A/N: Took some reference of my fic Weakness just for the characterizations. No need to read it but if you want to see how their relationship started, you can go read that first.
Summary: A thirteen-year old relationship ended by one selfish choice. Six years later, a ghost from the past appears right in front of Sendoh Akira. All the feelings he buried to the ground returned to him in an instant, reminding him of the memories of a once great love that he never really lost... [SenRu[Yaoi]
Genre: Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the SD Characters used in this fic.
"I am going to America."
"Once you set foot out of this country, we're through."
A-Sen Builders Inc.
A small construction firm renting a space, half-sized of the 18th floor of the Tadashi Tower building, located at the heart of Tokyo. In three years time, the company has made its way to the industry, gaining projects from small to big corporations. From one to multiple clients in the later part of the year. Leads and opportunities from left to right. Words of successful projects, fulfilled contracts, and customer-handling experience, the company has uplifted its name in a short span of time since it started.
Expanding is nowhere near but with the management's constant success in each projects, positivity and setting of realistic goals, the vision won't be impossible to accomplish.
The A-Sen Builders embarks with only three person in the group.
Sendoh Akira - the founder and the CEO. The one who started everything. Who would have thought? The laid-back MVP, during his highschool years, has managed to open his own company 19 years later. It began with a vision back in highschool days. A dream he set that drawn him to choose an engineering course and graduated after five years. However, like everyone else, this type of goal has its ups and downs. There are times when he lost it. Times when he almost gave up. And it took him years to finally lift his feet up and managed to move forward.
Being adored by many, connections and colleagues opened a path for multiple prospects and clients. And with his in-born charms, a trait inherited from his mother, and smooth-talking sales skills, the company had made a giant leap and gained an amount of projects with recommendations from satisfied clients in no time. The company is going steady but its glory is still out of hand. And the CEO won't back down until the peak has been reached.
Sendoh Azuma - The first investor. Akira's grandfather. The father of his late father who parted this world when he was only seventeen. A retired general who serves his country for more than fifty years and now living peacefully in the north with his current wife. A woman who is no stranger for he loved him like her own grandson.
After his father died, Azuma assisted Akira's family throughout the years. He remained behind his back, providing his financial needs, from university up to the start of his own company. Despite what it seems to be a good relationship, theirs however, had gone through challenges; arguments of contradicting principles; chosen career and progressions; detestable futuristic endeavors; and manipulating decisions. His mother, Sendoh Akane, has gone through horrendous times too before he married his father. Years took before the relationship moved steady but still tainted with resentment.
Akira may have hated his grandfather at times. He began detesting his decisions during university days until his corporate life while working for another company as a hired professional. But a family is a family as what his mother would always say. A home you can return to when everything else has gone to a cliff.
Apart from Azuma and Akira, a university friend who pushed him to start his firm is the third person in the group - the co-founder, Miboshi Yukio. The brilliant mind behind the company's success. The person who got every inch of his trust. A confidant. Yukio stood by his side during times of struggles. Through thick and thin he is the shoulder to lean on. The hand he held onto in times of needs and desperation. A brother he sees. A friend worthy of his every trust.
And all the hard days of sleepless nights and endless struggles, the company is built in no time.
As a starting company, not everything will go smoothly. There is this one time in the middle of their second year, wherein the company is about to go down. They lost millions when one of their trusted contractors took most of their funds. Everything was doomed. And when hope seems lost, heaven sent an angel. An investor named Nomiya Nadeshiko appeared out of nowhere. She offered to shoulder all the loans and damages. She introduced herself as a friend of Akira's late father during university years. And this deed is a payback to his father's generosity back when she's in a desperate situation. A story she excused herself to elaborate further. Nevertheless, she's a blessing in disguise. She gave no other condition. All she wanted is to give his father the payback he deserves.
After those toughest times, the company found its feet again. A total of twenty professionals hired within a year and two big projects in their third year. And little by little, the A-Sen Builders is back to compete in the industry once again.
July 11.
