reporters, eager for some hot scoops.
"Is it true you're the only son of Mr. Shindo Minoru?" A male bespectacled reporter, he presumed, shoved a mic right at his face.
"Let me through-" Mika demanded, pushing and squeezing himself through the stiffening crowd. If it was one thing Mika hated the most, aside from people mindlessly touching him, was being stuck in a suffocating crowd. Just the thought of various people grazing and touching him made him sick to the core.
"Hey, can you spare us some of your time?" Another reporter, a thick makeup wearing woman this time, grabbed one of his arms.
Dizzy. Nauseous. Mixture of bad breaths. Stinking perfume. Body odours. "Stop it-" Mika was so close to pass out.
"Young boy, please answer a few questions for us!" A crowd began forming around him and Mika felt beyond repulsed.
"LET ME-" Fighting his dizziness away, Mika was so close to exploding out of anger.
A smooth voice cut him off first. "I'm sorry, but we won't accept interviews that hadn't been booked yet." Yuu appeared beside Mika, flashing his tight smile and he pulled the blond closer to himself and Mika literally stopped breathing for a moment. "Yuu... what are you..."
"Right this way, obocchan..." Yuu whispered back as he led the young master into the hotel. Two other bodyguards, namely Yoichi and Kimizuki, had already safely escorted his parents inside.
"Don't get too close to me..." Mika warned, hating himself for even feeling nervous when Yuu's arm wound around his back, holding his shoulder tight. Though in his nervousness, he felt something else like never before... Safety and assurance. This warm, fuzzy feeling. The feeling that someone got your back, would support you no matter where and when. Why was Yuu giving him such an impression again?
Because he was his bodyguard, so it was only natural? Or was it because he had willingly let Yuu enter his heart..? Where no one was ever allowed to even take a peek of what was inside?
In the end, Mika settled for the easiest solution. They were simply nothing. Trivial questions that need not be answered. Simple as that.
As soon as they were out of the reporters' sight, Mika quickly pulled away, looking rather mad at no one but himself. "Don't touch me without my permission ever again...you made my skin crawl." And with all that said, he hastily walked away from the stupefied Yuu.
"Well, aren't you honest?"
"Where's the idiotic Yuu?" Guren impatiently tapped his finger on his arm as he peered over his second-in-command's shoulder, who was typing away on the keyboard of his laptop.
"I've set up the security and hidden surveillances around the hotel and also had sufficiently allocated the guards outside. But I understand that we're not allowed inside the party because of the opposition-" As Shinya turned to face his boss, something soft pecked at his lips. Or just Guren kissing him.
"Then, we just have to be extra cautious not to reveal our identities, yeah?" Guren momentarily pulled away, a crest began forming on his forehead. "Though getting found out now would be a pain in the..."
Shinya brushed some of his messy hair aside before poking that wide forehead of his. "Stop worrying, you'll get more wrinkles. You have enough as it is."
"Shinya... You're not comforting me right." groaned Guren in return as he took the paler hand into his. Executing his childish little revenge - smooching the soft snowy white skin.
"Whoever said I was?" The blonde retorted with a thin smile, purposely allowing the taller man to leave trail of kisses on his arm. "Hey... We better stop messing around soon."
"Ahem!" And the two adults almost jumped out of their skins, hearts already at their throats. Turning their heads toward the direction of the voice, they saw Yuu, smugly smirking. "I won't pretend I didn't see that."
This cheeky boy had the nerve to say that.
"Brat." Guren grumbled soon after Shinya slapped him away out of embarrassment, having to be seen by someone, their subordinate nonetheless. He was not the type to showcase his affections publicly and Guren would all but respect that. Though sometimes - just sometimes, he wished the blonde would react indifferently to what others would had thought.
"What are you two doing, when everyone else is working their asses off out there?" The ravenette crossed his arms close to his chest, pair of green eyes locked accusingly into violet ones.
Some people fall in love way too easily. Take this old couple, for example. Yuu crinkled his nose distastefully. And some just maybe would never, like him. Love was unnecessary and made one weak, the young bodyguard had always believed that.
Suddenly, an image of the young master flashed before his eyes. That cold straight-forward gaze, slightly pouty lips, the mop of fluffy soft yellow hair, that lithe but oh-so-energetic figure – before he realised it, his head was filled with nothing but Mika and his adorable little quirks.
Why..?
'You sure you don't know why?'
Someone, or something, inside his head asked.
What?
'Or are you just pretending not to?'
Why would I?
