Disclaimer : VF belongs to its respective author.
Warnings : Rape and Violence
Chapter 12. She Finally Made Her Move
Part 1. The Powerless and The Powerful
Kou had never seen Arata in such a mess. Arata always dressed neatly. He was a business consultant and giving a good first impression was part of the job. He wouldn't look competent enough to handle a business if he couldn't handle his own attire. But now, the poor man greets Kou in a stained short, crumpled shirt, messy hair, and days old of stubble on his cheeks.
"Kou," Arata nodded.
Kou understands by now that it was not Akihito's fault. But seeing the man he secretly admires in such a devastating state rouses another wave of anger inside him. He doesn't know whom to blame for all the misfortune that fell on Arata. And Akihito is an easy target. Cursing silently, he tries to remind himself that it was not his friend's fault. Well, at least, not exactly.
"Arata, shit! When was the last time you shave, man?"
Arata merely shakes his head.
"You can't stay like this," Kou scolded him, seriously considering the option to drag the man in front of him to the nearest bathroom and give him a proper shower.
Somewhere from inside the house, Kou can hear children laughing and screaming in excitement. It must be Arata's nephew and niece. He tries to look over Arata's shoulder, but the man in front of him moves to firmly block his gaze.
"Ummm, sorry I came uninvited," Kou murmured uncomfortably. Obviously, Arata doesn't want him to enter the house.
Arata let out a tired sigh. "It is not that I don't want to invite you inside. But the house is in a total mess. It is embarrassing."
"Oh come one, it can't be that bad. Nothing can be worse than my room back in uni," Kou said cheerfully in an effort to lighten the mood.
Rubbing his own face wearily, Arata asked, "Why are you here, Kou? I am sorry but to be honest, I don't have time for chitchat."
If Arata noticed the hurt flashing in Kou's face, the man ignored it. Kou tried to swallow his disappointment as he answered, "I just want to check on you. I told you to call if you need help. Anything." He forced a smile, "I can be quite good at cleaning, you know."
Arata stares at him long and hard. It makes Kou think that it might be wiser to just leave the man alone for now. He almost speaks out his thought. But then Arata steps forward and quietly closes the door behind him. As soon as Arata is sure that no one inside the house can see or hear them, the poor man slides down against the door and starts sobbing violently, hiding his face and tears behind his trembling arms.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Kou swore silently in his panic. He has never been good at comforting. He kneels in front Arata, reaching out his hand awkwardly to pet Arata's knee.
"Arata," he called softly. "Man, it is okay. Everything will be okay."
Arata's body shakes in his grieve as the man cries his heart out.
God, Kou hoped he was Akihito. Akihito will know what to do in this kind of situation.
"They were all depending on me. My parents. My sister. My niece. My nephew. Then, Akihito left. I lost my job. Mariko was gone. My mother is too sick to care for the children by herself. My father works harder than ever and it is still not enough to pay the monthly installment for our debt. And I don't know what I can do. Never before I felt so powerless like now, Kou. "
The man's voice was so broken, so defeated, so lost. It makes Kou want to cry himself. Unable to think of what else to do, Kou pulled Arata into a tight embrace, rocking him back and forth, whispering soothing words that in the end, surely, everything will be all right.
"What are you doing?" Haruka asked when she found the young guard looking suspiciously at some documents on her desk.
Goro instantly turns around to face her. The man is tall and huge that it feels awkward to see him moving nervously. Haruka always thinks that his timid behavior doesn't fit the first impression given by the size of his body.
"Nothing, Ito-san. I...I am just waiting for you. Ummm, Kirishima-san told me to pick a new credit card for-"
"For Emi. Yes, he told me," she quickly cut him. Goro is always a bit slow and with all the tasks waiting for her after her trip to South East Asia, she doesn't have the time to patiently wait until he finishes his sentence.
She searches for Emi's document in one of the filing cabinet in her office. The new credit card was delivered to Sion by a courier this morning. Considering Kirishima gave the order via email a few hours after midnight, it took a bit of extra effort to get the bank to process the request in such a short time. But it was a request from Sion group that belongs to Asami Ryuichi and the world would do everything for her boss.
While flipping through the folders, she casually asked, "How's Emi?"
Goro cleared his throat before he answered, "She is good, Ito-san. She said...well, she said she missed her babies. Is it possible for her to visit them soon?"
Finding what she is looking for, Haruka pulls Emi's folder out of the filling cabinet.
"It is up to Asami-sama. But I will make sure to raise this issue to him."
She strides to sit on her chair. There will be some forms Goro needs to sign before he can take the card and leave.
"The babies...I heard that Asami-sama will raise them as his heirs," Goro said tentatively.
Instead of replying, Haruka clicks her mouse to print the necessary forms. While waiting for the printer to finish its job, she ignores Goro and carefully checks the documents on her desk.