A busy day for the twenty heads occupying the 550 sqm office. A day where everyone must be on their seats to give their utmost best for one of the most important day that could start a huge leap for the company's advancement.
Three knocks sounded behind the CEO's room. Knob has turned and the modest friend back in highschool years entered the room, the executive secretary, Uekusa. "Sendoh, everything's ready." he said. It's the company's rule to never address the CEO with any sort of honorifics.
Sendoh lifted a finger, a moment he needed to end his phone call. Uekusa took his wordless sign, gave a nod and left the room.
"Yes honey. I'll fetch you myself." Sendoh stated, conversing through his mobile phone while huddling all the papers he needed, coercing them all inside an expanded stringed-envelope. "I'll be on an important meeting so refrain from calling, okay?" Keys fished out, trench coat has worn, preparing to take the leave. "I'll be there, I promise." A response from the other line as he returns it with, "Good. I'll see you. I love you." His last words before tapping the end button. He placed the phone back into his pocket, check his wrist watch, and left his own office with his suit and tie.
Inside the car, the executive secretary - who happens to be the driver too - is a bit disturbed in his boss' fidgeting legs that his stares couldn't stop switching from the road then to the rocking legs. "Sendoh, are you okay?"
The boss brushed off his usual spiky hair style but trimmed to 2-3 inches with a little bit of fringes down his forehead. "Ah. Yeah." he responded, but loosened up his collar a bit. "A little nervous though."
Uekusa smiled. "I can't blame you. It's a first for the company."
"Yeah. It's thrilling." A scoff he gave but stares stayed outside, watching the nameless people passing by, unaware of how he is trembling inside and out. "We have to win this." he uttered in a whisper. "Or Yukio will kill me."
Uekusa chortled. "Indeed. He'll never forgive you." he added.
Both joined a good laugh.
The co-founder, who is way way aggressive than the CEO himself, kept reminding him to do his utmost best to win this opportunity. All because this is a first for the company to receive a call from a well-known international company - ES Corporation. An unexpected circumstance that can never slip from their hold. And if they get this contract signed and progress successfully, the company's name alone will spread across the whole district of Tokyo and if not being greedy, the whole nation of Japan.
As insisted by the client, the meeting will be held in a private room of a fine-dining restaurant, owned by the same client they'll be meeting in 10 minutes.
As usual, Sendoh and Uekusa is fifteen minutes ahead before their customers arrived to have enough time to prepare all the necessary papers such as the proposal, construction design and contracts. All organized neatly on top of the marble table.
"Everything good Uekusa?" Sendoh asked for the last time.
"Yes sir." The secretary responded with a tease.
"Stop addressing me that way, please."
Uekusa chuckled.
Despite the fully prepared paper works lying on top of the table, for some unknown reason, Sendoh couldn't understand where this nervousness is coming from. He reached for the pitcher and poured an amount of iced cold water on a clear empty glass. He took a sip, almost emptying it.
"Sendoh. You will need to calm yourself." The secretary uttered. Akira just laughed in embarrassment.
After some time, the main door burst open. Sendoh and Uekusa quickly stood from their seats, watching two men in black suit and tie walked in.
'Biggie.' Akira thought to himself. Obviously, the men are bodyguards.
Following the men in black is a more elegant looking gentleman, presenting himself in a red and black tuxedo combination. With his composure and the way he dressed himself, there's no doubt, he's the biggie they're going to meet.
The man turned his way, gave out a smile and began approaching.
His brows flinched a bit. A familiar presence as he examined. And the remarkable height? Coincidentally, it's the same as his. Probably an athlete like him before. It's hard to completely recognize the man for his eyes is covered with a black-rounded shades. Sendoh's memory may be disrupted but he can sense that he once knew the man.
The gentleman halted a few inches away. "Sendoh Akira..." he whispered his name with a smirk. His two fingers held the thick temples of his rich sunglasses and uncovered his eyes to meet Sendoh upfront. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. MVP."
His intuition is correct! A man from the past. The one he couldn't beat during middle school... "Kita-"
"Sannoh's ace? Sawakita Eiji?" Uekusa blurted out before he utters a mistake in front of an important client.