'Because you actually-'
"Yuu-san! Wait, are you even listening!" A female's voice shook him out of his trance. Blinking hard, the clueless Yuu stared around to find all four of his colleagues in the room with him. "You'll be disguising as one of Mika's private tutors today so get back to his side asap!" Shinoa repeated for the second time, flicking at Yuu's forehead while she was at it. She was wearing a cherry blossom pink strapless dress that oddly complemented her hair, she seemed gentler if it was even possible.
Mitsuba, in an elegant short red dress hotly intervened, "Can we even entrust such a task to cherry boy here?"
"That, coming from a virgin herself..?" replied Yuu, his gaze remained unfocused and far off into the distance. Almost like he wasn't even aware of answering to the snappy blonde.
"WHAT-" Mitsuba roared and was this close to choking Yuu by the neck if it weren't for the other female stopping her just in time.
"Come now, Micchan. We should be going now!" Shinoa successfully pulled the twin-tailed woman by the hand and they both exited the room, leaving the three males in the small room.
Kimizuki snorted not long after, "Stop daydreaming, you got a very disgusting look on your face right now."
"Huh..? I do..?" The reply was unexpectedly meek, it was so unlike the hot-headed raven, so out of character.
"Geh, the hell's wrong with you..." Kimizuki gagged. That was so an I'm-in-love expression he was wearing. What happened to Mr. Insensitive here? "Disgusting..."
"Now, now, Kimizuki-kun... Ah, your tie's crooked." Yoichi moved in closer to fix his partner's necktie. Light pink instantly crept up Kimizuki's heated cheeks.
Yuu suddenly chuckled, surprising the other two. Life and emotions seemed to have returned to his face. He finally looked like himself.
"Right back at ya, four-eyes." With a nasty smirk, Yuu threw the comment before making his way to the door. He should really stop thinking about the young master given the time or place.
After Mr. Minoru's speech ended, Mika was surrounded by guests there to congratulate him as the successor for Mist, most of them were influential people in the business industry, presidents or owners of large companies.
"Congratulations, Mikaela-kun!"
Shut up.
Pats to the shoulders and back, hairy and wrinkly hands exchanging, various faces, moustached or bearded or stubbed leaning close. Mika felt repulsed. His skin crawled and tingled horribly with what he could only describe as abhorrence.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you!"
Shut up.
Even though he was given private lessons on how to act and speak properly in the presence of these people ever since he could barely walk or talk. He just couldn't. Not after that one incident which scarred him for life.
"Mikaela-kun, tell us about the plans you have for the future/Yes, yes!/Do tell!" The small crowd urged. Mika hung his head low, silently wishing everyone around him would just drop dead. He was exuding a very dark and dangerous aura, was so close to call them off...
SHUT UP! Get your dirty hands off of me-
"W-watch out!" Someone squeaked out in distress before a loud, ear-piercing sound of glass breaking resounded throughout the banquet hall.
Everyone's attention was quickly brought towards the source of the sound to find two men on the ground, surrounded by small glass shards and a pale red liquid spilled, presumably wine.
"Oh my, what happened?" Someone asked, a small crowd began to gather around the fiasco, even the guests who were talking to Mika a minute ago.
"The clumsy waiter tripped over someone, that's what happened!" Came a grumpy reply, from the man who took the fall himself.
During the commotion and amidst the confusion, Mika quietly pulled away from the gathering and hid himself behind the large banquet table, a myriad of food towering here and there. He participated in a mini deep breaths session, trying to quell the churning in his stomach and the sour taste in his throat. At that moment, Mika didn't even realise someone approaching him until that someone spoke up.
"Sir, would you like some water?" Mika jolted. A male dressed as a waiter offered various drinks from the round tray he was carrying. He was notably tall, had short spiky pink hair and wore black thick-framed spectacles.
"No, I'm good." Mika shook his head, some of the golden tufts swayed as he did. He gasped not long after, peeking at the pink-haired man once more. "Um, could you possibly be..that telephone pole...Kimizuki...san?" The blond tilted his head to one side.
The bespectacled man raised a questioning eyebrow in return. "How did you..? Wait a sec, what did you just call-!"
"And the other waiter just now was your colleague, Yoichi-san, right?" Mika cut him off first, eyes wandered back to a brunette with dark green eyes and a nervous smile, bowing apologetically to the guest he bumped into earlier. Like a lost little puppy, just as Yuu described.
"Don't tell me... You heard about us from that idiot, Yuu?" Kimizuki sighed when the blond nodded and closed his eyes, running one hand along the pink spikes and then reopened them again. "He even told you unnecessary things... Don't go calling me telephone poles now, I'm quite delicate on the inside." Kimizuki said with a deadpan expression so that he wouldn't know whether the man was being serious or not.
