NOTES:
1. The original chapter contains smut that I've edited to follow the rules of this site. To see the full chapter, please check my profile to find my Archive of Our Own account. Or, you can also find my work in said site (Archive of Our Own . org) under the same title and the pen name Ms Tea Cup
2. The following chapter includes flashbaks without a clear life of when it starts and ends. Please tell me if the chapter is too confusing to follow!
SHISHIO TSUKASA'S FIRST SECRET
"I think I'm in love".
…was what Tsukasa stated right after Hyoga joined him for a drink in his hotel room. Hyoga's right hand froze halfway to carrying the glass of wine to his mouth. This was unexpected; but he needed to proceed calmly.
"Is it one of the models?" Hyoga enquired, "The conglomerates?". They had just left the fashion show's after party and he was sure Tsukasa mingled with a lot of influential people there. Whatever triggered this conversation, Hyoga had to go to the roots of it as soon as possible.
Tsukasa simply turned his glass around absently as the content stirred. "No," he then took a sip from that glass, "I met this person three years ago".
Hyoga nodded. Nowadays Tsukasa didn't seem to be with anyone at the moment, however, Tsukasa had dated many people in the past; mostly older women. After all, being adored was nothing new for this stud, but being in love? That was.
"So from the time of Toudai?" Hyoga pushed, albeit softly. He didn't want to push too much on a topic he knew he and Tsukasa had never touched upon.
Tsukasa nodded; dark brown eyes wandered elsewhere as he tried to retrieve the shape of that guy's body from memory. Tsukasa had always adored the back of his pale neck. "We didn't get along right away. But one night, there was this drinking party and," Tsukasa could conjure the memory of that night really well, "this person was there".
It was that one drinking party involving students from the yearly societal development project competition - a messy night in its own right; with one chick who was usually silent yelling about how everyone should have totally just stabbed Julius Caesar and there was a guy telling everyone he was a bush. But Tsukasa barely cared about those small details. He was too busy eyeing how Ishigami Senku's - that was his name - denim jacket was trying to escape his left shoulder.
"What's gotten you into this party?" Tsukasa remembered communicating his curiosity through the lift of an eyebrow. Looking by the yellow E=MC2 hoodie he's wearing, he didn't seem to be the kind who would attend this type of event. Yet the most telling sign was the fact that this kid lacked spunk despite having Shishio Tsukasa, his arch rival in Shoji-sensei's hypothetical scenario debate in philosophy class, in front of him. All he did the whole 15 minutes and 23 seconds Tsukasa spent sitting across from him in this table was hiccup while sporting a vacant gaze and a massive flush over his nose although he really only had one glass of beer the whole time.
One of the students did mention how Ishigami Senku should have not had a drink and the others were wondering who gave him beer. However, all Tsukasa could think about then was how their eyes met and the thoughts of having this guy - who had been annoying Tsukasa in philosophy class with his sharp arguments about ethical conduct - here and looking so vulnerable was empowering.
Maybe it was the fact that he, despite being such an obnoxious punk, was the one person who could stand up against Tsukasa. Their banter irked Tsukasa; but the thought of having an equal mind was so refreshing that even seeing him in this long boring drinking night was like a blessing.
Tsukasa didn't know what he was thinking, but he then reached out to the other from under the table using his foot. This was a trick he learned from all those women he had gone out with - he slipped his foot in between the other's legs and slowly, he hooked it to the side before pulling his foot back as to caress the other's inner thigh.
The look on Ishigami Senku's face was comical. His absent gaze turned alive and it went straight to Tsukasa. Tsukasa looked to the side as an offer to leave the place. It was a suggestive invitation and the way Ishigami Senku followed Tsukasa's gaze signaled that the message was loud and clear. And the recipient responded positively to it.
Tsukasa smiled victoriously behind his glass of beer.
Only ten minutes later, they were making out in the passenger's seat of Tsukasa's black Jaguar. Ishigami Senku might look like a nerd, but his kisses were as eager as a serial heart breaker. Tsukasa had to push him to the backrest a couple of times just to keep him still. Taming this one wild animal would indeed be quite a challenge, but it's a challenge Tsukasa would take on.
His two curious hands easily slipped under the other's denim jacket and he proceeded to measure the other's waist through the outside of his yellow hoodie. Ishigami Senku's was breathing like he had just run a full marathon. Tsukasa, unforgiving as always, dragged his tongue to the other's pale white neck for he always wondered whether it tasted as milky as it looked. Ishigami Senku's whole body tensed and he curled upward. It was this exact movement that exposed their raging boners to each other and Tsukasa knew - they both wanted to do more.