Sawakita confirmed with a grin.
A little blew of relief escaped his thinly opened mouth. Hiring a secretary with a great memory, such as Uekusa, is really a good investment. He straightened himself and offered his enormous palm. "Sawakita-san."
Sawakita chuckled a little but politely took the hand offered. "Oh please Sendoh. We both know honorifics are cringey. Sawakita is fine."
The muscles under his eyes flinched a bit. 'Both know?' As far as what he can dug from his malfunctioned memory, they have only met once or twice in his lifetime until today. He simply shrugged it. Perhaps, he heard him wrong.
"You could've told me beforehand. I don't have the slightest idea you are the client I am going to meet today." Sendoh said. It is a must for any company to search for a prospect client's background before constructing a proposal. However, for ES Corp., no 'Sawakita Eiji' is found under or even on top of its management tree.
"I know what you mean." He extended a hand and pointed at the couch on their side of the table, implying to take a seat first before he continues. Both followed. Sawakita clasped off one button of his suit before sliding himself inside. "Let's talk about history for a bit." he says. "My father started ES Corp. in America and named it after me."
'Makes sense.' Sendoh thought. ES stands for his name.
"Years and years after, I inherited everything under his name. He's still alive, don't worry." he stated with a scoff. "But wants to retire early to focus on his favorite past time - golf."
He continued. "And as a good son and to continue my father's legacy, I accepted. Everything was under my name in a snap of a finger."
Sendoh's brows flinched. The room feels airy all of a sudden.
"But I got one condition..."
Sendoh answered himself. "You're name must not be part of the management tree?"
A smirk. "As expected from the smart MVP."
And now he knew he is smart? Is that written on his profile under his company's web page?
"I want to live my thirties away from media. So my partner - Masao Hiroki, the name written on your contracts I presume, is named as the owner of ES Corp."
"And the board just agreed?" his question filled with doubts.
A sly curve formed on Eiji's lips. "That's not contestable if you're good at everything, Sendoh."
A muscle twitched again. Definitely, Eiji is someone who acknowledges more of himself.
"But it won't take long." he continued. "As soon as I hit my forties, my face will be displayed across the global network."
Sendoh cleared his throat. "I don't want to sound impolite Sawakita, but with all due respect, I need to make sure I am dealing with an actual client."
An enormous laugh echoed around the private room. "Again, this is not my first. So allow Mr. Masao Hiroki to explain everything." He opened one side of his suit, pulled out his palm-sized mobile phone from the inside pocket. He placed his phone against the pitcher and positioned the screen in front of Sendoh. He hard pressed 1 and a video call started with Masao Hiroki on the screen. "Hey Hiroki, time to do your job." he commanded. The named owner acknowledged them first before he ended Sendoh's doubts, explaining the situation further from bits to pieces.
When the video call ended, Sendoh immediately stood and bowed his form. "My sincerest apology."
Sawakita lifted a hand. "No need to apologize, Mr. MVP. Like I said, I am not new to this. Please, return to your seat..."
Sendoh gave him a nod and sat back beside Uekusa. "It's a privilege that your busy self gave us this special treatment of meeting us in person."
Eiji positioned an elbow on top of the table and ran a finger on his lips. "I just wanted to see you..." Unsure, but Sendoh felt Eiji is scanning his face. "... That is all."
A brief smile. "I deeply appreciate it as the CEO of A-Sen Builders." But inside his mind... 'What the fuck is wrong with this guy?' He cleared his throat before his thoughts could blurt out off his mouth. "Anyway Sawakita, allow me to initiate our meeting to discuss your hotel's design..."
"Hold on. Hold on." He cuts him off and gave his watch a glance. "Can you give me another fifteen minutes? My assistant is still on another errand. I can't write my own meeting notes." He gave his face a playful squeeze. "Too lazy for that." and mouthed. "Sorry."
A bit offended but he needed to maintain the professionalism around the table. "By all means. Take your time."
