Aki was sorting his task in his office.
Nora got in the cabin. Aki gave her some pictures. Nora checked them. In one of them she saw Reiji, 'What is this handsome doing here?'
'Who?' Aki didn't bother to check as he knows Nora's nature.
'Your doctor.' she said.
'Oh, he was there to attend his son's sports day.' Aki said while writing.
'He has a son?? But they said he was unmarried...oops!' that was a slip so she shuts her mouth with her hand.
Aki sighs with disappointment, 'We thought we had raised you well but it turns out we were wrong.'
'Well, you know me!' she wasn't bothered by Aki's disappointment.
'So what did you find about him?'
Nora was shocked to see Aki ask that. Just a second ago he was upset that Nora was investigating Reiji, 'You want to know?!!'
'Never mind, leave!' Aki shoo her away.
'No no no! I want to tell you.' Nora insists on sharing.
'Get out.' Aki was feeling irritated.
'But…!' Aki was about to throw his pen to hit her but before that, she leaves
'I won't give up this time.' She ran away.
Aki was unable to work. He called Tanya. Requested to meet her in a restaurant.
At lunch hour they met. Aki was waiting while she stood behind him.
'You seem a bit better.' Aki got up hearing her voice.
He got up and pulled the chair for her.'I am.'
'Thank you.' Tanya thanked him for the courtesy.
Aki stays silent for a while and waits for Tanya to start.
So she did. 'I'm going to the States this time.'
'When?' Aki was a bit disappointed.
She replied, 'Soon. My task is finally over and I am tired of…'
'I'm sorry.' Tanya went silent after hearing Aki.
'I'm thinking of settling down there.'She didn't want to take Aki's apology.
'I know it's late to apologize but please I didn't know my eyes were like that. I just realized it some time ago.' Aki tried to explain.
'Really? Then what about the other thing? You don't know that either?' Tanya asked.
'What other thing?'Aki was confused.
'The one you are purposely hiding?' Tanya asked with a stern feeling in her eyes.
Aki couldn't breathe.
Tanya asked, 'What!? Say you don't know that as well.'
Aki's eyes filled with tears within a second. At any time tears can fall. Tanya sees that and feels something is wrong with him.
After a while, she realized he couldn't breathe. Before she could get to his side Reiji came and closed his eyes. Tanya was surprised. She stayed standing in shock and asked, 'Who are you?'
'I'm his doctor. You could see his condition was not well then why did you do it?' Reiji became furious.
'It's not her fault.' Aki said to him while struggling to breathe.
Tanya felt sorry for Aki. She kneeled down and said
'Senpai, You know now how much I had to endure every time I was with you. I always knew I was not the only one you loved. Your action was clear proof of that. I promise I will not tell anyone. So relax! And also I forgive you for not understanding me and I am sorry for not understanding you too. Because I can never!
Tanya stands up, 'I wish we never cross our path ever again. Take care of him please.'Tanya leaves after she requested Reiji.
Aki stayed seated with Reiji. When Reiji saw Aki was lost in thought and spaced out, he stood up and left after half an hour. Nora called Aki after hours and he realized it was already evening. He then went to pay the bill but heard a guy had already paid. He remembered Reiji was there. He should talk to him.
'Mr.Azusa! It's raining. You should wait a bit more.' the lady requests.
'I can't. I have an emergency.' Aki tried to leave.
'But that guy told me not to let you out when it rains at any cost!' Aki was so confused to hear that. He was cold towards Reiji before but still, Reiji helped, 'What's going on with him?'
Aki got out even though it was raining.
When he reached the counseling center, he saw Reiji was waiting under the shade.
Reiji was speechless,' Is he out of his mind!!'
Aki smiles, "Thank God! He didn't leave."
Aki went in.
Reiji kept standing there and didn't enter. He doesn't plan to. So Reiji was about to go out when Aki grabbed his hand, 'Are you crazy? Why are you going out in the rain?'
'Aren't you the crazy one?' Reiji said.
