Aki thought to leave but then went up in the roof to get away from all this and calm himself.
But as soon he went to the roof he remembered the first day when they met. He holds his heart and breathes. He stood in the middle. He feels the wind was moist and smells rain, "Must be raining somewhere. May be it will rain here soon."
Aki sat down on the floor where he felt the breeze for a while. He was tempted to lie down but didn't do that. Just kept sitting on the ground, feeling the air.
Soon after that it began to rain.
Aki didn't move but stayed as it was not raining so hard. He lay down this time spreading out both of his hands while closing his eyes. Soft raindrops were touching his face.
He felt good.
"Should I stop..waiting?..Waiting for him...waiting for her...I'm tired Mei, please come back…keep your promise. I don't know how long I can live waiting for you. I even lost your last memory. Should I just let go? But...how much…of it should I let go?" Tears kept flowing down as he lied there with closed eyes.
When the rain started to pour down hard he got up then stood up but wobbled. He made himself steady. His contacts were causing discomfort. He took off his contact lenses then threw it away. When he turned back to go, he saw someone standing. He looked up and saw he was Reiji. They both stared at each other's eyes for a while.
Reiji tried to approach, 'How have…'
'Everything will be ok as long we don't cross paths right?' Aki said.
Reiji was confused what he said.
'We...You and I, from now on...should not cross paths. Never!' Aki's eyes glowed like jewels as he said those words firmly.
A thunder lightened through the sky with a loud sound. But that couldn't make them move. Aki walked past him and left. Reiji stood still without knowing what to say.
Mei was standing outside Aki's building. He was in dilemmas, 'Should I just leave it here or go give him back and apologize! But what should I say if he asks why I took it!!'
It began to rain.
'Oh shit! Why is it raining now?'Mei vanishes from there and enters Aki's room.
Ginger was sleeping there on Aki's bed.
'Oh! Senpai didn't take you with him today? Don't tell him that I came today. ok? Good boy! Let's leave it here under the bed.' Mei dropped it under the bed beside the bed stand, 'All clear.'
Aki's room is neat and clean without any unnecessary furniture. Clean white. Everything.
'Why do I feel like I'm at Reiji's!! They both seem to have the same preference!! Big and Empty.' Mei went to the living room and then to another bedroom after that to the guests.
This room seemed colorful because it was the study room. Full of books.
Mei was amused to see, 'I was right...He is so much like Reiji.'
He saw the same pictures as Noah had. But alongside there were three more frames. One was Aki with his mother Sakura, Aito where Aki was a toddler, and on another one were Aki, Aito, Sara, and Ayush. In the third one had Sara, Dr.Asahina, Aki, Ayush, Ayan and Aysha.
Mei frowned, 'You look the same...sad.'
Something fell down. Mei was startled then saw Ginger, 'Aish!! You gave me a heart attack Ginger!'
Ginger was standing in front of the darkroom.
'What? You wanna go in there?' Mei found the room locked, 'It's locked, buddy.'Ginger meows)
'Why do you wanna go in there? Is there something of your favorite?' Mei didn't unlock the door but went in through the door.
'Wow!!' The red dim light turned on, 'So this is where Aki stays…' Mei keeps watching the photos.
On the wall, there were some photos of Reiji and Mei.
He was surprised, 'When did he take those? Seems like in…office…oh!'
The room was quite more spacious than the other rooms. More than double would be ok to say. Mei keeps watching the equipment, every tool, chemicals, trays, etc.
'Why own a darkroom when you are in a digital era! But this is so cool.' Mei was walking slowly.
Ginger jumped off Mei and went towards the chest freezer.
It was a customized freezer. Quite wider than normal.
Mei frowned. He kept watching photos. There were photos of random people but after that were the photos of a beautiful lady. Some of them were with Aki.
The photos show how much Aki loved this person.
'Why would you leave someone who loves you this much, lady?! You are a foolish one. Let's go, Ginger. Come on!' Ginger didn't move when Mei called him.