Sawakita straightened. "In the meantime, let's enjoy some snacks." He snapped his fingers to give his bodyguards a signal. No less a minute, the food has arrived. Uekusa hastily tidied the table to prevent any spills on their important papers. Three elegant platters of different types of sushi and sashimi are placed in front of them. "I heard you are fond of sashimi, Sendoh. Please dig in."
He bit his lips inside. Even his favorite food, Sawakita has knowledge of it. "Ah yeah. A favorite actually. And thank you for your hospitality."
Sawakita ended the subject with a smirk followed by one bite of a whole sashimi. "I heard you started your firm three years ago."
"Ah yeah... with a friend and an investor."
"I heard. Former General Sendoh Azuma and Miboshi Yukio. Isn't that right?"
A surprised look from Sendoh. It's not a top secret within the firm but it's not also a popular story. SawakIta noticed his dubious look. "I need to do my own research if I'm going to invest millions, am I right?"
A smile. "O'course."
"But congratulations. Not everyone can pull that off easily." He placed a hand on his chest. "From someone who has no experience building a firm from scratch, I truly admire you." Sawakita says with sincerity in his voice.
"Thank you. But I can't take all the credit. My people and everyone working for me got their own contributions to make it happen." he stated, with a slight selling of his employee's remarkable service.
Another twitch of Sawakita's lips. "As always, the most humble."
Yet again, a mention of one of his good traits. Sawakita seems to have done a rigorous research about him. It is no big deal but it was concerning that he knows so much of his personality. He wiped his mouth with a tissue and decided to open another topic he is curious of. "If you don't mind me asking Sawakita, why A-Sen Builders? You are an international company and yet, you're putting your millions-worth of investment on a starting firm such as ours."
Eiji moved himself back. "Simple." Adding a mischievous twitch on his lips. "I want to prove something..."
He narrowed. "In what aspect, if I may ask?"
He wet his lips and leaned forward. "Let's just say we needed each other. Simple as that." He grinned.
Sendoh is starting to feel uneasy. Every word the man across the table utters, it feels as if there's hidden implications behind it.
"Also, wouldn't it be fun to work with someone who reminds you of your youthful days?" Sawakita added. "And I strongly believe that I am going to deal with someone who's trustworthy."
He scoffed a little. Another traits of him was mentioned. "You seem to have done a thorough research about me."
Sawakita simply curled his lips as a response. The phone suddenly vibrates, interrupting their conversation. "Assistant is here." he said and moved his plate to the side.
The good secretary did the same and cleaned their side of the table. He then brought up all the paperworks and envelopes required to close the deal.
"As you can see, I'm a busy man Sendoh. So I won't be here all the time. My assistant will be working closely with your team. Treat him as the owner of ES Corp. His words are my words. His decisions are my decisions. So whatever he say, it has to be done. All clear?"
He didn't respond. Everything about this encounter is totally odd. A unique setup from his previous negotiations. And an assistant doing a CEO's decision? Isn't that weird?
Sawakita felt his doubts so he explains it further. "He knew me from head to toe. He's fully aware of how my mind works so I will let him take control."
In spite of the discomfort, Sendoh gave a nod. "Can I know his name so I can address him properly?"
A playful twitch formed on Eiji's lips. "No need for that."
Again, another concealed message. He parted his mouth to interrogate about it but he was interrupted when the private room's door creaks open. The assistant has finally arrived.
"Oh he's here." Sawakita says. He slides himself out of the couch, stood and buttoned his suit back.
With the same amount of respect given to Sawakita, Sendoh and Uekusa slid their form off the couch and waited for the assistant to come in.
And as soon as the said assistant revealed himself, Sendoh's looks turned horrified. Eyes widened in shock. The muscles on his face began twitching. Shaking lips parted open, unable to utter a single word, even the person's name. Breathing gets difficult. Chest tightened in every step the approaching figure makes. A ghost from the past. This familiar presence. The pale skin. The unchanged style of his raven-hair. His memory can never be mistaken... for every angle of this person is carved in his brain.
"Ka...Ka..."
Uekusa is also in shock with the sudden appearance of the man whose presence is unknown for the last six years.