"I also heard that one of his lovers is taking care of the kids and that Asami-sama is now living with them. They said Asami-sama took a liking to this lover that he trusted his heirs to the boy. Why didn't Asami-sama ask Emi-san to take care of the babies? She is the biological mother. She can handle them better than anyone. She won't betray Asami-sama."
Slowly, Haruka raises her head from the paper that she is currently reading.
"Whom did you hear all of this story from?" Her voice was completely controlled and composed.
Glad that Haruka finally paid him attention, Goro continued excitedly, "Well, some of the guards were discussing it. Ida, Muto, and Nagai."
Those guards Goro mentioned are all newly hired. Last night must be their first assignment to guard Takaba-sama's penthouse. Not upstairs on the penthouse floor. Suoh wouldn't make a mistake by placing new guards near Asami-sama or his boy. New guards would be stationed downstairs, most probably waiting in the parking area. She keeps her poker face as she thinks.
"So, is it all true, Ito-san?" The giant pushed.
Lucky for Goro, the printer beeps at that very moment, informing that the task is completed. Wordlessly, Haruka makes a commanding gesture with her fingers and the young guard quickly scatters to get the printouts for her. She checks it briefly; making sure that everything is in order.
"Please sign here, here, and here," she pointed.
After Goro signed, Haruka puts the new credit card on her desk. But when he reaches his hand out to take it, she forcefully grabs his wrist and presses a very sensitive nerve spot there. The guard shouts in shock while trying to take his hand back. She calmly keeps her hold on him. She is sure by now he knows that she can bring him down within seconds despite their size differences. She presses that soft spot even harder and Goro writhes in unbearable pain. But he doesn't dare to ask her to release him.
Good, Haruka thought in relief. If she had to keep listening to Goro, she couldn't guarantee what she would do. Goro's body might be as big and as muscular as Suoh, but his voice sounded so childish that it grated her patience.
"The next time I find you sneaking around my desk, peeping at something you shouldn't see, I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand. Do you understand, Goro?"
He can barely nod. His bulky body shakes violently that Haruka starts to worry that he will piss in his pants. It will be unpleasant to work in a room filled by the stench of piss for the rest of the day.
Who was it that hired this coward?
"I didn't do anything wrong," he started. But she doesn't take bullshit so she stopped his excuses by placing another finger on another sensitive spot. He practically howls in pain.
"Save your breath. We both know you were looking into my papers, Goro. Fortunately for you, there was nothing important on my table. Otherwise, I won't let you go. But this incident won't go unreported."
She pauses to make sure he gets her message. Goro keeps looking down as he tries to get away from her. Actually, it feels hilarious seeing a giant like him being so scared by a small size woman like her. But apparently, courage and confident are not defined by the size of your body.
"Now, take that credit card and go. I have things to do." She released him.
The time he took to grab the card and scramble out of the room must be record breaking.
Haruka waited right until the guard was almost passing the door before she called him sternly, "Goro."
The man instantly freezes in fear.
"Tell Ida, Muto, and Nagai to come here."
He turns around to look at her in panic.
She calmly continued, "I can understand that you feel sympathy after taking care of Emi for years. But I suggest you to keep your sympathy for yourself. Telling everyone you met about it won't do you any good."
The guard just stands there like a deer caught in the headlights. Feeling frustrated, she waves him away. Goro doesn't need to be told twice. He practically sprints out of the room.
Shrugging, Haruka shakes her head bitterly. She can understand Goro's feeling. Kirishima scolded her last night for doing similar mistake. Her sympathy for Takaba-sama persuaded her to interfere with her boss' affair. She won't say that it is a mistake to have sympathy. But it doesn't mean it is wise to blab about it to everyone.
She sighs. Goro looks too unstable. Making a self-note to keep a watch on Goro, she sends an email to report the incident to Kirishima.
How dare that bitch treated him like that! He talked to her nicely and then she threatened him! Why does everyone always, always, look down on him?! His parents. His older brother. And now Ito-san! They all thought that he was useless and weak. Well, they are all wrong!
Goro is ashamed enough with his life. He doesn't need another reminder of what a failure he is. His parents disowned him when he was 18, right after they caught him raping his brother's 5-years-old daughter. His brother almost killed him in his rage. The family kept the whole affair quiet, hoping that it would protect their traumatized daughter from public judgment. But they never wanted to talk to him anymore.
How could everyone put all the blame only on him?
He drives in anger through the heavy traffic, directing the car towards an abandoned manufacturing area an hour outside the city. What he needs now is to feel the power hidden deep inside him. He is going to prove that he is not weak. He has his own strength. Adrenaline pumps through his veins and he can feel his erection poking in his pants.