.He was on the top of the freezer looking down in there constantly. He was moving his tail slowly.
'What are you looking at? Is there any fish you love?' He showed Ginger that he can't open it because it was locked, 'See buddy I can't open it because you are not supposed to eat what's in there.'
Ginger didn't move or look elsewhere. His stare was fixed on the same spot like he was watching something.
Mei got curious, 'What are you looking at buddy? Is there…'
The moment he looked through with his jewel eyes**, for a moment the situation made Mei paralyzed. He lost control of his spine and fell down. The paradox seemed beyond his imagination, 'Is this…'
Mei looked at Ginger and Ginger was looking at the surface beneath its feet. Mei got up and moved Ginger down on the floor.
He unlocked the freezer and Ice mist spread out. On the layer of the iceberg, a girl was lying surrounded by ice crust.
5'3" body length, short brown hair, thick eyebrows, bloodless skin, and purple-blue lips seemed surreal.
The body covered in a white suit was camouflaged by the ice crusts as if she was wearing an armor made of frost. Mei sloping himself towards the girl looked carefully. Then he understood. She is the total copy of himself, 'You look like...So…You are...Mei…why…'
'You are brave!' Mei was shaken up hearing the words.
He looked back and saw a woman leaning on the door frame. It was Tanya. She was smiling with a sad expression.
She came and stood beside Mei, 'I really don't understand this obsession of these Trio.'
Mei stuttered, 'Noah knows the…'
Tanya shook her head, 'He doesn't. That's why he blames me why don't I sympathize with him.'
'Oh, God!' Mei was unable to understand all this. He stood there, mobilized.
'I stayed with Aki for a whole decade yet I couldn't get him over from her. I had wanted him all for myself but…' Tanya stopped.
'Whatever it is, it's rather cruel to keep the deceased locked instead of giving them a proper chance to perish.' His hand shook with anxiety while rubbing his forehead.
Tanya nodded, 'Of course. But he has his reasons. He always muttered in his dream saying she had made a promise to him that she would come back.'
'This is...insane…' Mei closed his eyes with great disappointment, 'I didn't know he was this much messed up.'
'We all are messed up in our own world. Someone hides and someone forgets. But still, those exist. I had come to get something and I did…so I will leave. It's not my headache anymore.' Tanya was about to leave when Mei called, 'Wait..what should I do with it?'
Tanya was surprised, 'Why do you have to do anything? You were not supposed to see it, to begin with.'
Tanya left and Mei stood there watching it.
'Memories! Right! Does this body have some trace of its memories left?!' Mei tried to read her.
But the body was frozen for a long time so all he could see was darkness. Suddenly thunder rumbling started and after a while, with one loud sound it lightens up the sky and Mei felt an electric shockwave pass through his veins on the hand on his body. He was thrown aside to the floor and the shockwave channels through his hand into the backside of his head. He kept a hold on his hand with another hand. His head starts to ache. He felt something was looking at him. He looked up and saw a black big panther walking slowly towards the freezer. Mei was confused. When it turned toward him Mei recognized those eyes and understood, 'Ginger! So you were…'
Ginger was so big that he could look inside the chest freezer even standing on the ground. He put his paws on the edge and put down his head inside the freezer. Mei stood up in spite of having a headache. He wobbled on foot and saw Ginger was licking the cheek of the dead body.
Mei screamed with a frightened look, 'Don't!! You can't eat her!'
The headache began to blur his sight. He pressed and held his head firmly then staggered towards the freezer. Ginger screeched but let him close the freezer. After that Mei stood silently holding the lid. Mei's pupil turned normal from red to his usual green hazel eye.
'Let's get out of here. We didn't see anything today.' Ginger came outside and Mei closed the door.
He didn't wait for a second there and left. Ginger went inside Aki's room and lay down on the bed.
Mei left the building.
Tanya was waiting behind the lamp post. She followed him but Mei was so absorbed in thinking that he didn't notice he was followed. Mei bumped into someone. Ruan Reiji. His firm body was not affected by Mei. Instead, Mei was the one who was hurt, 'Sorry! Rei! What..what are you doing here?'