"Such an elaborate diversion though, huh?" Mika breathed out, secretly letting out an inaudible chuckle as he brought his loose fist to cover his mouth. The measures they'd go through for his sake. "...thanks."
The bodyguard didn't miss the slight twitch of Mika's lips who was unable to keep his amusement at bay, however. Long eyelashes quivered, mirth gleaming in his sapphire-like eyes. Kimizuki unconsciously swallowed air and his pupils dilated for a second out of surprise. Mika was what you would call an irresistibly attractive person with a prince-like air around him in whatever he do. He could somehow see why Yuu was so fixated with the boy now.
"No problem, kid." Kimizuki fixed his glasses before making his way towards the brunette, to diffuse any incoming unnecessary brawl. And Mika quietly watched him before he too, slipped away from the happening banquet, heading towards the doors leading to the balcony for some fresh air.
At that time, Yuu barely caught a glimpse of Mika's mop of yellow hair disappearing into the darkness of the outside and he too, followed suit, after politely excusing himself from the guests talking to him.
'He's alone...' From the shadows, a pair of blood-red eyes gleamed infernally with unpleasant intentions in mind. They landed on a lonely figure, standing by himself at the open air balcony. Hand outstretched, the long fingernails mimicking claws of a predator, slowly reached out to the unaware blond. 'You're mine, Mikaela... All mine... Forever...'
"There you are!"
A male's voice broke out from the balcony entrance. The hand quietly retreated back into the shadows.
"...What do you want...? Yuu?" Mika said, didn't even bother turning around to face the older man. Of course, he was still sulking, this sinfully adorable little kitty.
"It's Yuu-sensei to you!" A playful grin crossed the raven's lips as he fixed the fake glasses on the bridge of his nose. Yuu intentionally approached the younger male before resting both of his arms against the marbled railings, eyes gazing off into the distance. The view on the balcony was simply breath-taking, if not downright mesmerising. The colourful city lights closely resembled flickering fireflies, or countless gleaming stars in the midnight sky. "Do you like the view from here, young master?"
Mika jerked a bit, was nearly caught glancing at the bodyguard immersed at the sight in front of him. "Huh?"
"I...guess?" Mika gazed back in front of him to see the view that Yuu mentioned. No, he felt nothing at all if he had to be honest. He was just out there to get away from all those strangers, touching and talking to him to no end. He did agree that somehow all of his nausea and sickness seemed to fly away as soon as he stepped outside, skin greeted by the fresh evening air.
"Look at the lights from the streets and buildings. They're somewhat similar to that of fireflies, don't they?" Yuu shared his thoughts aloud, that cheerful smile was still there on his lips.
"Fireflies..?" Mika repeated, blinking twice as he tried to understand the meaning behind Yuu's words. Being brought up in the big city his whole life, the blond had never actually seen real live fireflies his whole life so he didn't exactly know what Yuu could be referring to. "I've never seen them before..."
"What, you haven't? Not once in your seventeen years of living-?!" Exclaimed Yuu, his green eyes large and all child-like, they seemed excited instead of shocked, somehow, and the younger male wondered why was that?
"Eighteen." Mika corrected, annoyed to be labelled younger than he actually was.
"Ah, my bad." Yuu scratched his cheek, a sheepish grin easily took form on his face. "Then, do you want to see them this summer? We have tons of fireflies back in my hometown! I'll take you to see them myself!" The ravenette chirped happily.
"Huh... Do you now?" Mika tried his hardest to sound disinterested but deemed unsuccessful when his voice rose one tone higher due to his own excitement. The sudden anticipation bubbled uncontrollably in his heart. Slightly embarrassed, the blond brought a hand to support his chin as he leaned forward, eyes fixated on the shimmering lights beyond the tall trees, mostly from countless headlamps and neon signs of restaurants or shops. Fireflies, huh? "Then, I guess I have no choice but to go see them." Mika purposely cleared his throat and wandered his gaze at anywhere but Yuu.
Ah, this was not good. He was getting excited just by thinking about it. Maybe he still had the chance with Yuu. All hope was not lost.
Yuu didn't miss the slight twitching of Mika's bottom lip. He was trying so hard not to smile again, or so it seemed. A small sigh could be heard from the raven. Finally, the young master was back to his old self again!
Just then, Madam Dominique came into Yuu's line of sight, triggering the resurfacing of his memory.
Yuu gasped suddenly. As if something had hit him hard in the gut. Like brick hard. Of course, how could he had forgotten? His contract was to end after Mika graduate – meaning he could no longer spend time with the blond once summer starts. He was careless this time, running his big mouth before properly thinking about the consequences. Why make promises you couldn't keep? Yuu, you idiot...