No one believes in him. Even Emi thinks that he is useless. He can see it written in her face. But at least, Emi understands that he just needs an outlet to show his power. Emi helped him to find a way to release an internal power that he didn't know he has. And she promised to give him more in the coming future.
Goro parks his car carelessly in the empty space outside. No one will scold him here for parking however he wishes. His body trembles excitedly as he walks into the now empty factory building.
"Mariko-chan, I am here to visit you," he greeted excitedly as soon as he entered the dimmed open room. His voice echoed in the wide vacant space.
Mariko looks at him in fear from where she is chained to a column. She tries to yank her chain to get away from him, hiding her naked body behind her thin weak arms. Dry blood stains her skin and her hair is sticky with dirt and mud. Silently begging for mercy, her slim dirty body shudders violently as she cries and Goro feels proud swelling inside him. This woman is scared of him. She trembles at the sight of his power. Why can't everyone react like that?
Goro feels worried about Emi's plan to get rid of that Akihito boy. Asami Ryuichi didn't become one of the strongest figures in the world by being benevolent. Everyone knows that. Asami-sama will kill anyone who dares to touch what is his. But Emi believes that her plan will work. Hopefully, Emi is right. Besides, at this point, he doesn't have a choice but to support Emi. He curses his own stupidity for falling for Emi's charm. But who could reject a sweet little thing like Emi trembling at his feet, sucking his dick in adoration? It is too bad Emi doesn't want to do that anymore.
Well, Emi promised that he would get a taste of this Akihito. The boy is an exact copy of Emi, so Goro is sure that the boy will taste as good as Emi. Emi also said that she would give that bitch to him. Goro grins wickedly. When Ito-san is finally chained to this same column, she won't be able to threaten him anymore. He feels his erection hardening into a steel just from that very thought.
"Let me...go...Please...I told her everything...Please, sir...let me go...," Mariko begged in fear.
She is trying desperately to crawl away when Goro gets closer. Feeling invincible and powerful, he grabs her hair roughly, pulling her towards him. She yells and shouts but no one can hear her here. When she fights him, crying for help until what is left of her voice becomes hoarse, the bulky man hits her across her face, making her choke with blood before he pins her small thin figure under his muscular giant body. He punches her a few more times until the woman stops her futile struggle. And damn, it feels good.
He puts her on her knees and hands because he wants to take her like an animal. Later, as he fucks her hard until she bleeds, striking her head and back with his leather belt whenever he wants, Mariko's almost inhuman scream makes him feel even more powerful than ever.
Part 2. Extreme Hatred
Takumi stood defiantly in the middle of the luxurious hotel room. Truthfully speaking, he was scared. His heart raced so fast inside his chest that he thought it would jump out of his mouth. He prayed that it would truly happen because then he would die and it would solve his problem. But of course, luck hadn't sided with him and his family for the last few months and such a good fortune would never happen.
Right across of him, sitting in the comfortable chair with a bearing that screamed power, Asami Ryuichi relaxed and observed him arrogantly. A glass of high quality whiskey in hand, the older man took his time assessing the 'good' he just bought. Takumi knew exactly how much money Asami Ryuichi spent on him. And the powerful man still promised a generous monthly allowance that would help to pay his family debt. The boy, still at the tender age of early 19, was not naive enough to believe that the crime lord would spend that much money just for watching him like this.
"Strip."
The order was cold and sharp. It was not unexpected, but Takumi still cringed at the thought. He had no other choice, though, so obediently he stripped, trying to do it as clinical as possible. His hands trembled when finally he took his underwear off. Like a mantra, he silently chanted a name, trying to find comfort at the thought of the woman that he loved.
Aoi. Give me strength. Aoi. Oh, Aoi.
"Hands at your side, brat. Face straight at me. Open your eyes. I want to see what I bought."
Again, that emotionless voice gave an order. He moved his hands to his sides, hoping he could close his eyes to hide his embarrassment but knowing better that to disobey the order. Asami Ryuichi's secretary had spent a week training him on how to behave. Tears pooled at the corner of his eyes, but Takumi blinked to stop it from falling. He was determined not to show any weakness to this man.
"Hmm, way too muscular and tall for my taste. Your skin color is a bit too dark as well," his master complained. "But you have almost the same fire in your pure hazelnut eyes."
The comment didn't make any sense for him. The same fire with what? He wanted to ask but he was too shock to voice his question because he noticed that, for the first time, there was a hint of emotion in that cold voice. It was very subtle, carefully hidden deep under layers and layers of tight control. But Takumi knew that it was there. Other people might not notice it. But Takumi had spent hours daily observing everything around him, trying to capture the emotion of both living and non-living things through his paintings.
Was that sadness? Longing? Love?