Reiji stared at Tanya. Tanya did too and her eyes glowed for a second that startled Reiji. Tanya's expression was provoking. But then she turned back and walked away.
Reiji wanted to follow but didn't, 'I felt something that's why I came. Your presence had weakened for a while. So I thought...I should go now.'
Mei couldn't get a hold of Reiji's words, 'Wait!! What?!'
Aki was going downstairs all soaked. Reiji held him in his embrace just before he opened the floor's entrance door, 'I made you upset and I know it. But please let me explain…'
'Explain?' Aki scoffed, 'about what? Why would I need to hear explanations? I don't have time for that.'
As Aki tried to open the door Reiji closed back the door, 'Your anger is understandable but not letting me explain…'
Aki laughed again and turned to face him leaning on the door, staring into his eyes, "You can't take me for granted. I let my first love do that because I thought she would love me back, but it turned out that it made her think that I am ok with that, while I was not. I could not tolerate her being away from me."
Reiji was infuriated by those words but closed his eyes and kept listening to Aki's thought, "She tried to break out of that cage. I didn't let her so we ended up losing each other."
Aki looked down, "I accepted you…because you said you would give yourself to me…but..how can you possibly give yourself to me. How can you promise when you are not even true enough? I don't know who you search for inside me. But I'm sure I belong to myself and can't become like anyone else you prefer. I was foolish to trust. You are not even my own kind, so how can you possibly love me!?"
'Don't!! Please…' Reiji tried to make listen.
Aki smiled and snide, 'So you already read me! Glad I didn't have to waste my breath…Well..that's it then!'
Aki turned and opened the door. He controlled his tears and went inside Aito's room. But there were some guests. Both sides were surprised to see.
'I'm sorry! I came to the wrong room!' Aki tried to escape.)
'Well! A young man who is drenched from head to toe is likely to confuse the chairman's room as a staff room which is 10 floors downstairs, can't he? It's too good to be true.' Aki turned as he seemed to know the voice and he was right, 'Good..Good..noon, Lin-san!' Aki couldn't notice him before because his mind was occupied.
He bowed, 'How have you been, sir?'
'Aw! You know my kid?' Aito was surprised.
Lin smiled, 'I do! He is my son's senior.'
Aito and everyone were surprised.
'So this is your son? I heard about him... And that seems befitting well. He is really handsome and clumsy.' one comments.
'So the rumors were true, you have very peculiar eyes…But they are good…' the other was observing Aki.
'He had an accident when he was in high school right!? You are not still suffering from that na? That was really heartbreaking.' some others tried to sympathize.
Aki clenched his fist. Ishida knew already that Aki was messed up. He was afraid Aki may lose it again.
'When are you going to get married?! Your father is getting old. You should get married and share some of his burdens too.' the man snickered.
'Burden?!' Aki finally spoke up.
Lin looked at Aki fully as if he was waiting for Aki to speak up.
'I'm sorry but my father thinks of it as responsibility. "Burden" would be the wrong choice of word.' when Aki looked at them his 'peculiar' eyes sent down chills, in everyone's spine.
Lin smirked and leaned back to relax.
'I won't say I don't have the talent but I would say, I don't have the patience or dedication like my father.' To see Ishida getting panicked Aki tried to stop talking, 'I'm sorry for the inconvenience I have caused.'
Aki was about to leave when Lin spoke up, 'How ancient are all of your thoughts, I wonder!'
'What did we say wrong here? Isn't it normal for a son to take over a father's business?!' The man frowned.
'Oh! Of course! But as I said, I wonder! I would love to see the face when your kids will fight over the throne you have created with blood and sweat, your expression seeing it going out of your hand. Losing authority. I wonder how it will feel! As I can see how much you overpower others.' Lin Ryuji was not as sweet as he seemed to be.
Aki looked at the men who were poking him.
'Do you not wish to see your son look after your fortune?! What a father you are!!' the man sounded bitter.
