<< Eisuke >>

I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, a guy suddenly threw himself at me while howling my cousin's name. He has his arms wrapped around my waist while his face buried over my chest. Not to mention I am currently shirtless and I only have a thin towel covering my lower-half.

This guy didn't really seem like he was genuinely crying but he's been, whimpering, calling Yuma's name over and over. I could smell a bitter tang of alcohol emitting from his body as well. This guy is obviously drunk.

He ran his right hand over my chest as he continued sobbing; the warmth from his palm was slowly conducting on my skin as he caressed my body. And suddenly his hand stopped right over my stomach.

"Yuma… Your body… has it always been this muscu..." He traced his word as he, finally, glanced up to look at the person he's hugging. "…lar?" His eyes widened upon realizing he's been clinging to someone, who's obviously not Yuma, and has been acting weird in front of that same person.

I greeted his dumbfounded expression with a smirk, "Hello Reiji-senpai."

His whole body froze as if a bucket full of ice was poured all over him. Somehow, I liked this look on his face – appalled eyes, mouth wide open, and flushed red cheeks.

"E-Ei—"

"Eisuke?"

We both turned to the direction of the entrance where the familiar voice of a man came from.

Reiji-senpai gasped, "Yuma?!"

"Reiji?!" Yuma's eyes shifted from his dear friend and then to me, his dear cousin, and, eventually, traced down to our bodies. "What the heck are you two doing?!" He darted across the living room, moving towards our direction, and Reiji-senpai immediately removed his arms, releasing me from the hug.

"Yuma. Sorry! I thought it was you who was in the bathroom… I never thought it would be Eisuke…" He explained.

From Reiji-senpai, Yuma's eyes turned to me, his brows still furrowed. "Go put on some clothes, Eisuke."

Before I left, I once again glanced at Reiji-senpai and with a sly smile I said to him, "You've become so bold, senpai."

I went inside Yuma's room and put on a shirt and sweatpants. I couldn't hear what those two were talking about outside but before I left I heard senpai explaining the situation again to Yuma.

This is the first time I saw Reiji-senpai act that way. Every time I see him at school, when we were still in high school, there was always a smile on his face and people would always crowd around him. He and Yuma were already seniors when Youjin and I arrived at school as freshmen. He seemed to have taken a liking on Youjin that's why he would always come talk to us every time our paths crossed. Thanks to him for a whole year, it became my job to protect Youjin from this suspicious guy.

My impression of him during high school was the 'annoying guy' and until now it never changed.

Yuma and Reiji-senpai were already in the dining area when I walked out from the room. The both of them has been really good friends since they were kids. They went to the same junior high, same high school, same university and even same company now that they already graduated and became working members of the society. I could only commend my cousin's patience for staying with that kind of guy for so long.

"Eisuke! Have you eaten dinner already? Come here, I bought take outs." Yuma called out. He was already smiling and senpai was eating quietly.

I walked to where they were and sat at the empty seat across Reiji-senpai. It was my turn to be surprised when I glanced at him for a second and saw him smiling at me.

"I'm really sorry Eisuke. I really thought you were Yuma. I didn't expect it to be you instead."

He was apologizing but there was not a single trace of remorse in his expression and tone.

"I told you the other day that Eisuke's arriving today and not to spend this weekend getting wasted." Yuma threw his palm across his face, shaking his head slightly as if his patience was running low for his friend. "You didn't go home last night and now you arrived late and drunk?"

"I already apologized, Yuma." He said in an oddly sweet and gentle tone. "I had fun with my companion last night I totally forgot that Eisuke was scheduled to arrive today."

They were casually eating their meals while exchanging arguments. It just shows how close they really are. Just like me and Youjin. I wonder what that guy's doing right now…

"Could you behave properly Reiji? Starting tomorrow you'll be Eisuke's supervisor that's why you should, at least, 'act' like a role model to him. I don't want my cousin to have an impression that Touru-senpai was hiring just any bastard in his company."

Reiji-senpai pouted his lips like a cheeky child. "Why don't you supervise your cousin?"

"That's because 'I'm his cousin'. Besides, you two have similar majors and skills. He would definitely learn a lot more from you."

Reiji-senpai met my eyes again, this time one corner of his lips curled up in a titillating smirk. "Eisuke… prepare yourself. As a nice and great supervisor, I will make sure you'll learn a lot from me."

'No thanks.' I immediately answered, just in my mind though.

He's always been a seductive guy. With his riveting stare combined with an alluring smile, he can captivate both men and women. But I believe he prefers to entice men because he swings that way and he's unapologetic about it.

"Reiji, keep your hands off my cousin. Okay?" Yuma warned without even looking at him, he was just concentrating on eating.

"Too late Yuma! I already felt Eisuke's body." Reiji-senpai said while acting all cocky with his huge ass smile. "I even felt with my own palms how firm his muscles were…"

I'm not sure if he's just teasing my cousin but it sounded that way to me. Not that I mind though. He's just telling the truth.

He leaned forward to get a bit closer to Yuma, "Yuma. I think you should start going to the gym again. Your body's lagging behind from Eisuke's." Yuma just rolled his eyes from him, then senpai's attention was back at me. "Are you working out at the gym Eisuke?"

"Not really. I just do some workouts at home." I replied nonchalantly as I took a bite on my fried chicken legs. I'm too tired to mind him.

"See?! Your girlfriend's feeding you a lot!" He said in a mocking tone but I don't understand why I caught bitterness on it. Or it was just my imagination?

"Leave me alone, Reiji. Stop talking nonsense and hurry up finish your food and go to sleep. We have an early start tomorrow."