He knew it didn't matter what emotion his master tried to hide. It wouldn't change the situation. But analyzing it in his head gave him something to concentrate on, something other than what would happen soon.
"I know you had a girlfriend. Hara Aoi, wasn't it?"
He gritted his teeth in anger. This man didn't deserve to say that sacred name. He felt that it would somehow taint the pure Aoi.
"Did you sleep with her?"
That was an unexpected question and Takumi instantly blushed. His face, neck, and ears felt hot from shame. He opened his mouth to answer, however, he found that he couldn't find any word.
"Ah, you didn't," his master correctly guessed based on his reaction to the question. "You are a virgin. What a pleasant surprise."
Takumi flinched at the comment. It sounded as if Asami Ryuichi just bought a house or something and the man was happy to found that the house came with a complete set of furniture.
"Have you ever slept with anyone else, then? A man? A woman?"
"Why do you even bother to ask? You know everything about me already," he tried to dodge the question.
"There are only so much that a private investigator can find. Most of the times, a person hides more than what we can find about him," the master explained with a surprising patience. "So, anyone before?"
"Why does it matter?" He asked with a feeling of being utterly defeated. "You have me. Isn't that enough? Do you have to humiliate me as well?"
His master didn't reply immediately. When Asami Ryuichi finally spoke again, his next statement wasn't related in any way with their previous discussion. Takumi breathed a relief sigh, believing that the subject would be left behind. At that point, Takumi didn't know that Asami Ryuichi would never let go of anything that the man wanted.
"Your father showed me your paintings. They were impressive. You have talent."
The boy laughed bitterly. "It doesn't matter now. I won't be able to paint anymore. But, thank you, I guess."
"Why won't you paint anymore? Do you hate it?"
Takumi snorted. "Kirishima told me that you didn't like anyone from your 'collection' to go outside. I would be trapped inside the house. I guess, you wouldn't allow me to paint as well. I just need to sit like a pretty little toy, waiting for you to visit in the wee hours of the night."
His master tilted his head as if he was considering his next words carefully. "True," the man said. "I didn't like that person to go outside, because it was dangerous. But what I said regarding this issue had never mattered in the first place. So you can go outside and continue to paint, if that is what you want. It will be boring to visit a pretty little toy who just sit there obediently."
Again, his master made another confusing statement. But at least Takumi knew now that he could continue to paint. It was more than what he expected he would get. Painting was his life. He couldn't imagine a life without it.
His relief must be written in his face, though, because Asami Ryuichi smirked at him and calmly said, "I saw this painting of yours. It was truly beautiful. The object was a very young man or woman; I couldn't guess the gender. He or she looked to be sleeping soundly. A very simple painting but it was obvious that you put so much love there."
Takumi froze in shock. It was a secret he had hidden carefully, a desire he had admitted to no one, a painful memory that he just managed to forget because of Aoi's unconditional love. But now, this man came and poked on that wound nonchalantly. Oh god, he hated this man so much. Please, please, let Asami Ryuichi be damned to the seventh hell for every misery he brought to others.
"My best friend. He died years ago," he finally answered sourly. "I always believed that I hid it well."
That painting showed only part of a sleeping face. People didn't even pay much attention to it because it was very different from his usual style. Takumi was actually impressed that this man who seemed to know nothing but blood and violence would be able to see past through the thick layers of colors to find the hidden meaning.
"Ah, I thought you slept with him. But apparently, it was an unrequited love," his master chuckled. For a while, that handsome face softened and Takumi was surprised to find a bit of warmth behind that icy mask. "Don't worry. You hide your love pretty well. I can only see it because I have a few photographs with similar concept back at home. Every time I saw those beautiful photographs hanging on my wall, I always believed that the photographer had fallen in love with the object of his photographs. And yet..."
His master's voice trailed into silence.
And yet? What?
In a blink, that face turned stony and the warmth he thought he saw was gone. The next time Asami Ryuichi talked again, his voice was dreary, scaring Takumi with its emotionless tone.
"I am sure you know by now that I am not a gentle person. If you want to change your mind, this is your last chance."
The offer made him holding his breath in hope. For a second, he thought to himself, 'Thank god, this man is willing to let me go if I want to'. But then he remembered his father's solid face, asking him to do this one sacrifice not only for his entire family but also for the hundreds of people in their employment, and he shook his head in determination.
"No? Fine, then. I won't lie to you. It will hurt. A lot. But when it does, remember that I had given you choices but you decided to stay."
He sneered. "Like I have any other choice but to stay."
His master looked at him with a glint of disappointment in his eyes. "There are always choices, Takumi. But some of us are not brave enough to take the risk of those choices."