'Well! I had to apologize to you and also had to thank you.' Aki said.
'What!' Reiji was confused about what Aki was talking about.
Aki's hand on Reiji's hand felt hot when Aki grabbed him, 'Are you running a fever?' Aki asked Reiji with a frown on his face.
'It's you who is drenched. You should be the one.' Reiji mocked Aki's claim.
'But your hand is hot.' Aki was sure.
'Well, I'm made of fire so I would.' Reiji's reason makes Aki laugh.
Reiji keeps radiating his hot waves towards Aki so that he can feel the warmth, "I'm really made of fire you stupid! Will you ever know what I really am!? You seem to know and even asked Joshua to tell you when he is ready. Are you really ready to hear him? What if you are hurt? What if you get disappointed learning what we are?"
Aki felt something under his feet. Stones.
He was standing in the middle of two Railtrack. His mother was lying injured there.
Blood.
He found the three years old himself beside his mother. His mother was pushing him away. He couldn't move from his place. He was stuck.
A tall person with short hair was standing a few feet away from them. Aki thought that person would harm him. But that person kept standing there watching them suffer. A train was approaching.
'Please, save my son. Please!' He could clearly hear his mother making a request to that person
'Mom, no!' the three years old Aki was crying.
That person kept standing there watching the boy crying and touching his mother's face.
The train approached and hit Aki.
Aki woke up with a deep breath. He was sweating a lot.
Hospital bed.
He was in the hospital. Beside him, Mei was lying.
Everyone was busy taking care of him. Mei looked at him. Her eyes with golden red and light brown were sad with tears.
'Why are you sad?' Aki extended his hand to try to touch Mei.
An electric shock went through his body. Everything before his eyes went black.
After a while, with a blurred vision, he saw Mei was trying to say something. But not to him. To others. Aki felt AED sent an electric shock to him again. He blacked out again.
This time when he opened his eyes, he saw Reiji's worried face. He couldn't keep his eyes open. Everything was hurting. He can't understand whether it's his body hurting or his heart aching. When he woke up early in the morning he found it's not his home so he sat up. The room is very big with a balcony. The room seems empty because it's too big even though there is a bed, a cupboard with a mirror, a small table on one side. He looked to the other side and saw Reiji sitting on a sofa at the bedside as if he was waiting for their eyes to meet.
Reiji seemed tired and exhausted, eyes were red.
Aki can't remember what's going on.
'How are you feeling now?' Reiji asked.
Aki was confused thinking eleven now whether Aki is in one of his nightmares or not.
'Can you hear me?' Reiji seemed concerned.
Reiji came near him. Touched Aki's forehead. Aki stared at his face as Reiji was close. He is so beautiful. Not exactly like Mei. There are some differences up close like Mei had freckles but he doesn't and the eye color, lips. Aki regained his posture and looked away from Reiji's face.
"Am I crazy now?"Aki muttered
'What?' Reiji seemed confused, 'You seem to still have a bit of fever. I can't feel it because my body temperature is usually higher than what is normal.'
'Because you are made of fire?' Reiji stopped while putting the thermometer close as he heard Aki.
"Do you know about us?" Reiji looked at him while thinking.
'Your jokes are on a different level' Aki laughs.
Reiji's expression changes from soft to blank, "Why did I expect!"
'The temperature is still high but I guess you are feeling alright now that you remember my joke.' Reiji said.
'No, I don't remember after that.' Aki said.
'You had a fever running, still, you got out in the rain. Why?!' Aki now understood why Reiji told the restaurant's employee not to let him leave if it rains. He knew Aki had a fever.
'Told you. I had to apologize. To her too.' Aki said.
'Why did you need to apologize to your junior?' Reiji asked.
Aki said nothing. Reiji felt irritated. Aki remembers about Ginger and tries to get down from the bed. He placed his feet on the floor while Reiji kept sitting beside him.
'Ginger!! my cat!' Aki became worried.
'I had talked with your emergency contact. Mr.Ishida would take care of him.'
