"Now, sit. Time for me to collect dues for my good service." He teasingly said.
"Hmph! I knew it! You being nice is just way too good to be true. You devil! I knew you'd ask for payment right away. I still have not fully recuperated yet. But since you really did a great service these past few days and I promised I will pay you back, name your price." Kira pouted as she enjoyed the mango torte.
Aki chuckled before saying: "Well, I would not be a successful entrepreneur if I do not know how to play my cards well now, would I?"
"Whatever! Just tell me."
"Listen carefully Kira, as I will only say this once. After you made me worry like that and for the days that I had to watch over you, I will have to make sure something like this will never happen again. I will not allow you to make another rash decision like that. So, I've decided. You will be moving in with me. Don't worry, I already made preparations. You will have your own room…"
"What the?! Are you crazy, Aki?!" Kira cut him off and responded vehemently with disbelief in her eyes. Almost choking on the mango torte she's enjoying.
"I'm not yet done. As for work, I will only allow you to continue managing your cafe if you allow a bodyguard to be with you at all times. I will also assign a personal assistant for you if you want."
After abruptly swallowing the torte that almost choked her: "Aki, no! You! That is too much to ask! Moving in with you? Having a bodyguard? You are blowing things out of proportion and making a mountain out of a molehill! What I do, especially with the cafe, is my decision to make! Are you even hearing yourself?!" She spat. She was now furious. The nerve of this guy. He's clearly overreacting and overstepping his bounds! Making decisions for me? What a total control freak!
"This is not a request, Kira! You either have a bodyguard with you or you will only be allowed to work for my company. You choose!" Aki snarled.
"I am not your subordinate, Aki! How dare you impose this on me! Who the f*ck do you think you are and what do you make me of?!"
"What?! And, when you get into a similar situation and I am not able to save you again, what then, Kira?! Huh? What then?! I promised your dad that I will take care of you. No. You do not have a say in this. Do you remember you also promised him that you will listen to me?! And I never once treated you as my subordinate!" Aki snapped as he instinctively stood up from the couch out of anger.
"Aki! This payment you're asking from me is so far fetched. I remember what we promised my dad, but you've been taking good care of me and I've been listening to you. Really, you're overreacting. I told you this will not happen again. I promise, I'll never put myself in another compromising situation. Please, Aki. Ask me anything else." She pleaded as she recalled the promise they both made to her dad.
"Clearly, you are not listening to me, Kira. Like I said, this is not a request. We'll head back to my house tomorrow morning. You better decide whether you still want to go to your cafe daily with the bodyguard or work for my company so I can keep a close watch on you." He said with finality.
Kira was fuming mad. She can no longer enjoy the dessert. She was in a state of shock and she felt like a bucket of ice was poured on her. 'What the fuck?! This is really extreme… How can he react this way? Why would he even do this? I know we have a special relationship, a different kind of friendship, but with the way he's acting, it's as if he is my man. No, clearly, he's not. Wait, maybe he just wants me to stay with him for a few months to make sure that Mitch won't do anything stupid, or his people for that matter since he couldn't do much if he's in jail. But with his connections and the hired goons from that night, it is possible for him to have more underlings and… Fine. If I want safety from that assf*ck, Aki is the best person right now to provide me with this.'' She sighed heavily, praying that this is just for a few months, six months tops and she can come back here in her apartment, go back to managing the cafe just like before the incident and volunteering at the orphanage.
"Fine. I get it. You're worried for my safety. How long do I have to agree to this setup? And I am telling you now Aki, I will not allow my entire life to be changed just like that simply because of what that assh*le did."
"Fine. Let's see if the case is wrapped up and there are no more threats on you for three years."
"Thh…three years?!" She spat out. "No! Oh hell no! That's way too long!"
"With the likes of Mitch and how the system works, we can never be too certain, Kira. Just think of it like we are housemates, okay? And you get to have a full working kitchen at home! You don't have to always go to the cafe to test your recipes. You can still go to the orphanage and teach the kids as long as you bring security with you." He bargained.
"And what will I do with my unit? Leave it empty for the three years that I need to live under your protection? Can you not just assign a bodyguard for me? I mean, that can also work, right? Since I've already agreed to that, why don't I just stay here? Besides, I do not want to bump into one of your women whilst I'm staying there." She scoffed. Aki has always been the casanova and women literally throw themselves at him. Although Aki, being the gentleman that he is, never really talked about any of these women and his sexual encounters, still, I dare not risk bumping into one of his conquests. I am pretty well aware how crazy some women can get when it comes to other women around their men. Urgh, just thinking of a possible cat fight or verbal war sends shivers down my spine, and not in a good way at that.
"I'll ask my realtor to put your unit up for rent. In that case, you get to have additional passive income. You can decide if you're going to go for long-term rent or short-term. Good to know you agreed to have a bodyguard, but I want you to be under the same roof for my peace of mind, Kira. I want to know that you are sleeping soundly and safe inside my house. As for the women, am I sensing some sort of jealousy coming from the Mighty Kira?!" He teasingly said whilst arching his brow.
"Jealousy your ass! Goodness, Aki. You really are a shameless man. Even at a time like this. How can you even easily spew those words out?! And need I remind you, I am not like those women hovering over you, so stop the casanova act with me. We're seriously talking about a major change in my life. Well not just mine, but yours as well."
"Since you've already deduced that this is a major change in OUR lives, then I'm sure you already know as well that I am serious and I did not just make this decision out of whim. I truly care for you, Kira and I will never break my promise to your dad. So, please, be a good girl and just listen to me, okay?" He said gently as if talking to a child.
"Don't talk to me as if I'm a child, Damascus! This is something that we should really consider. How about we lessen the number of years? I mean, three years is such an exaggeration, don't you think? How about one year? I mean I know how slow our judicial system is but…" She tried to reason with Aki. She is still wracking her brains on how to make this work for the both of them without getting into each other's throat. Besides, my heart might not be able to handle the proximity. Sure, we always see one another, but living together?! Oh, goodness. My heart might not be able to handle this. No, no, no. I need to find a leverage of sorts.
"One year is too short. So, no."
"One year and six months?" I bargained.