That night Takumi learnt a few things. He learnt what true pain was as it tore his body apart in a pure scorching agony until he thought he couldn't breathe. He learnt the feeling of being dirty as his master touched his body in a way that made him feeling utterly disgusted. And he learnt how extreme the hatred he felt for Asami Ryuichi, a man whom he believed causing all the misery in his life. The hatred was so extreme that Takumi started to make a plan to kill the crime lord in his sleep.
But of course, the opportunity had never came. Asami Ryuichi didn't sleep with any of his collection. After every sex, the powerful man would hastily leave Takumi's bed, take a quick shower and went with a face that looked as unsatisfied as when he came.
"Ugh, I always hate the smell of your place!"
Emi wrinkles her little pretty nose in disgust, trying her best to ignore the heavy turpentine smell in the air.
Takumi doesn't pay the annoying girl any attention. Instead, he uses his brush to get a bit of deep red paint from his palette and carefully adds the bloody red on top of the black and dark magenta colors on his canvas. Observing his own painting, he nods in satisfaction. Now, that's more like how he wanted the painting to be.
The girl peeks from over his shoulder. "Geez, why do you always make such a depressing painting? It makes me feeling miserable just by looking at it."
"Go away, Emi," he scorned at her.
There were times when his paintings were full of bright, warm and colorful colors. But those times were long gone. Takumi doesn't even remember when was the last time he felt bright and warm and colorful.
He quitted university a few weeks after his first night with Asami Ryuichi despite the older man's unexpected suggestion for him to continue his study. Being in crowd suddenly made him scared. He felt as if people were always staring at him knowingly. It was not like any of those people knew the fact that he had slept with a man much older than him, someone he didn't even love, for money. But still, he was afraid to look at anyone in the eyes since then.
Avoiding Aoi was even harder. The girl kept trying to talk to him for the next few months, asking for any kind of explanation on why he wanted to break up with her. And he missed her so much. But he knew better than keeping his relationship with her. He may be able to at least be friends with Aoi. But still, Takumi didn't want to take any chance. Aoi's safety is the most important thing for him. If his master found out that he still loves Aoi, it would mean death for him and the girl.
Actually, Asami Ryuichi didn't spend a lot of time with him. His master stopped having sex with him after their third or fourth time. Sometimes, Asami Ryuichi would request Takumi to accompany him to an art exhibition or casual party. But that was all. The man hasn't touched him further than a kiss on the lips or an arm around his waist for more than a year. Takumi feels relief that he could avoid the sex and those art exhibitions were not that bad. In fact, he enjoyed them.
"Tsk, why do you always act so rude towards me? Here I thought I would give you a favor," the girl brought him back from his walk along the memory lane.
He didn't even need to think before he straightly told her, "No."
"You haven't even heard anything about it!"
He snorted. "I don't care. I won't receive any favor from you, Emi. Heaven knows that your favor hurts and kills. I am not stupid. I heard rumors about you. I may live an unhappy life, but it is still better than being dead. Besides, I told you I was NOT interested in your little harem game. You want to become Asami Ryuichi's favorite whore? Go ahead. You want him in your bed every night? Be my guest. Just leave me out of your fight for power. In fact, feel free to keep him busy. The less I see him, the better I will feel."
He could hear, instead of see, the frustration in her voice. "Well, no wonder your painting looks so ugly. Obviously, you are blind. How come you feel nothing for our master? He is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on earth. Not only that, he is handsome and sexy. Do you know that-"
"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever, Emi. Just get out of my house before I call the guard. Or should I call Kirishima-san directly and tell him that you are disturbing me?"
"You will regret it if you kick me out now, Takumi, because-"
He almost shouted at her. "Which part of my sentence don't you understand? I thought I spoke in Japanese and YOU should understand Japanese! But-"
"-I can offer you a way to get your freedom back!" Emi finished by increasing the volume of her voice to beat his own shouting.
That statement stopped Takumi's next retort. He stills in his position, sitting on a wooden stool, paint brush between his fingers, and his favorite palette in his other hand. Slowly, he turns around to look at Emi. The girl grins smugly at his reaction.
"Interested now, Takumi?"
There is a glint of danger in the girl's eyes. Takumi feels shivers run up his spine. He may regret his decision later. But it doesn't matter now. He wants to see his family again. He longs to be a free man once again. He yearns for the warm feeling of being truly in love, a much as being loved unconditionally. If whatever proposal Emi has for him can give him that, he is willing to take any risk.
"I know you hate the master, Takumi, for whatever reason that I will never understand. That was why I stayed away from you up until now. You hate him so much that you wouldn't stand in my way. But now, I need your help to destroy master's favorite toy. He likes it a bit too much for my taste. I believe that this new toy had distracted him from me so I want to take it from him as soon as possible. It will make master a bit sad, most probably, but I will be there to comfort him. Once it is done, as Asami Ryuichi's only partner and the mother of his heirs, I will use my power to release you. I will pay the rest of your family's debt but you must stay away from Asami-sama. It is not a bad option for you, isn't it?"
