Chapter 15

Ritsu and Misaki's Affair (Part II)

When his phone rang just before he was about to leave for Haitani's apartment to fetch his troublesome first love, Takano shot a glare in its direction but was surprised when he flipped it open to hear Takahashi's voice on the other end.

"Takano-san! Usagi-san and I were wondering whether you wanted us to pick you up to go to Haitani-san's place or not," the boy asked rapidly, his voice a higher pitch than usual. He was nervous about something, obviously.

But that was the least of Takano's concerns. They were going to see Haitani, too? How the hell did they know each other? "You and that author of yours are going to that bastard's place?" he asked, irritation clear in his tone. There was a slight pause before Takahashi replied to that.

"Um, aren't you friends, Takano-san? Onodera-san was there, too—"

"I know that!" Takano cut the boy off, then realized what he was doing and regained his composure. "I know. He's not supposed to be there, and I need to get him back, alright? So just don't interfere and stay at that author's—"

"Like I would just let a hotheaded idiot run into some random guy's apartment alone to get his boyfriend back," a deeper, more mature voice cut in. Usami-sensei.

Takano tsked. He wasn't hotheaded…

"We're going with you. Onodera was my old editor, too, and…" Usami-sensei trailed off. "I thought maybe I'd help the two of you," he finished.

"Well that's nice of you," Takano replied sarcastically, glancing at the clock. He needed to leave. Now.

"Yeah, well. You're going with us, right?"

"No, I need to leave now. I can't wait for you to drive up here in your pretty little sports car," Takano replied, grabbing his bag and heading out his door.

"Then this is convenient for you, because my pretty little sports car is right outside your complex," Usami-sensei retorted smoothly.

Takano stopped short, and immediately wanted to ask how he knew where Onodera and he lived, but he knew the famous author had his methods. So he shut up about it and decided that riding in the sports car would definitely be faster than flagging down a taxi.

"Fine, I'll be there in a second."

After he had waited in upmost irritation for the elevator to reach the ground floor, Takano brushed his way past loiterers and made his way outside to find Usami-sensei's car parked spectacularly outside the complex. He wanted to roll his eyes at the sight of people gawking and admiring the expensive car, but he held himself back.

He found the passenger seat open, with Takahashi in the back, so he slid in next to Usami-sensei.

"Good to see you again, Takano." Usami-sensei sent a sidelong glance his way through his impressive and undoubtedly expensive sunglasses.

"Just shut up and drive," Takano replied to the mocking comment.

Ijuuin glanced up from where he was sitting. The park bench had a perfect view of an urban apartment standing against two other buildings, each standing out in their own way. It was great inspiration for his next chapter.

Yet he narrowed his eyes at the scene. Something was off. He glanced around the area, until he found what had been putting him off. A bright red sports car, unquestionably belonging to one famous author in particular, was idling in front of the building as if in wait for someone. When a tall, dark-haired man emerged from the entrance of the apartment to crouch down and enter the car, Ijuuin's interested was indefinitely piqued.

What's going on? What business does that guy have with Usami-sensei? Looking closer, he realized that there was someone in the backseat. Takahashi-kun. What? Where are they going?

Ijuuin immediately shot out of the bench and made his way to his own car that was parked in front of the apartment, as well. He had only been planning on being out for a half an hour, but this was an interesting development. The tall man had looked panicked and rushed; what had gotten him in such a state—and what did it all have to do with Usami-sensei and Takahashi-kun?

Luckily, the car started up quickly and he was able to catch up with Usami-sensei's conveniently uncommon choice of vehicle. Along the way, he had to lose them on purpose and then find them again since they had, apparently, made a few wrong turns and had to backtrack to find their way again.

When they had supposedly reached their final destination, it was a nicer apartment complex than the one the dark-haired man lived in. Usami-sensei parked the car and the three of them all got out in unison, each looking ruffled—the unfamiliar man in particular. Ijuuin parked as well and tried to keep as inconspicuous as possible while he followed them into the complex. Luckily, they didn't take the stairs, but took the elevator instead. Ijuuin watched as the elevator doors closed, concealing its passengers. The floor number Seven lit up above the doors, indicating that that was the floor they were headed to. Ijuuin quickly made his way up seven flights of stairs, reaching the floor just as he heard the elevator ding in announcement of their arrival.

For a moment, he wondered why he was so curious about what was going on, but he shrugged the thought off. Anything to try and persuade Takahashi-kun.

He watched from around a corner as the dark-haired man glanced at his phone, then back up at the room numbers. He didn't look too happy; maybe he had a business meeting and needed Usami-sensei's help for something? But then why did they bring Takahashi-kun along?

Then suddenly, they stopped in front of one of the doors and the dark-haired man knocked. Once, twice, three times. Three serious, seemingly intimidating knocks.