He was just- He genuinely felt so happy at the thought of bringing Mika to his favourite spot that he ended up making plans for the future with the blond well in his mind. And he didn't want to see that sad, gloomy expression on Mika's face if he were to admit the truth. The boy hated the feeling of being abandoned the most. Yuu knew that very well.
"Yuu? What's wrong?" The sharp boy asked, noticing the drastic change in Yuu's parlour.
Yuu made a deliberately slow turn of head, further increasing Mika's suspicion.
How do I break this to you..?
He didn't want the blond to find out if he could but keeping him in the dark was probably not a good idea. Complications would surely follow due to lack of communication which would inevitably lead to a misunderstanding. As an adult, Yuu should know that it was best to come clean with things, no matter how unpleasant the outcome might be.
"I.. Young master, actually I-" Yuu, however, was cut off before he could even finish his sentence when a sweet voice called out to him.
"Mika, dear, the guests are expecting to see you. Ah, Yuu-kun's here too! Come inside and introduce yourselves now!" The ever so elegant Dominique smiled as she gracefully motioned to them from the balcony's door.
"You were saying..?" Mika gestured a 'hold on' back to his mother and turned his attention to a distracted-looking Yuu once more. Not exactly sure why, but Mika had a feeling he should listen to whatever the faithful bodyguard of his had to say at that very moment.
"Um, well. It's- it's not that important so I'll tell you later, okay?" Yuu nervously smiled, clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke. He chickened out at the last moment. What a good-for-nothing coward, he was... Why was it, when it comes to Mika, Yuu had a hard time of properly conveying the things he meant to say?
Mika studied Yuu's face for a while longer before finally nodded. "Okay, then." A part of him felt mildly disappointed somehow, although he couldn't exactly pinpoint why.
Both of them went inside as told but what Yuu didn't know was that he would regret his decision of not telling Mika the simple truth soon enough.
"You must be Mika-san." Mika turned his head to see a slightly older woman with soft purple hair tied into a beautiful bun, and she smiled back, introducing herself to appear non-suspicious.
"Don't worry, I'm..."
"You're Yuu's friend, aren't you? Shi...uh..." Something. Mika tried recalling the name among the closest friends Yuu had mentioned to him during their little talk by his bedroom door but he just couldn't do it right. He sucked at remembering names to begin with.
"Shinoa." The woman sweetly said as she made a little courtesy bow towards Mika. "I'm surprised you knew about me."
Mika gave an indifferent stare to the lilac before bringing his attention back to Yuu, standing a few feet away from him with a polite smile on his face as he seemingly entertained some middle-aged women. Popular guy, aren't we?
He looked back at Shinoa and said, "Yuu told me about you and three other of your co-workers... He said you guys were pretty close. Friends."
"Ha-ha, did he now..." Shinoa made a point to dryly laugh as she said this. "That's the first time I heard such a thing. He's such a dishonest little fella. I seriously thought he hated our guts."
Mika almost smiled as she said that. She was right about one thing. Yuu, being the awkward, unaffectionate person he was, was indeed not so honest at times.
"Why, if it isn't Mikaela-sama." Another voice greeted from behind him, also a female's but it sounded more agitated than Shinoa's calm tone.
"Ah, Micchan! How's your perimeter?" Chirped the woman in pink dress.
"Nothing out of ordinary. Yet." A woman with silky yellow hair and in a bright red one piece approached them while tossing her hair to one side. "But, we shouldn't let our guard down."
Judging by the way she walked and talked, Mika could already guess who she was. She had an air of superiority around her and her tone might had sounded a little patronising. What was it again, the term that Yuu used to describe her? Miss Tsundere?
"Excuse me?!" The blonde lady exclaimed in disbelief while Shinoa burst into immediate laughter.
Mika pulled out an innocent face as he re-closed his mouth. Ah, he had unknowingly said it aloud.
"Did Yuu told you to call me that? And it's Mitsuba-oneesama to you!" Mitsuba hissed through gritted teeth as she crossed her arms tight to her chest. Her lips formed a pout and her cheeks all puffed up.
Mika didn't nod nor shake his head at her words, his aloof expression did nothing but further irritate Mitsuba until she unconsciously grunted low. "Tch, are all rich kids spoiled?"
What.
"I don't consider myself spoiled." Came the annoyed although flat reply, blond eyebrows furrowed into a distinctive frown. Stereotyping people from their backgrounds wasn't unusual but Mika wasn't going to allow anyone to think the same about him.