The moment he heard her mentioning the opportunity of making Asami Ryuichi sad, he didn't care anymore about anything else. His voice was dangerously low and full of his bitterness as he asked, "How do you know that this person is not just another one from his collection? Don't get me wrong. If it can hurt Asami Ryuichi in any way, I am interested. But I want to make sure I don't risk my life for another disposable toy."
She made a face that clearly showed her passionate rage as she replied, "I have my own sources. They helped me digging some facts here and there. This boy might be the one we all tried to imitate. He might be the original."
Now, that's interesting. Takumi suspected that there was an original one long time ago, someone that triggered his master's near-mad obsession for light brown hair boys and girls with pretty hazelnut eyes. But he always believed that the original one was no longer alive. Otherwise, why would his master spend time with the imitations?
Emi smiled sweetly like an innocent angel as she continued, "The master may be wealthy and powerful. But at times, he can act like a little naughty boy. Sometimes, he has so much fun playing that he forgets to go home for dinner. As the adults, we need to slap those kind of naughty children a bit so they will understand the rule. The blow will sting for a while, but I will pamper him later. He will be fine."
He stares at her in disbelief as if she just admitted that she was an alien. Shit, she must be crazy to believe that a man like Asami Ryuichi will let anyone to slap him on the face and do nothing about it. But blinded with hatred at the powerful man, he nodded, "Fine. I will help you. If the boy is the original, finding this boy dead will break Asami Ryuichi into pieces. There is nothing that I want to see more than that. You can keep the remaining pieces for all I care. I don't understand why you love that cruel man so much, but I guess, for now we need to agree to disagree. Just keep your promise to let me go. "
Her satisfaction was clearly shown on her face as she confirmed, "I will let you go once that boy is dead. That's a promise."
Part 3. Twisted Love Stories
The bell rings again that evening. When I open the main door, I find Kirishima standing in front of the penthouse, patiently waiting for me to let him in instead of going inside on his own like he usually does. He did this everyday for the last two days.
"Why are you keep doing this, Kirishima? I have better things to do than opening the door for you. You didn't bother with ringing the bell before. Damn, you have your own keys," I frowned at him to show my annoyance.
Kirishima points his forefinger at me who is trying to calm the howling and fighting monster in my arms. Obviously, Rikiya and Naoyuki decided that it would be fun to spend the day crying at the top of their tiny lungs and they haven't stopped since they started hours ago, giving me a terrible headache and a pair of almost deaf ears. Nothing I did can stop them and I began to worry that they would cry until their own tears choked them to death. Knowing that my patience was thinning, I seriously considered the idea of shoving them off into the bastard who fathered them. If Asami wanted kids, he should take care of them himself.
"Let me help you with the twins. You deserve some rest," Kirishima offered good-naturedly.
But as soon as he offered, my pride kicked in and I wanted to refuse his offer just because I didn't want to listen to Asami or anyone who is associated with him.
"I can take care of them myself," I snapped.
He let out a long and tired sigh. "Brat. Stop being stubborn and childish. It has been two days already. Shouldn't you be tired of pouting and sulking to Asami-sama by now? The kids can feel that you are agitated. That is why they are being difficult. Let me help you feeding and bathing them, at the very least."
I almost say no, just like what I did for the last two days. Almost. However, I am so tired, both physically and emotionally. No matter how much I like the kids, right now they are so overwhelming that I would love to have some break from them. Admitting my defeat. I nod and let Kirishima in.
Kirishima doesn't talk much as he takes Naoyuki from my arms. He leaves me so I can take a nap on the sofa in the living room. As I lie there, closing my eyes and massaging my forehead, I can hear the twins start to calm down in their room. Dozing off, I thought that maybe Kirishima was right. I felt so angry with Asami that the kids must be able to sense it. No wonder they were so uneasy today.
More than an hour later, Kirishima wakes me up gently before he offers a bowl of warm miso soup. Gratefully, I take it and start to sip it slowly as he sits in the single chair nearby.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
"No problem," he replied.
Kirishima turns on the TV as I enjoy the light soup he made me. He switches to news channel and I try to follow the financial discussion being debated by two professors whose names I don't recognize. It is so boring and after a few minutes, I lose my interest on the topic already. But Kirishima seems to be interested as he nods and shakes his head every now and then.
"So," I started when I couldn't stand to listen to the debate anymore, "he sired those kids."
Kirishima didn't turn his attention away from the TV as he replied, "Biologically speaking, yes, they are his. Legally, they are yours."
"Right. And that should make me feel better," I grunted.
"I just stated the fact. It was not meant to make you feel better or worse."