'Oh!' Aki relaxed down after hearing that.
'You two must have a good relationship?' Reiji asked in a low tone.
Aki smiled and told him that Noah and Aki were childhood friends. They went silent after that.
Reiji broke the awkwardness, 'You should rest. It's still early. You can sleep more.'
'Why didn't you sleep?' Aki guessed as Reiji was tried.
'I..I can't sleep anywhere but my bed.' Aki laughed hearing Reiji's childish reason.
Reiji's heart skipped.
'Really! I'm sorry because you could not sleep.' Aki still smiled while saying sorry.
'You were having nightmares.' Reiji made Aki go silent.
Reiji got that he doesn't want to talk, 'It's ok. I wasn't asking. I was just saying that you were having nightmares and it seemed like you were in pain. So I couldn't sleep.'
'I'm sorry. Because of me, you had to suffer.' Aki felt guilty.
'I didn't say that because I had suffered.' Reiji felt useless to talk so he got up.
'You can go and get fresh if you want. I will bring you something to wear.'Reiji went away.
Aki wore what Reiji gave him. Midnight blue T-Shirt and jeans. They seem to fit his size but are a bit short. It's definitely not Reiji's. Reiji wasn't in the room. He heard some noise from the next room. So he went there. Reiji had prepared breakfast for them. He was cooking some dishes. Aki stands next to him. Reiji concentrated on cooking.
'Did you buy me clothes?' Aki asked directly.
'No, Those were for Mei's. But I bought them in the wrong size. They were a bit bigger so he would have worn them when he grew up a bit more.' Reiji said.
Aki arranges the table while asking, 'So, where is your wife? What does she do?'
'Why would I have a wife?' Aki became confused at Reiji's answer.
'Oh! I thought you have a son so I assumed you live with your wife. Are you not together?' Aki regrets asking.
Aki knows how it feels not to have parents together. They feel alone. So, he was a bit concerned about Mei as Aki finds Mei adorable.
'Don't jump to conclusions. I will obviously not treat my life partner like that.' Reiji said with a normal voice.
'I'm sorry, you are right.' Aki stopped asking.
'Why do you apologize so much?' Reiji was irritated and it showed in his voice.
'I don't know that either.' Aki took those dishes from the kitchen to the table.
'Do you cook for yourself?' Aki asked as Reiji seemed used to cooking.
'I like to sometimes. But I mostly eat at my brother's home. Mei wants to.' Reiji said.
'Wow! So he likes your brother so much more than you.?' Aki was surprised.
'Who wouldn't like their father?' Reiji mocked Aki.
'Father?! Wait...I'm confused!' Aki couldn't understand who Mei's father was.
'What are you confused about? Mei likes his father. What's there to confuse?' Reiji told Aki.
'Then who are you to him?' Aki asked again.
"Stepfathers do have good relations with kids but Reiji as a step-father! But they look alike..unless they are related." Aki's imagination runs aimlessly.
'Aren't you, his father!?' Aki asked as he seemed lost to all his reasoning.
Reiji laughed, 'That's what you were thinking? God! No, Well you are not to blame. He does take after me but he is my nephew and we both took after my mother, Mei's grandmother. Are we clear now?'
'So Nora was right!' Aki muttered.
After finishing, Reiji took the bowl to the dining table. Then again went to take another one.
'Who is Nora?' Reiji stops and the bowl falls from his hand.
Reiji was utterly shocked. Aki frowned as he didn't understand why 'What's wrong? Are you ok?'
Reiji was looking at his face.
'Is there something wrong with my face…' Aki realized, Aki took off the contact lens. So Reiji must be shocked," Oh! My eyes…"
'it's odd…' Reiji uttered half of his thoughts, "I thought they were uncommon. Why do you have to be so much alike?"
'Ya...I know!' Aki felt bad hearing that.
Aki never thought about it though. But people feel uncomfortable with the color. So he was about to go to wear his contact lens. But Reiji grabbed his hand.