That was when Ijuuin crept out of his hiding spot. "Usami-sensei, Takahashi-kun! What a surprise to see the two—" he cut himself off on purpose, hoping to get the other man's name, "—I mean, three of you here this afternoon. What brings you here?"

Usami-sensei's expression immediately darkened when he realized it was Ijuuin speaking. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Ah, I asked first, Usami-sensei. Maybe Takahashi-kun would just kindly answer for me, though," Ijuuin continued, almost laughing at the shadow that now seemed to cover all of Sensei's face. He turned to the smaller boy, who looked slightly surprised. Ijuuin had to admit, he was relieved to find an absence of fear or disgust in the boy's emerald eyes—another emotion replaced it: concern.

Ijuuin frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked ambiguously, turning to no one in particular.

"Who is this, Usami?" the dark-haired man asked, nodding to Ijuuin.

Usami-sensei sighed. "Some mangaka Misaki likes…Ijuuin Kyo."

Ijuuin smiled in greeting. "Nice to meet you…?"

The other dark-haired male took up the unspoken request for a name. "Takano Masamune. I'm sorry, but I have no time to meet new little friends of Takahashi's. The two of them aren't even supposed to be here…." He trailed off, turning back to the door. "And why hasn't this bastard answered yet?"

"Coming~!" a man's voice answered from the other side of the threshold. "I just wanted to see where that little meeting of yours went. You're not very friendly, are you, Takano? At least be cordial to the poor man. It's bad business."

"Shut the hell up and open this damn door!" Takano demanded, slamming a fist onto the solid barrier.

There was a slight pause before the man replied. "Woah, woah, take it easy there, Takano. You'll get your little boyfriend back in time."

Takano gritted his teeth together, infuriated by Haitani's joking outlook on the situation. He wasn't being funny—if he wanted his first love, his Ritsu back, he would get him back. So instead of making a bigger deal out of it and possibly frightening Haitani away, he crossed his arms at his chest and waited. "Well? Aren't we going to eat or someshit before you let Onodera go?"

He could almost see the bastard laughing on the other side of the door.

"Right, right. Just promise not to hit me when you come in, okay, Takano?" The man's voice had lost its cheery overtone and sounded almost chilly, but Takano simply nodded, knowing Haitani was looking at the group of four through his door's peephole. "Okay, come on in." At the clicking of a few locks, the door opened the slightest bit, at which Takano shoved it open and stormed in.

"Onodera!" he called, looking in vain around the living room for the smaller man. After repeatedly calling the name into every hallway, though never leaving the living room in case that was taboo, he realized that Onodera probably couldn't answer his calls. At the thought, he shot an almost terrifying glare Haitani's way, though the man's irritating front did not crack in the slightest under the weight of Takano's gaze. "What the hell have you done with Onodera?"

Haitani shrugged at Takano's open fury. "Ah, nothing much…let's just say he's going to want to feel very good very soon—it just depends on how this meeting of ours goes as to who is going to make him feel good, of course." He laughed at Takano's innocently infuriated reaction and turned to the dining room. "Shall we eat now? I prepared more food since this charming Takahashi-kun asked to come, but who may these two be?" He nodded to Usami-sensei and Ijuuin-sensei.

After introducing themselves, and Usami-sensei shrugging off the slight surprise Haitani showed at hosting the biggest author in Japan at his apartment, the group of five made their way to the dining room as Haitani had suggested.

From there, the atmosphere was immediately thrown into a downward spiral.

After everyone had a serving of something to their liking in front of them on an impeccably white glass plate, Takano was the first to speak. "Quit with this bullshit Haitani. Just let me take Onodera back."

Haitani, in response, simply grinned—though the expression looked anything but lighthearted. "Well you see, it's just so much fun watching you get all hot and bothered about this first love of yours that I don't think I could do that so easily. I mean, you never seemed to care much for anything before, but here you are blowing your top over the past."

"This isn't about the past, it's about the present," Takano retorted, looking more and more irritated as the conversation heated up. "You have no business with Onodera anymore."

Haitani placed his chin on the heel of his hand, looking much too amused by the conversation than he should have been. "Ah, but I do, Takano. You see, while we were alone here, we—"

"You better not have done anything to Onodera, you sick bastard." Quite eerily, instead of raising his voice, Takano's tone remained threateningly low.

Suddenly, a quiet voice spoke up from one side of the table. "Um, so, Takano-san…you didn't know that Onodera-san was going out with Haitani-san the other day?" Misaki asked, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Just what was going on here?

Takano turned his head to stare at Misaki. "Of course not. If I knew he was going out with this…man," he seemed to have trouble regarding the man in even a distantly respectful way, "I would have locked him in my apartment myself…"

Misaki felt his fists clench in guilt. He definitely should have told Takano-san what had happened—then they wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.