I stare at Kirishima with a new fresh irritation. Somehow, I was hoping that Kirishima would be more supportive. I meant, my damned lover practically told me that he slept with another woman behind my back. He fathered two children from her and, not stopping there, he had the guts to register those children as my official sons without asking for my consent. Who in their sane mind will approve that kind of actions? But, of course, being as abnormal as the rest of Asami's world, Kirishima will take Asami's side no matter what kind of obscene things my lover does.
Anger filled my voice as I whispered through gritted teeth in the vain effort to keep my fury under control. "I am such an idiot, am I? I always believed that he loved me."
If he noticed my agitation, Kirishima hid his reaction well. He stayed calm -his eyes were focused on the numbers shown on Asami's ultra HD TV screen- while answering my rhetorical question unnecessarily, "Well, you were always an idiot. I won't argue with you there. But you were an idiot for a completely different reason than the one you had in mind." He finally looked at me before he continued firmly, "You were an idiot if you couldn't see the depth of his feelings for you."
I lost my patience then. "Oh, great! Were you saying that this was his way of showing his love? Tell me, should I feel loved when he did such things for me? 'Oh Asami, what a great gift you have right here: your babies with another woman! Such a wonderful surprise! Thank you, dear! You are so thoughtful.' Is that what I should say to him?" I mocked.
The man whom I always think of as a friend up until this moment just shrugs at my burst of emotion. "Asami-sama is always a bit twisted, I have to admit. But he takes care of those he loves. You are one of those few people."
I laugh sarcastically. "Sure. I am one of his many lovers. I am so grateful that I want to cry. What an honor the great Asami Ryuichi gave me."
Kirishima snorted at me. "What I was trying to say is that you are one of his family, brat. And as far as I know, he doesn't have a lot of people that he considers as family. You. Me. Suoh. And now those two kids as well. That will be all, I guess."
"And his other lovers?" My voice sounded weak and uncertain even to my own ears. I hated the fact that Kirishima would easily notice the insecurity that was barely hidden in my question. Or if I want to be honest with myself, it is not hidden at all.
"He has no other lovers. Not that I know of. I told you, I am the one who arranges his schedule. I literally know with whom he spent every single minute in his daily life."
"Oh? Are you sure? Because he just told me that he slept with another woman."
"He did."
"Then, how come you told me that he doesn't have any other lovers?! What will you call someone he slept with if not a lover?"
"What will I call someone he paid to sleep with; is that what you mean? Please pardon my words, brat, but I will call that person a whore."
Now, it is my turn to snort. "Like I will believe you. He doesn't have to pay to get anyone into his bed," I pointed out the obvious fact.
"He didn't have to. But he wanted to. He made sure to pay those people a huge amount of money for their 'trouble'," Kirishima made an air quotes with his fingers. "That was the only way he knew to draw the thin line between you and the whores he slept with. They satisfied his needs and he paid them. It was just business between him and those people. But the thing between you and him? Well, you need to figure it out yourself."
As always, his blunt reply stunned me speechless.
"Why me? Why not one of those others?"
Kirishima laughs dryly. "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? Why does it have to be you, a ridiculously idiotic brat with no sense of self preservation and such a stubbornness that can shame even the still mountains?" Shaking his head bitterly, he looked at me in the eyes as he answered, "I don't know. I asked the same question to myself many times. Asami-sama slept with so many men and women for years since we met but I saw none of them as my friend. Why do I care for you and not the others? Maybe it is because of your kindness. Or maybe it is because of your charming naivety. Or because of the way you drilled yourself into other people's life. I don't know, brat. What I know is that you don't need a reason to care for someone."
I sneered at him. "And since when did you get the certification to be an expert in human relationship, Kirishima? I have never seen you in a relationship with anyone before. I doubt you had been in love with anyone. You just moved from one woman to another. So, don't you dare lecturing me on this subject!"
His expression upon hearing my insult was shocking. For once, he removed his emotionless mask and showed a shade of sadness that I had never seen before.
"I loved a woman once," he told me serenely.
He looked so uptight as if he was trying his best to keep his face stoic and failed miserably.
"You talked in past tense. What happened to her? Did she leave you?" I asked out of concern and not because I still wanted to mock him.
"She died," he answered shortly.
I swallowed, cursing my own stupidity for bringing the topic up in the first place. "I am so sorry to hear that."
He waved his hand in a dismissing gesture. "It is okay. It happened years ago. It doesn't bother me much now. To be honest, I feel better after saying it out loud just now," he paused to take a few deep breaths before he continued, "I loved her since I was young."
My eyes widen in curiosity. This is a story he most probably had never told anyone before.