'Sorry I made you see my eyes.' Aki tried to leave but Reiji touched Reiji's cheek with both of his hands. Reiji's expression was like he was amazed. Aki felt uncomfortable.
'They are beautiful…' Aki didn't expect to hear this from Reiji.
'They are so beautiful. Just like the sky before sunset. Golden red.' Reiji made Aki at a loss for words.
Reiji's eyes suddenly turned full of sadness. As if he had found something precious that was lost. Aki moved his hand and Reiji controlled his composure,' You should eat. I will clean the mess.'
'Let me help you.' Aki tried to help.
'It's ok. You please eat.' This was the first time Aki saw Reiji being more polite.
As soon as they had finished breakfast, the doorbell rang.
Reiji saw it was Mei. He opened the door and Mei came inside with his ball, which belonged to their team.
'Senpai! What are you...wait...what happened to your eyes?' Mei leans to see Aki's face.
'Oh! I'm…' Aki was confused at Mei's attitude.
'He is my..my friend.' Reiji was uncomfortable with those words. Aki smiled sadly.
'Actually, I am one of his patients.' Aki explained.
'Why do you lie, when you can't, Reiji? You don't get along with people. Senpai, be careful with him. He is not very tolerant. I don't know how he does his job so perfectly. I have my doubts.' Mei smirked at Reiji.
'You talk too much!' Reiji was irritated at Mei.
'Senpai! Are you seriously ill? You look so pale.' Mei asked.
Aki realized Mei was not questioning his eyes anymore and his expression seemed like a puppy.
'I have a fever.' Aki loved the cuteness on Mei's face.
'Oh my! Really!' Mei touches his forehead to see.
Aki felt his hand was hotter than him. He was not sure if it was his fever or Mei's hand temperature.
'Will you at least maintain personal space!?' Aki was shocked to hear Reiji,
Reiji himself doesn't follow this rule and he was advising his nephew to mind manners.
'Weren't you worse than me?' Mei mocked me.
'You stop right there. Don't even think!' Reiji was warning Mei.
Aki wasn't sure what they were talking about but they seemed very close. Aki took the medicine and kept drinking his coffee while smiling.
Noah came around 10 am. Noah saw Mei. Mei greeted him. Aki and Noah were talking while Mei and Reiji were talking about them.
'Why did you do that?' Noah asked.
Aki was guilty, 'I had something to apologize for.'
'To him?' Noah asked and Aki nodded.
From quite a distance from them, Aki saw Mei and Rei were arguing.
'Rei, you should not, must not underestimate that professor Noah. He is the most eligible, popular guy in our school and in the area.' Mei told Reiji.
'What are you talking about? What's that got to do with me?' Reiji frowned.
'You fool! You don't realize, na?! isn't it the first time someone has replaced that person?' Mei asked.
'Never!' Rei's eye color turns fire-like gold.
Mei backed off, 'Sorry! My bad! I guess I crossed my limit.'
Aki went into the bedroom to change.
Mei saw that. Mei waited for a while and then went into the room..
Mei knocked on the door, 'Senpai?!'
Aki, hearing Mei, let him enter.
Mei asked, 'Did you stay here? In this room?'
Aki answered in confusion, 'Ya! I was...unconscious so Reiji brought me here. I troubled him.(
Mei was surprised, 'You definitely did.'
Aki could not understand, 'That's what I'm saying.'
Mei smiles, 'Senpai, Reiji seriously is not very tolerant. But he seems different when he is with you.'
'I guess I don't know if that's true. You seem to have a good relationship with him. I don't have any uncle so I don't know the feeling.' Aki was not sure what Mei was trying to imply.
'Do you have a lover?' Aki was about to say yes to Mei's question and he forgot all about Tanya.
'I don't.' Aki felt suffocated when he realized they were not together anymore.
So Aki hurried out of that room. Noah was confused with Aki's behavior and so was Reiji.
