Chapter 9 - Year's later

Haruki stood up after pulling away from the body of the young man under him. He staggered back as his hand went to the bleeding injury in his lower abdomen. He glared at the young man as he reached for his hair and pulled him off the bed with one hand while the other was pressed against his abdomen.

The young man seemed to have signed up to his fate as he did not bother to plea but he looked like he was sincerely waiting for his death.

"Death is too easy," Haruki murmured as he walked to the door.

As soon as he opened the door, a few of his guards hurried to him. They were shocked to see their boss' bleeding stomach. They rushed to his side looking from him to the naked boy by his side.

"Call Yamamoto," he told them angry that Ren, his mentor, or Kiyoshi, his assistant was not around to order these dummies to do the right thing.

"Yes, sir," they replied before one of them ran off to call the doctor while the others stared at the young man as though they were waiting for his orders for them to finish him up like hungry wolves. "Don't kill him," he ordered before walking back into the room.

This pain was nothing close to what he had come used to over the past three years but he was not ready to die from excessive bleeding so he had to wrap the wound up before his doctor arrives.

After a few minutes, the bleeding stopped and he looked down at the glittering blade that had caused the injury which the dimness of light in the room could not hide its beauty.

He picked the blade up as he stared at it. It was quite an interesting blade that did not leave much blood even after going in and out of Haruki's flesh.

The bed was stained with his blood and he hesitated to lie on it which caused him to walk to the sofa to sit down.

He began feeling dizzy but he tried to remain awake. The door flew open and a silhouette walked in before his consciousness drifted off.

The only time he had to think of his parents who died too early was when he goes unconscious. They always come to him as though they were never gone and they talk to him as though he had gone through his childhood and early adulthood like they hoped.

They would ask him how his work went and he would tell them about a boss he never knew and how he was having a hard time but it was going to be okay. They will encourage him and then advise him to bring his girlfriend home as it was time for him to settle down with the sweet lady.

He only got the chance to live the way he wanted when they were alive when he loses consciousness from an injury. He would never hurt himself but the thought that an injury will take him back to them caused him to let the young man stab him.

He only stopped the young man when he felt he was getting deep enough to make him lose his life. He might miss his parents but he was not ready to meet them on the other side yet that was why he did not mind meeting them on this side when he gets the chance.

The first time it happened, he did not want to wake up and he was comatose for more than a week. When he woke up, he glared at the doctor until the man felt visibly uncomfortable under his gaze.

In those dreams, he forgets about the life of crime and violence he had slowly become accustomed to. It has become a part of him even engraved on his skin and his heart.

This was beautiful. His mother smile as she pushed a bowl of snacks to him as he sat down at the kitchen island to join her with the dinner preparation. Her voice was even more beautiful and soothing as she said, "Haru, you don't need to help me, this is the reason I told you to bring a wife home."

"I will, you just need to wait a little longer," he laughed as he helped himself. "Hmm, nice," he murmured with his mouth full as he gave a thumb up.

She laughed as she continued preparing the meal. "I am glad you like it," she laughed as she reached naturally to rumple his head. "You are still such a child," she said dotingly.

"He shouldn't be, he will soon be a husband and a father," his father's voice came from behind them.

"I am only a child to my mother," he told his dad firmly without turning to look at his father who had just spoilt the moment for him.

"I bet your girlfriend will leave you soon if she hears that," his father commented as he joined his wife to help her.

"She won't, she loves me too much to consider that an option and I am the man she loves," he corrected his father before reaching for another snack from the bowl.

"That is why you should bring her home soon," his father tried to persuade him.

"Can't you two relax a little? Do you want to scare her away with all these enthusiasms?" he asked playfully.

"Meet her parent then we can plan for her to come," his father came up with a solution.

"Great idea but no, not yet," he replied.

His father sighed in defeat before taking a snack from the bowl too.

"That was mine," he raised his head to meet his father's gaze with a playful glare.

"It is enough for us all," his father laughed. "This young man's selfishness did not change even at his age," his father sighed shaking his head.

"I am taking some back for my girlfriend she liked the last one I took to her," he told his head.

"Bring her over and I will teach her my recipe," his mother used that as an opportunity to persuade him to bring his girlfriend home. He laughed. "It is okay if you don't want to."

"I will when the time is right."

They had so much more to talk about since Haruki had so much to tell them about the daily life, he lived that could never be his in the real world, his hands were stained with blood both his and that of many more.

He had so much anger bottled against humanity that he could not spare anyone his smile causing no one close to him to know he had dimples that showed when he smiled.

"It is okay," a voice whispered. So distant from his dreamland, yet so close he could almost feel the warmth of the person's breath against his ear. "You are safe."