After seeing Misaki so troubled, Usami-sensei spoke up himself. "And just why are you here?" he asked the man sitting across from him.

Ijuuin-sensei smiled innocently. "I saw my lovely Takahashi-kun going off with the two of you, so I just couldn't keep my curiosity from taking over. But ah, I suppose you know what happened between the two of us the other day, right?"

Usami's expression mirrored Takano's. "Of course I do, after seeing that obvious hickey you left on him. Don't worry though, I thoroughly cleansed him of your horrid treatment."

"Ah, don't be mean, Usami-sensei. It was just my way of telling Takahashi-kun that I love him, right?"

Haitani spoke up from his place at the table. "So you three are all gay?" He didn't miss a beat, making his straightforward question throw the three off. Even Takano seemed rather surprised that Usami-sensei had something of a love rival on his hands—or at least, from what he'd heard, it seemed like this Ijuuin-sensei was a love rival.

Usami was the first to answer. "I'm simply in love with Misaki."

The smaller man blushed furiously at the declaration. Ijuuin-sensei's next words didn't help much either.

"As am I. I'm serious about him, unlike what Usami-sensei thinks…" he picked up his glass of wine that Haitani had provided and took a sip, eyeing both Usami and Misaki as he did so.

Their host smirked at the words of both men, and most of all, at Takahashi-kun's reaction. It reminded him so much of Onodera's own reactions to his suggestive advances that morning. "I see…well that is an interesting development, wouldn't you say, Takano?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep everyone here that much longer, right?"

"Damn right…" Takano muttered, though Haitani's question had seemed rhetorical.

"If that's so, then I shall make a proposition with all of you." Both Takano and Usami's expressions darkened greatly at the smirk that had made its way to Haitani's lips. "If you allow both me and this Ijuuin-sensei here to have our way with Takahashi-kun and Onodera-kun, I'll give him back to you, Takano."

His words caused an immediate uproar.

"What the fuck do you think you're saying, bastard!" Takano bellowed, engulfed in pure fury. How could this man even conjure a thought as disgusting as that?

Usami's enraged voice matched Takano's in both tone and volume. "You honestly think we'd go along with that bullshit?" Misaki cringed—it was one of the rare times Usagi-san ever raised his usually calm, quiet voice.

Ijuuin continued to sit, not making a sound. This man was interesting, indeed, but his proposition was even more so.

After Takano and Usami's heated protests had subsided, Misaki finally spoke. "Umm…if it would help you get Onodera-san back, Takano-san, then…" he gulped audibly. "Then I wouldn't…mind…"

Usami's violet gaze flicked to the small boy. There was a slight pause before he could finally speak. "Wh…what are you saying, Misaki?" he asked incredulously. "You can't be serious…"

Misaki fidgeted under the unbelieving stare. "But…if it's for Takano-san and Onodera-san, I'll do it…"

Takano clenched his fist and banged it on the table harshly, causing heads to whip in his direction and several drinks to overturn and spill their contents onto the table—not that anyone really cared at that point. "Cut it out with this bullshit, Haitani. Just give me back Onodera. I played along with your ridiculously stupid game, and now it's over. Don't involve these three just because it's convenient for you."

"Well, I can't say the only reason I'm doing this is because it's convenient…but I think it's interesting." He narrowed his eyes at Ijuuin-sensei. "This man here is obviously the odd one out in their little love triangle, and if literature doesn't fail me, then that means he'll be the one without in the end. Why not let him get just a little taste of bliss before that happens?"

Usami answered before Takano could even open his mouth. "Because it's sick. If Misaki is against it, there wouldn't be a point!"

"Ah, but I've given Takahashi-kun a reason to not be against it. An excuse, if you will," Haitani answered, smirk present.

This time, it was Usami's turn to clench his fist. This fool surely isn't right in the head.

"So, since you've been so kind as to comply with my little proposition, Takahashi-kun, why don't we get to it?"

A/N

PLEASE DON'T HATE ME FOR HAITANI'S PLAN D: I had actually planned this at the start of this arc, and though I contemplated whether or not to go through with it, I just decided to screw it cause I do what I want.

Kidding. But seriously, if anyone really hates this I'm sorry. But I'm gonna go through with what I originally had in mind for the arc *^* And that may or may not mean that Haitani's plan will succeed, so don't get too worried about it. Yet. You can worry about it next chapter.

In the meantime, I'm yet again extremely sorry for the wait. What had I said last chapter? That I was gonna update within the week? HA. HINDSIGHT'S A BITCH.

Do I smell potential HaitanixIjuuin? . What? I didn't say anything.

Thank you for reading and I hope all you lovelies will stay with me until the end!

Ja ne~!