"Do you want to?" Tsukasa voiced then; puffs of breath fanning the side of the other's face - not that he cared much.
"Hnn?"
"I hope you're still sober because we're humping each other right now and it's getting unbearable," Tsukasa muttered, voice low. He really felt like fucking this guy here and now.
Ishigami Senku sought for Tsukasa's mouth blindly and initiated another sloppy wet kiss. They did, only for a couple of seconds, before Tsukasa stopped what the kid was trying to do and got him back to the topic, "Hey!" Tsukasa half scolded.
Ishigami Senku's eyes were closed with both brows meeting in concentration. Now he opened one eye, though he did so with such effort; then, irritated, he answered, "Yeah, yeah, my brain's still working. Eight hundred and twenty five seconds since you pulled me out of that dingy bar; exactly 700 seconds since we saw that drunk guy trying to fuse with the decorative bush outside of the exit".
Tsukasa did pause for a millisecond while biting the other's ear when he heard that. 'Did he really just say that?' He questioned briefly; but brushed it off to whisper to said ear, "So?"
When the other completely stopped moving, Tsukasa leaned away from his kissing partner and took a better look at the other. Ishigami Senku actually looked like he was considering his options. He was looking at a distant space right behind Tsukasa's head and his lips pursed as though in deep thought. Was this really the time to do that though? Especially when he was already sagging halfway down on the expensive leather of Tsukasa's car seat with Tsukasa between his two legs.
"Are you soliciting me for sex?" The punk actually asked. Tsukasa, being way too horny to process the situation, said, "Yes, I'm asking if you want to engage in a sexual intercourse. With me."
He's fine if Ishigami Senku didn't want to go all the way. It was just that the conversation normally didn't go this way.
"Hnn," the guy even spent more time to think about his answer. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay".
Tsukasa must be half drunk too because that weird exchange actually turned him on even more. Nevertheless, Tsukasa pounced on the other without further thought. It was quick and passionate. Lucky they were in a Jaguar, because a cheaper car would quake uncontrollably with this kind of fucking.
"1620 seconds".
"What?"
"Is the time that took you to ejaculate," was Ishigami Senku's comment after their coupling. They were both lying on their sides, facing each other.
Tsukasa took a better look at Ishigami Senku in humor, "I thought it's 2000 seconds at this point". He swore the shorter counted to a higher number than that in the middle of it.
"That was how long we've spent in this car".
Tsukasa remembered watching the other silently before saying, "Do you want to have another go?"
They did have a second round, this time with Ishigami Senku on all four so that Tsukasa could savor on the back of his neck.
Coming back to reality, Tsukasa wiped his face tiredly in front of his confidant in his luxurious hotel suit. "That was the first time we had sex and, to be honest, I couldn't sleep the whole night because I forgot to ask for their number. And the next time I saw them, they acted like nothing happened between us," The man, leader of many and an idol of more, sighed, "It was only about a year after did I get to get in touch with this person again. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on their number then".
Hyoga blinked dumbly. He could not believe what he was listening to.
"You know, Hyoga, I missed this person so," a long inhale, "Much. I wish we could go back as soon as possible".
Hyoga coughed and excused himself to the toilet. Once inside the bathroom, he quickly texted this matter of dire emergency to some people he could trust in their secret organization.
"The boss is love sick," he wrote, "We better look out to who this love interest is".
After answering some questions, Hyoga prepared himself to face his leader in the main room. They still had three days in Paris to make foreign connections; they could not have a love sick boss now.
"In love?" Ginro slammed his two hands on the table, "Our alleged underground crime lord is in love?"
Kohaku flinched at the shrill volume of the prior's voice, "Pipe down, will you? I know the café is closed, but this is still a secret meeting!"
They had yet again gathered at one of the tables in the after-hours of their café to discuss their target. For the last twenty minutes they were busy forming a profile for Shishio Tsukasa, or at least the profile of his public image online. After that session, Kohaku and Magma told them that they just received new information from the upper management that Shishio Tsukasa might be involved romantically with someone.
"And it is according to our most reliable informant that Shishio Tsukasa is very much attached, emotionally, to this love interest," Kohaku explained. A chorus of reactions followed.
"is it a celebrity? He was rumored to be close to some singers or actresses before".
"A fellow model?"
"Someone older. He always goes out with someone older".
"What if she's foreign? He goes abroad a lot".
"She's not a foreigner," Magma silenced everyone with his baritone voice. Everyone turned to him attentively. "Our source clearly stated that Shishio Tsukasa was desperate to return to Japan for this person, so she has to be Japanese".
Everyone's excitement started anew as they now had a smaller group of people to pick from.