***

"SORRY EISUKE. I WAS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED YOU SHOULD STAY HERE BUT I DON'T HAVE AN EXTRA ROOM TO OFFER."

Yuma was helping me prepare my makeshift bed on the floor beside his real bed. Their apartment only has two bedrooms and the other one was currently used by Reiji-senpai. Yuma said Reiji-senpai would often stay somewhere else all night, doesn't matter if it's the weekday or a weekend. He didn't tell me the reason or where he's staying but I could only assume he's with his boyfriend or lover, if not, who else will he spend the whole night with?

"Don't worry Yuma. I will only stay here for a few months and besides this futon* is comfortable enough." I exhaled a short and quiet laugh—Yuma said Reiji-senpai was already asleep on the other room. [*Japanese style mattress rolled out on the floor for use as a bed]

"I apologize for what Reiji did earlier. He would often do that when he had a rough day." Yuma's voice was full of tenderness for his dear friend.

"You mean, clinging on you?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. He can be bold and brazen most of the times but he's actually quite a lonely person."

"Is that the reason why you can't leave this apartment and move out with your girlfriend?"

The traces of his smile from earlier completely vanished instead it was replaced by gentleness, concern and a hint of pity. "Can you really be happy all on your own when you could clearly see that your best friend is suffering?"

"Well. I'm willing to punish with my own hands the person who caused Youjin his suffering in the expense of my own welfare. So… I understand you Yuma."

"Besides, if I leave him alone who knows what kind of mess he'll put himself into." He chuckled but he immediately covered his mouth with his hands. "Speaking of Youjin, how's he doing? Where's he doing his internship? Tell him I'm sorry, I can't take you both."

"Ah. You don't have to apologize. Besides, it wasn't in Youjin's choices to do his internship in a far place. He couldn't afford to be away from his lover for so long…" I can't help but click my tongue in dismay. "That traitor. Choosing that bastard over me."

I heard Yuma laughed. "But at least he's happy right?"

"Yeah" I answered in a gentle tone then just a second after that gentleness was gone. "Huh! If that Keita tries to hurt Youjin, I will come back and beat his ass."

Yuma chuckled in amusement, he must have thought how innocent and precious our friendship was. "Well, why don't you rest now? I'm sure you're tired from the long commute and you're starting work tomorrow."

"Right…"

"Remember Eisuke, I won' treat you like a close relative in the office. Even though our company's small, we can't control what the employees will think, right? I want your stay there to be as fun as possible. But what I can assure you is that you'll definitely learn a lot. Reiji might be flippant outside of work but he's awfully capable with his job. I can assure you, you'll learn a lot from him."

"If you say so… I will do my best tomorrow."

I lay on my futon as I think about what happened today. Travelling for almost 200 kilometres alone, walking on the streets of an unfamiliar city, and living in somebody else's apartment. It's been a while since I last felt this unsettled and lonely but, somehow, this still felt awfully familiar. I can't believe I've gotten used being settled on one place for a long time. That was actually the first time I felt home. That was the place where my 'family' lives and now I'm far away from them. Again.

'I want to hear Youjin's voice.'

I quietly got up and left the bedroom. The living room lights were off but a single dim light from the kitchen was the only source of light I used to make my way to the sofa; I don't want to open more lights and risk waking them up. I scrolled through my contacts and called Youjin. It only took two rings and then he answered the call.

"Eisuke! How are you? Already homesick, huh?" Youjin's voice sounded really cheerful and excited despite the teasing. I'm happy to hear his voice.

I chuckled. "Yeah. I'm starting tomorrow… I don't know what to feel."

"You'll be fine. Yuma-senpai's with you, right? You have nothing to worry about."

"By-the-way how was your day? Tell me immediately if Keita did something to hurt you and I will come running there and make him remember how my punches tasted."

I heard him laugh on the other end of the line. "You don't have to worry Eisuke. He's a good boy now… Oh! I heard, you're living with Reiji-senpai in the same apartment and he's in the same company too. How's senpai?"

"Huh? Who did you heard that from?"

"Reiji-senpai told me. He sent me a chat earlier saying you arrived safely in the apartment."

"That annoying senpai." I fumed while Youjin laughed. "Is he still bothering you?"

"Ah, no. This was the first time he contacted me since high school grad. Looks like he was happy to see you again."

"That annoying person is happy to see me? Hmp. That drunkard."

"Hmm? Did something happen? You just arrived there and you're already annoyed by Reiji-senpai."

I heaved a deep sigh, trying to calm myself. "I'll tell you some other time. It's late already. Your shift's early tomorrow too, right?"

"Yeah. It's been a week since I started and yet I still can't get used to it. University is totally different from being in a company."

"Why? Is somebody bullying you there?" I adjusted myself on the sofa.

"Oh! No. Nobody's bullying me Eisuke. Everybody's really kind to me. What I mean is I can't believe we're inches away from graduating and after that we'll totally become a part of the working society. It just feels strange that I couldn't even see you for so long… and when I think about it, when we both started really working… will it be like this too? Not being able to see you and hang out with you…"

Suddenly, his voice sounded so distant. It pisses me off that I couldn't even comfort him.

"Well… I don't want to be away with you too, Youjin. Don't worry, I will surely go back after this internship and then we can apply to the same company after graduation, right?"

I heard Youjin finally chuckled, "Yeah. Let's do that!"

"For now, do your best and have fun there, 'kay? I'll do my best tomorrow too."

"Right! Call me if something happens, okay? Or if you miss me, just call me." He teased again.

"I will miss you every day. Is it okay to call you every day?"

"Of course!"

"Then I will call you again soon. Good night Youjijn."

"Good night Eisuke…"

Then the call ended. It really is reassuring talking to Youjin.

king's gambit chapter 01 // end