"A-Ah, I think that's enough of our chit-chat for today-" Shinoa quickly intervened before things could get worse. Mika and Mitsuba's personalities are like water and oil, and both are very proud people if she remembered correctly that one time Yuu was comparing the two of them. The sporadic occurrence of Mitsuba's childish wilfulness definitely did not help the situation in any way.
"No wonder Yuu is better than you..." Mika mumbled under his breath, letting anger overtaking him, as rare as it was.
"And you think you're better for him?" Mitsuba raised her voice, earning some curious stares from the nearby guests and ultimately, Yuu.
"Micchan, stop-!"
"Too bad Yuu's staying only until this summer! He already has a client waiting for him anyways! I'm sure he'll be absolutely thrilled to get rid of such a cocky young master like y-"
"MITSUBA! That's enough!" Shinoa gripped at one of the thin wrists hard, her expression turned dark in mere seconds. Mitsuba abruptly paused, afterwards blinking furiously. What the hell did she just spouted- She looked up to see a very still Mika, face devoid of emotions. Oh no.
"What did you just...?" Words hung at the back of his throat as he tried to comprehend the sentences coming out of Mitsuba's mouth.
Before anything else, Yuu stepped into their conversation or argument, to be exact. "Hey, hey, what's the commotion all about? You guys are being way too conspicuous."
"Yuu-san..!" Shinoa almost cried out tears of relief the soon she spotted him making his way towards them.
"Is everything alright?" Yuu switched glances from one face to another before stopping short towards Mika, his stomach sunk. The young blond was now trembling, his cheeks flushed red and his eyes slightly watery. "Y-young master, what happened-"
"Liar. What a load of bullcrap." Mika whispered, low enough for Yuu to hear. "Was it so fun to trick me?"
"Huh?" Blood immediately drained out of Yuu's face as he grasped the current situation. Oh no... Did Mika found out somehow? What should he do now? There was nothing he could do now- No, that's not it. There was nothing else to do but to apologise.
"Mika-obocchan, I-" Yuu began, hand reaching out for his young master.
"Don't touch me and don't you dare talk to me ever again, you fucking liar..!" Roughly slapping his hand away, Mika stomped past the dumbstruck man before exiting the hall into the corridors.
Snapping out of his shocked trance, Yuu was about to chase after the blond when Shinoa tugged him back by the arm. "Wait, Yuu-san... Give him some time to calm down first."
"But- He... I can't- Not again..." Yuu was almost on the verge of tears as multiple negative emotions raging inside of him, trying to break free from him. He hurt him. For the second time. He had failed his duty yet again.
Mitsuba slowly covered her mouth with her shaky hands. "It's my fault, Yuu... Not yours... I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry..." The twin-tailed apologised repeatedly like a broken record while Yuu's face became hard and emotionless as seconds passed.
Mika heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he entered the male's bathroom, loosening the stiffening tie around his neck. He was alone in there, finally. "Ugh, I really can't stand crowded places..." His breaths grew shallower, and his vision became blurrier. It took Mika a few seconds to realize that he was actually crying. Pearly, clear tears rolled off his cheeks and fell to the sink counter as he recalled the woman's exact words.
'Too bad Yuu's staying only until summer! He already had another client waiting for him anyways.'
And shortly after, Yuu's words repeated inside his head.
'Then, do you want to see them this summer? We have tons of fireflies back in my hometown! I'll take you to see them myself!'
"Yourself...? What a liar..." Mika harshly bit his quivering lower lip, leaving an evident bruise. "You never actually mean that, did you?"
The door to the bathroom suddenly creaked open, making the blond jumped a bit. The steps were purposely slow and quiet and Mika could just make a silhouette of a person behind a translucent glass wall separating them. Every single fibre in his body screamed in great alarm, warning him to get the hell out of there and into the vicinity of others again. It wasn't safe in here, being locked inside a small room with a stranger!
"Hey, there..."
Mika whipped his head fast to the direction of the caller. And his eyes turned wide like a frightened deer before his facial muscles relaxed again. "Se-senpai?" Thank god it was someone he knew.
A familiar dark hair young man dressed smartly in a black suit shortened the distance between them as he softly called out his name with the usual cool gaze in his bloody red eyes.
"Mikaela."
-To be continued-
Okay, that bit with fireflies was somewhat inspired by a scene in the saddest Studio Ghibli movie I ever watched, The Grave of The Fireflies. I'm still scarred by the movie tbh. It was so painfully beautiful. :')
But sh*t's about to go down! :O
Thank you to those who had been reading and following since chapter one and for leaving favs and reviews, you guys are angels! I really deeply appreciate every single one of them! xx