"The agency first ordered us to single out the members of Shishio Tsukasa's secret organization, but now they gave us the order to find Shishio Tsukasa's lover. Because, clearly, his lover has quite the influence on him," Kohaku added.
Kinro put a fist under his chin, "From your words, it definitely sounds like the informant knows what the organization thinks of this love interest".
Kohaku nodded, "You're right. Our informant is a double agent".
"A-a double agent?" Taiju repeated. They had that already?
"Yes, this person is currently inside the organization and being in contact with us is already so risky for them," Kohaku said, "But we are 100% convinced that the informant has no idea who this lover is which means that it is highly possible that no one in the organization has an idea too".
"But if they were alarmed enough to inform us, it means that the organization is taking actions on this information," Yuzuriha stated, which made Taiju snap his head to his girlfriend, "R-really?"
"Exactly," Kohaku joined her hands on top of the round table, "Our informant has confirmed that the organization is now actively trying to find the lover behind their boss' back. Which means; we are racing them to Shishio Tsukasa's lover".
Taiju swallowed loudly. There's something intimidating about it. It was possible that they would have to confront the organization one day.
"Don't forget, there is a possibility that this lover is already in their circle but is not aware of their boss feelings towards them," Magma mentioned calmly, "If that was the case, then it would be difficult for us".
"Oh no~! We don't even know who the members of this organization are! We're fighting a losing battle here," Ginro whined from his seat next to Kinro; who was cringing at the prior's behavior.
"Not really. According to the information given to us, there's a lot of secrets in the organization itself. Sometimes members don't even know each other's membership status," Kohaku pointed a finger upwards, "But for us, well, I was told that the upper members of the organization has mentioned our Café as a meeting point".
"What!?"
"Right. Our café is actually the organization members hot spot," Kohaku smiled knowingly.
Magma crossed his arms and nodded, "Imagine my surprise when they said that a number of transactions and negotiations had been done here right under our nose. I regret that I didn't notice a single thing".
"T-they were…," Taiju stuttered, "Here!?"
"Yes, our very own customers," Kohaku nodded, "Do note that there's a lot of the famous and the elites in the organization. And we are never short of the same kind of customers".
Kohaku was right. Café Olivier was located in the elite part of Tokyo where celebrities sightings were common. Their customers included very familiar faces in the media; from superstar athlete Momiji Homura to the famous ex-idol-turned-variety-show-host Asagiri Gen. Furthermore, a lot of them are actually very loyal customers of theirs; customers that the café workers had given their best service to. To think that they could be involved in this secret organization with shady dealings…
"Kohaku-san?" Ginro called out of the blue. Taiju was pulled out of his thoughts and checked on their team leader. Kohaku seemed like she was deep in though - no, actually, she looked bothered by something.
"What's wrong?" Kinro voiced his concern too, yet Kohaku simply frowned further.
"It's just strange," she said.
"What's strange?" Yuzuriha was the one to question now.
"It's just that…., I find it very uncharacteristic for someone like Shishio Tsukasa to be," she sighed but then moved her hands to add quotes on her words, "In love".
"Is it?" Yuzuriha too was now thinking hard.
"He…. he's a famous celebrity, right? And he has gathered this… collection of achievements in the span of his young life. Plus, we are suspicious that he is this leader of an organization that was planning to change the ideology of Japan and has a hand on this illegal weapon and drug trades," Kohaku crossed her arms and huffed, "With all of those on your plate, would you really have the time to be in love?"
Yuzuriha's head tilted, "But… Shishio Tsukasa is often reported going out with women. You know, like that one time with Sasaki Rika, Watanabe Mayu, Kobayashi Nana," she continued naming a number of female celebrities which surprised everyone at the table. She clearly outdid them in their research. At the end of that very long list, she finalized, "I think they are all prove that he's capable of loving someone".
"You have a point, but…," Kohaku still didn't seem satisfied, "Going out with someone and loving them is different. I also take Shishio Tsukasa to be a man charismatic enough to attract many women, but I do believe he is the type to use his sexual prowess as a mean to get what he wants". When she caught the confusion in everyone's face, she sputtered, "L-like, using sex as a bargaining chip or as a way to manipulate someone into doing something for you, you know?"
"But Kohaku-san! How come you say that someone could date someone and not love them!? It doesn't work that way," Taiju blurted, which earned him a slap in the back of the head by the team leader herself, "When you date someone, don't you do that because you love them?'
"Don't put everyone in the same group of you who's so whipped for your girlfriend you couldn't even do things without her instructions!" She barked, but gained her cool not long after, "But I'm serious, it has to take some level of dedication - no, obsession - to have done so much in such a short amount of time. Someone like that doesn't normally waste their time to fall in love, you know? They are just not the type".