"She was beautiful and so full of life. I couldn't help but falling for her. When I was mature enough to understand that she didn't love me as a man, I was devastated. I was so young, you see, and I naively believed that the world had to rotate around my will. So when it didn't, I got angry. I left her. I did whatever I wanted without any care of my own life. I didn't realize what she had to endure back at home."
I hold my breath in anticipation, waiting patiently for him to continue his story. He doesn't need to say anything to tell me that it is not easy for him to talk about this. It is clearly shown through the stiffness of his body and the way he stares at nothing as if he can see those scenes right in front of his eyes right now.
"Her father raped her. Multiple times. When I found out, it was too late. She was broken, staring at me like an empty shell, and there was nothing I could do to turn back the time. She was just 17. She should have years of happiness in front of her. But that jerk took it from her. I killed that old bastard with my own hands, and still, everyday I hoped that I could kill him all over again."
I gasped in shock. It all sounded so unfair and I wanted to weep for the young Kirishima and this young woman that I had never even meet. I wanted to hug him and soothed his old pain with gentle words. But Kirishima smiled when he noticed the tears that pooled at the corner of my eyes.
"You don't have to cry for me, Brat. I am fine now. But, back then, I was so scared. I was barely 14 with a dead body at my feet and an emotionally and physically wounded woman that I had to protect. And I didn't know what to do. I would be in jail if it was not for Asami-sama."
When Kirishima didn't elaborate further, I opened my mouth to ask but he stopped me.
"You would be better not knowing how Asami-sama did it. Anyway, she died years later. Her father had AIDS and the bastard gave it to her while raping her body." He stopped to laugh resentfully, "You know, when I was young, I always thought that there would be time for everything that I wanted in life. I learnt the hard way that life was much shorter than we thought. Now, I regret every minute I spent running away from my love for her. I should have stayed. It didn't matter whether she accepted my love or not. At least that way, I could protect her."
He stared at me long and hard before he said, "Life is way too short to be spent in anger with the person you love. Today, that person may be by your side. The next day, he may be gone. Do you want to waste your precious time doing nothing just because you are too afraid to admit your love?"
"It is easy for you to say. You loved this beautiful kind-hearted woman, not a crime lord with a twisted way to show his love," I pouted.
Kirishima just snickered at me. "Tell me something new about twisted love, boy. The woman I loved was my own sister. Well, she was my half-sister -we have different fathers- but it doesn't change the fact that we are siblings."
When the doorbell rings again that night, hours after Kirishima left me alone with my thoughts, I am almost asleep. I try to ignore it, but the person outside the door keeps ringing the bell like crazy. Can't Kirishima wait until tomorrow morning? Does he notice what time is it now? I would seriously kill him if I found out that he disturbed my sleep for anything less important than the end of the world, I thought angrily. Grumbling, I drag my feet to walk the distance to the front door.
"What the hell, Kirishima? I told you I would forgive the bastard! But not now! Don't I deserve a few more days of sulking?!" I shouted as I forced my sleeping brain to find out how to open the stupid door.
It seems Kirishima is in a rush, though. He rings the bell impatiently.
"Stop ringing the bell, you jerk! Use your own key! Did you-"
I stopped when I saw the person standing in front of me. For a short while, I thought that someone put a mirror in front of the door and I was looking at my own reflection. Then, the person moves and I realize that it was not my reflection.
"Hello, Akihito. It is nice to finally talk to you."
The casual greeting and that feminine voice turn my blood cold. Fear churns in my stomach as my brain tries to deny the truth, a hard thing to do considering that the truth is standing calmly in front of me. It is easy to connect the dots by looking at this woman who looks like a copy of myself, knowing my lover's babies sleeping inside my house. I must be a complete idiot if I couldn't guess who she is.
No way. That bastard won't do something this cruel to me, will he? Not like this. Please, God. Not like this.
She must notice the recognition showed in my face because she continued without waiting for my reply, "So, Asami-sama told you about me and the kids."
I felt numb when I nodded grimly. "He did."
What he didn't mention to me was that you looked exactly like me to the point where I felt scared just looking at you. That bastard must be crazy! Why does he have to shove this woman to me?
"It is good that you know about me already. It will be easier for us to be...friends. At least I hope we can be friends," she smiled sweetly that made her looked like a beautiful angel. "Asami-sama told me that I could visit the twins. May I come in?"
No, I wanted to scream the word at her. No, I don't want to let you to come to our house. I don't want you near my babies. Ever. You look beautiful and kind and graceful and all. I am sure everyone loves you. But I don't care. You have no right to come here at 2am and barge into my house.
But what can I say? This is Asami's house and those are his and her children. I am the outsider in this messed up relationship. And there will never be any better way to rub that fact on my face than this situation.
Bastard, why do you always make it so damn difficult for me to accept our relationship?
Slowly, I move aside to give her some room. "Sure. Come in."