CHAPTER TWO: TELL HIM OR TELL HIM NOT

TAKAMIYA NOJO! Ran's face hardened at the news. "Did the old man order you to talk to me?" He asked in a very dangerous voice.

Ken was actually alarmed now. He should be if he knew how much in trouble he's in. "I-- If you're talking about Takamiya-sama. . ."

"You should know," Ran cut him off. "I'm not interested in anything that old man has asked you to tell me. After bringing here a woman, now he's sending a little boy to do his bidding, huh?" His eyes maliciously raked Ken's form. "Tell the old devil that he's wasting his time. I don't ravish 'boys'," and without further ado, he fished his keys on the table and was getting out of the office.

Sent by the old man! Little boys! Anger rose from Ken's chest at what Ran implied. He stood up.

"Takamiya-sama did not sent me here and don't insult me!" Ken's voice rose a little higher before he could even check himself. He shouldn't be angry. More than anyone else, he should know how Ran felt towards the nojo and Takamiya-sama. He was fairly warned by the old man's attorney about it.

But the revelation did change everything.

He can't possibly tell Ran to marry him now could he? Not after Ran has just fiercely declared that he wasn't interested in 'men'. Ran is damn homophobic. He's as straight as the world is round. Damn. Setting aside his own feelings, he thought of another way to answer him.

"I did not come here because of Takamiya-sama," his voice turned calm immediately. "He already died over a year ago."

Ran stopped in his tracks and glanced at the boy who was standing a mere meter from him. "So the old devil has finally died," his sarcastic remark, disinterest shown on his face. "If that's all you have to say. . ."

"Anou—if you're really busy now I am willing to wait here until you come back. Just promise me that you will talk to me," he hated begging but he has no other choice.

"And why would I do that?" Ran coldly inquired. His eyes set on the boy's face.

Ken wearily held up his hands. "I don't know!" He fidgeted from where he stood and put his sweaty palms inside his jeans pockets. "I was hoping you would talk to me. I traveled this far just to talk to you about—about the. . ." He lowered his head. He can't bring himself to tell the truth could he? Well, maybe not now. Right, I'll just have to find another time to tell him about me. In the meantime. . .

"About what?!" Ran's voice thundered inside the soundproof room.

"A-about. . me," Ken confessed in a whisper and fear. Oh, shit!

Ran's frown deepened. He moved to his desk and pick-up the intercom. "Miki, call the two at Kowloon and tell them that I'll be delayed." He then sat on his executive chair afterwards.

Ken took that chance to roam his eyes in the room's interior. It spoke of modern luxuries in volumes. From the chocolate carpet on the floor that almost eat his worn-out rubber shoes in it's fluffiness to the expensive furnitures that adorned the room. The man in front of him is like a king seating on his throne. Rich and powerful. And now with Takamiya-sama's death, he is ten times richer.

"My dad sent you a telegram twice--"

Ran waved his hand, "I threw all communications from the nojo without bothering opening them. How did that old man knew where to find me?"

"He hired someone to track you and your mother down, Fujimiya-san. It wasn't that hard, you are a well-known businessman after all."

Ran shrugged. "I won't even ask why he bothered. Now, why are you here? What is it about 'you' that I should bother wasting my time with?"

Is it what he was? A bother? The man is starting to piss him off. "Well, I wouldn't be here if dad had not died a few months ago! I--"

"What's your father's death have got to do with me?!"

A pain shot through Ken's chest. He can't believe how callous this man is. His father died a fresh six months ago and the pain is still new. "I came here because I have no one else to turn to," he continued in clenched teeth.

"I don't know what to do with the ranch. I have no money and I was left alone in the villa. The nojo has long been abandoned since my father's death. The cow's gone because of cattle rustlers that--"

"I don't give a damn whatever happened to that damn ranch! I am not interested. That old man's land can rot to hell for all I care!"

"Yeah, you're right. But I'm the only one left there except for the elders that stayed because they have nowhere else to go," Ken's voice raised a notch. "It's your obligation to see to the nojo's condition and it's inhabitants. And me, I'm your responsibility, too. . ." He whispered in supplication but Ran heard him clearly.

"You're my responsibility?!" Ran straightened on his seat. "Are you out of your mind? How did you became my responsibility?!"

Ken raised his head, doing his best to fight off the shame he was feeling and looked straight into the man's steely gaze. "For the number of years my parents served your grandfather the only payment they got was free food and housing and a little amount of money they had used for my schooling. . ."

"That is none of my concern."

"Takamiya-sama became a miser," he continued never averting his eyes to Ran's amethyst one's. "Despite the fact that my parents has no proper wage, they still stayed and took it upon themselves to take care of the nojo. Dad values the nojo so much because that is where he grew up. But not everyone has the same thought as him. One by one, the workers left because of the small salary even the workers in the villa. Only us. Then mom died and left me and dad--"

"This is ridiculous! 'How' did you became my responsibility?!" Ran repeated. "I do not even know you," his patience waning by the second.

"Takamiya-sama chose you to be his heir and left you the whole land--."

"I don't need his money! He should have taken it with his grave!" Ran stood and started walking around his office.

"That was his way of forgiving! He was too proud to admit it. He must've known how much you hate him since you didn't even bothered answering any of his letters."

"You are digressing, Hidaka-san. It is about you that were talking about but you bore me with your childhood stories. If a permission to stay in that damn land is what you came here for, done! You can stay there all you're life. You can even burn the whole place for all I care!" Finishing the discussion, Ran again collected his keys and moved to the door.

"I can't go back there. I mean. . . I could only do that after you have arranged everything. It needs your personal authority. That's hectares upon hectares of dying land. It won't be that easy."

Ran's temper flared. His meeting with his two associates is very important and his time is being wasted in all this nonsense conversation. "What do you really want to say, dammit!"

Ken is starting to get nervous at the anger forming on the older man's face. "I-I'm living alone in the villa and..." he took a deep breath. "You were supposed to take care of me."

Ran couldn't decide if he should be amused or be angered at the boy. He's shouldering himself to him? When if truth were told, he abhors everything that has a connection with Takamiya. He wasn't even interested in the fortune the old man had left him. And he can't decipher the logic behind Hidaka-san's story. What do he care about the boy?

He carefully assessed the boy's features. Young and handsome, have smooth honey colored skin, expressive eyes, an upturned nose, full and soft looking lips...

Ken felt a chill ran down his spine at the older man's intense gaze, fear starting to fill his chest. He became unsure if he had done the right thing by coming here. Why was he burdening himself to the guy? And most of all, why did he ever ever believed when his dad said that Fujimiya Ran would not desert him?

After a few moments pause, Ran abruptly turned to his desk, opened a drawer and took a check out. After signing it, he held it towards Ken.

"Here's the money. You can cash it out a bank across here. Do whatever you want to do with it."

Tbc...

Sethdrix: ain't Ran a little rash with poor Ken-ken here? Hmp! Don't worry, Ken-kun will strike back soon enough and I know Ran wouldn't like it a little bit. Or would he? Want to read more? Then don't forget to REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!

Thanks so much those who had already by the way. You're the ones that gave me the inspiration to continue the fic. I was a little down when no one reviewed my work for the past days after I had put this up and when I checked again voila! There already were three! I know it ain't much compared to reviews other author has but it made me feel good inside, real warm. So don't tire reviewing cause by doing so, you make one person in the world happy. Specifically, MOI! ^_^ thankie! thankie!