'Oh! I do wish. But only after my death' Aki was shocked to hear the serious words of death from Lin's mouth, 'I want my SONS to do whatever they want. Not only that, but I also want them to respect those choices and own up to the responsibility of that.'
Reiji was listening to Lin standing outside leaning on the wall.
'I will do everything so that they can make an identity of their own choice. Just like Aito-san had done. He let his sons choose their own paths and gave them full freedom as well as authority over their life. They all love what they do while you do what you love. Worrying about who will take over his company while they Don't even bother. And you incompetents are teaching them how to inherit. What a bliss!!' Lin finally showed his thoughts.
Aki was so mesmerized that he forgot his pain for a while. Ishida was utterly shocked to see the soft gentleman who was much younger than everyone in this room speaks without holding back. Brutally straightforward.
"So this is his true demeanor. This is why everyone respects him." Aki gulped the thought inside.
'Stop throwing your own perspective on your kids. STOP poking on other's wounds as fun.' Lin threw his papers on the desk and got up.
Buttoned his blazer and bowed slightly to Aito, 'I have ruined the mood. So I will take the leave. You can carry on.'
Aito bowed back. Ishida too. They were so surprised. Aki opened the door for Lin.
'Shall we leave?' Lin asked Aki and Aki nodded
'Change first then go. You will fall sick otherwise.' Aito said to Aki.
Aki nodded, 'I will.'
Lin and Aki left.
Ishida was amused, 'Wow! How did they know each other?! Director Lin is not an easy person. To defend Aki like that…their relation must be better than we know.'
'Your son is not like you Aito. He seems timid but maybe you have underestimated him.' the man said.
Aito understood why Lin said those words. They want to show their appreciation but they don't want someone younger to take over. They don't want to leave their positions either.
Aito laughed, 'You are right…he takes after her mother in every single way.'
Lin and Aki were walking down.
'How did you…? All this ?' Lin was surprised to see Aki drenched.
'Ah! It felt good so I kept on standing for a long in the rain. I'm…kind of..lost…'
A girl came to Aki and greeted both of them, 'Ishida-san wants you to have it.'She gave him a shopping bag with a towel and a dress to change into.
Aki was used to it, 'Thank you.'
'You are welcome.' The girl politely leaves.
Lin says, 'You should change. I will wait there.'
Aki bowed in regret, 'Sorry for troubling you.'
'You are my kid now. So everything for you.' Aki felt a bit sad hearing from Lin.
But he couldn't let go of Lin. He doesn't know why he feels like this every time he meets Lin. His eyes become moist as soon he hears him speak.
'You should be careful of your scent. Humans who are...weak..have a type of scent…it makes them vulnerable...which is always attractive to the like of us.' Aki returned to him and sits while he was talking.
'I have that type of scent?'He leans a bit forward from his seat.
'There are three kinds of Jinn. One is like humans…like Us, another is in the form of animals, like Mei's or Joshua, Reiji's pet, and the last one is like air without a body, which you can call a type of ghost but they are living things not dead. Any type can possess any weak soul with a stable body or weak and made them do whatever they want. Sometimes they hide inside a human body. So Don't let your heart be weakened.' Lin explained.
Aki frowns while thinking, "That's why he said that. But he didn't attack or possess me. Why did he try to make love…"
'Go! Hurry and change.' Lin interrupted his thought.
Aki went running.
Lin laughed, 'Gosh! Why he is so easy to read!'
'Why do you have to read him? Don't!' Reiji said.
Lin's expression saddens for a while but Reiji didn't notice that. When Reiji looked at him he changes his expression.
'He hates me. He doesn't want to listen.' He sits there disheartened.
Lin said, 'You should convince him if you really love him. He is quite messed up. He didn't even eat properly. Looks pale and unsettled.'
'You don't have to make me feel worse. I know that.' Reiji said.
'What I'm saying is that, doesn't that mean he is hurt more than being angry! He will listen when his heart softens a bit.' Lin picked up a book that was on the table.
He began to read.
Reiji was looking back from time to time.