Sawakita snaked a hand behind the person's waist and turned to his left to introduce him properly. "Sendoh, Uekusa, meet my assistant, Rukawa-"
"Kaede..." Sendoh's only word in a whisper.
The said assistant took off his sunglasses and showed his usual emotionless face. The pale hand moved up and offered a hand. "Sendoh, It's nice to see you again."
"Uekusa." he called. "Cancel all my appointments today. No one must enter my office."
The door was slammed closed followed by a click inside, indicating the door has been locked.
He threw himself back on his swivel chair and ran his fingers on his strands. As expected, his phone rang. Despite the mixed feelings, he decided to pick it up. A call from the co-founder himself. "Akira what happen? Uekusa says you left without discussing our proposal. You know this is impo-"
"Let's talk about this some other time." he cuts him and ended the call immediately. The device was thrown sliding on top of the desk. A button was pressed and the blinds automatically block the sunlight from coming in. The whole room darkens. He removed his tie, loosened his collar and rested his back again on his executive chair. Fingers began massaging his eyes to the center.
He needed some time to think. An alone time to breathe.
It has been six years since Rukawa left him. No trace. No contacts. No shadow. Nothing but a memory of him...
His teeth clenched. Fist forming. "Shit." he uttered, as the scene of that particular night came back on its own.
Sendoh brushed and clutched an amount of his gel-ed spiky hair while crumpling a piece of paper in his other hand - a plane ticket in which the destination is the country he despised the most. "Am I not giving you enough Kaede?" He stood and walked a few steps away from the couch. "I am trying my best here to provide you whatever you want and needed. What more do you want me to do?"
Rukawa remained seated, unable to look at his raging lover towering beside him. "Father offered a training in America. He said he'll pay..."
"Fucking dammit!" The ticket flew across the room, flinching Rukawa's form. His fists clenched on top of his legs. "Akira, please calm down..."
"Calm down?!" he snarled. The most gentle person he has ever known is completely gone. And every time Sendoh is fuming in rage, it trembles him inside and out. "You decided on your own... bought a ticket and your flight is in the next three days and you want me to fucking calm down?!"
"You won't agree."
"What do you expect?!"
His chest can't stop throbbing from the shouting, echoing inside their one-bedroom unit. "Akira please..."
"What's in that fucking country that you want so bad that I cannot give you here, Kaede? I don't understand! You detest your father before and now you're going to live with him?" The side table was kicked and stumbled along with the lampshade on top of it.
A long silence filled the room.
"You said... you're okay here." Sendoh mumbled in his weak voice. "You promised... we'll achieve our dreams together." An exasperated sigh. "I am working so hard to fulfill your dreams... your restaurant... all the things you've been dreaming of..." His palm runs across his face, unable to complete his statement. "You are so unfair..."
Rukawa remained quiet on his seat. Stares are still on the coffee table in front of him.
Another deep silence, when Sendoh speaks again. "I am going out and sleep on mom's, tonight. Or wherever my feet could take me..." he says and turned his now blank stares back to Rukawa. "But if you're not here tomorrow. Once you set foot out of this country... we're through."
Silence was his only response until he heard their unit's door slammed closed.
Sendoh breathed in and blew it away. That night, it didn't take that long for him to rush back to their apartment to convince and begged, on his knees, for Rukawa to stay with him.
He wasn't ready.
He love him.
He cannot lose him.
And he's too mad to realize that his words of breaking up is opposite of what his heart's actual desire.
But as soon as he got back to their unit... in that same night... Rukawa was already gone.
Another sigh escaped him.
Thirteen years of relationship ended with a night full of regrets. And Rukawa left without any trace of his whereabouts.
He left him.
He has to be furious.
He has the right to be mad.
He has to hate him for leaving him...
But nothing of that sort is what he actually feels when he saw him the first time after six consecutive years...
No hatred...
No anger...
Not even a pinch of rage...
But rather yearning...
Longing...
A feeling of his once great love, buried deep in the very depths of him, is now crawling back to his inner core...
TBC