"Nonsense! Anyone in this world can fall in love!" Taiju insisted - this time, only to have his ear be pulled by an annoyed Kohaku. Yuzuriha, however, had turned silent.
"I am more concerned about what kind of person this love interest is," Ginro started with Kinro nodding to his words, "Like, if everything we know about Shishio Tsukasa so far is true, then imagine what kind of person could ensnare such a person? What's crazier, this person might have been here - at our café!"
Taiju blinked, "At our café -?"
"Oi!"
They all turned to the direction of the Café entrance and found a pale figure witch white hair and green tip standing there. Kohaku stood up hurriedly, "I'm sorry, sir, but we're closed for the -".
"Senku!" Taiju, too, stood up from his seat. Kohaku blinked dumbly at him.
"You know him?"
"He's my roommate," Taiju scratched the back of his head but didn't look apologetic.
"Senku-kun, what are you doing here?" Yuzuriha questioned while wondering if the newcomer heard anything important.
Senku put a hand in his harem pants pocket while putting a pinky into his ear in his usual swagger, "I was waiting for you guys outside to pick you up but you guys are taking so long," he gave Yuzuriha an ugly face, "I had no idea Café workers like to gather and gossip after closing time".
Kohaku visibly seethed from annoyance, "Why you -," but was held back from chastising this stranger by Magma and Kinro. "R-right," Yuzuriha quickly intervened, "We were having a chat before you came in! Actually you came right when we're about to finish the discussion, so um Taiju and I will take our leave here," she turned to everyone else.
Kohaku, who was still being restrained by the guys, and everyone else nodded. They said their goodbyes and left the vicinity. "That housemate of Taiju is so fricking annoying!" Kohaku growled as she threw her blazer, her customary work attire as the manager and host of the café, to the table.
"Well, we should be grateful its Taiju's friend we're talking about here," Magma let out a glad huff, "It could be anyone else and we'd be in trouble".
"Yeah!" Ginro chimed in, "Imagine if its Shishio Tsukasa's lover coming in the middle of our conversation!"
"Pfft, as if!" Kohaku grouched.
If only she knew.
Meanwhile, on the way home, Yuzuriha was thinking hard about Kohaku's words. Her boyfriend and her good friend were conversing at the front seat; but her mind was elsewhere.
"...it has to take some level of dedication - no, obsession - to have done so much in such a short amount of time. Someone like that doesn't normally waste their time to fall in love, you know? They are just not the type".
Yuzuriha thought it's so sad for someone to never consider falling in love. She wanted to believe that love doesn't discriminate; that anyone, no matter who, desires to love and be loved in return. After all, love is such a wonderful experience; she knew this best. So why would anyone deny it?
She could put this to test. Thankfully, she knew someone whose dedication - or obsession, as Kohaku had mentioned - pushed them to achieve so much in a short amount of time. This person was right here in this car.
Yuzuriha eyed his friend who was currently behind the wheel.
"Oi, Senku, watch the road. You don't want to hit the sign like last time," Taiju warned absently. It was a reminder of that one time when Senku was driving and he almost hit a cat, so in his desperate attempt to save everyone, he turned the steering wheel and hit a traffic sign. This was why Taiju was usually the one behind the wheel.
Senku responded with lazy all right's as per usual. Yuzuriha took this as her cue. It's time, Yuzuriha took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
"Ano…"
"Hmm?"
"Senku-kun".
"Yes?"
"Do you think… you will ever find love?" There! She did it! She finally asked.
"Hmmmm," the guy didn't instantly answer. She understood it must be a tough question to answer for Senku. All his life, Senku had always been concerned about science and nothing else. The fact that he had two friends who genuinely cared for him was already a miracle.
"Actually, I've already found love".
Yuzuriha's eyes sparkled. She put her palms together and smiled happily, "Really? Who is it? Who are you in love with?"
Taiju turned to his friend in disbelief, "S-Senku…"
"It's science, of course! HAHAHAHAHA!" The young scientist continued on with his maniacal grin; tongue poking out in such fashion that it would make the regular person shiver in fear. Taiju, the best friend, followed suit in laughter.
"I knew it! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Sadly for Yuzuriha, this meant all hope is lost.
Somewhere out there in Paris, a tall man with long brown hair stood behind a glass paneled wall facing the sight of the city. He was in his bathrobe and was thinking of someone far away. He then looked at his phone screen. There, a picture of the same scientist wearing that very maniacal grin was displayed. This triggered a deep long sigh from the handsome man.
He kissed the screen of his phone and whispered only one name.
"Senku…"
TO BE CONTINUED
I hope this chapter isn't too weird