Aki didn't wait any longer, he went out but came back to say something, 'Thank you for everything and I am sorry for being rude to you the other day.'
Noah was surprised at Aki's behavior now, 'You are being rude to him again just now. So why apologize if you keep doing it?'
Aki realized. Sometimes he doesn't even get those simple things straight. He must change his habits. Reiji was silent.
Mei said, 'It's alright! My uncle isn't a very modest person either. So he doesn't care.'
''He cares. But he doesn't show. It matters to him" Aki thought as Mei looked at him.
Aki said, 'I didn't mean it. I am just feeling suffocated. I need to…'
'Go…' Aki's heart suddenly became calmer when Reiji finished Aki's sentence.
'It's alright...You Go..you need to feel better…' Mei noticed Reiji was controlling himself while saying that.
Reij would brust at any moment.
'Let me escort you out Senpai. Sensei please…' Mei took them outside and went down.
Reiji broke the cup that was on the table while thinking, "Why does he behave like that? Just a second ago he was normal. Then again flips his behavior! What's wrong with him! It's like he is afraid of me. But if he is really afraid then he would not have apologized. Why does he apologize so much! Why? What's holding him back?! His eyes…"
His train of thoughts pulls a break on the thought of the eyes. Reiji understood Aki has an inferiority complex, "But he is friendly with others. What's the exact issue then?!"
'They are gone. Why did you break them?' Mei asked while sitting on the sofa.
Reiji looked at him, 'Nothing. Sometimes I wonder if he is one of the soul thieves.'
'He is not.' Reiji was surprised to hear Mei.
'Did you know? how? What's the…' Reiji was speechless.
'The logic is he doesn't take portraits of people directly. He always takes candid photos. So the chances of stealing their soul through them are in the slightest.' Mei explained casually.
Reiji frowns, 'How do you know what kind of pic he takes?'
Mei had checked Aki's camera.
'It was not spelled and all the photos he ever took were candid. Not even a single pic was a portrait.' Mei assured him.
Reiji felt like a heavyweight was lifted from his chest. His face changed drastically. He leaves while Mei stays alone at home.
Mei was out of words at Reiji's behavior,' This person is out of his prediction!'
Noah parked his car at Aki's office garage while saying, 'You should have stayed home.'
'I'm alright now.' Aki refused to stay at home.
Noah hesitated but asked, 'Are you two close?
'No. He helped me once and then I found out that he was the doctor mom was talking about. I behaved rudely to him so I went to apologize. But because of rain…' Aki wasn't finished as somebody knocked on the car window on Aki's side.
Both of them were surprised. Aki opened the window and saw Reiji. Aki was surprised to see him. Aki and Noah got out and Aki asked. 'Why are you here?'
Reiji said, 'I had to apologize.'
Aki could not understand why. Aki looked at Noah who was standing resting his arm on the car door. Noah was also unable to remember so he cued Aki that he doesn't know.
So Aki turned to Reiji, 'About what?'
'For this.' Reiji steps forward and Aki tries to back away but couldn't step back much because of the car.
Reiji kissed on his lips. Aki was dumbfounded. Noah was stupefied.
Reiji said with a smile,'I told you that I want to know you. I don't want to be unclear. This is how I want to know you. I am letting you know how I feel about you. If I have crossed the line then I'm sorry. I was drawn to you from the very first time but I denied it because I thought you were uncomfortable. If you are, then feel free to avoid me. I will understand.'
Reiji leaves without giving Aki any chance to say anything. After a long while, when Aki's daze was over, Aki looked to Noah.
Noah blasted out, 'What was that?!! Why? How?'
Aki couldn't respond. He doesn't know what to say nor does he understand why Reijj is doing so.
Noah was furious, 'This guy! Is he right in his right mind? Or does he have some issues like his patients?!'
Aki never thought he would confess like that. He had his doubts but never thought it would be like this. Nora saw everything and they noticed Nora. Nora was shocked and frozen on the spot.
Aki went beside her at once and warned her, 'I would kill you if you update this.'