"Last night, the drink we had was unique. I can't remember, I guess I was a bit too drunk to recall," Hiroshi continued as he hung the towel. He leaned back resting his hand on the edge of the sink as he maintained his gaze with Haruki expecting to notice him sigh.
When he got no reaction from Haruki whose expression did not change a bit as though what the man said was not spoken in a language he understood, he sighed and looked away.
It would be a blatant lie that could cost him his life he chooses to believe he knew everything about Haruki because the man who would have killed him for remembering what happened last night did not show any relief in the fact that he could not remember what happened.
So what exactly did Haruki want? It was more like, what could he give the Haruki before him that would please him? Acting like he did not remember was not adequate to earn a reaction from the man.
Haruki turned away from the man unhurriedly and he frowned deeply almost immediately with his lips pressed to form a thin line. He felt so stunned he could not understand what made the man act like nothing happened between them.
He was confident in the little bit of understanding he had of the man and so having the man pretend that nothing happened between them, was something he tagged as out of the ordinary. How would he lose to the madness of last night and be the only one to remember?
He felt an intense desire to get his dagger from where he had chosen to ignore it. The disappointment of this morning made him thirst for blood more than he had ever. A thought flashed through his mind, did I just get played?
He was too scared to guess what the answer was as he paused in the living room and with his voice loud enough, he ordered, "When you are done, leave."
Hiroshi heard the order and felt his body stiffen in reaction. Why was his love interest so hard to read? This was toying with his mind to the point that he was beginning to imagine things. It had to be his imagination that made Haruki's departing back, look sad and his voice cracking a little thickened with emotion.
He shook his head to regain control of his thoughts. Haruki has ordered him to leave, with other plans he had for the day and Haruki's order, he had no other excuse to remain in the apartment.
***
Haruki and Hiroshi were both very busy.
One was busy saving lives and proving to his colleagues that he was worthy to be his father's heir while the other was busy overseeing the company his grandfather left in his care and as the youngest Yakuza godfather and chairman, he was trying hard to prove he was worthy to handle such responsibility while trying to escape the underworld.
However, someone was not busy at all he was so free it made him feel as though he was going to lose his mind.
It was not as though he did not have other things to do after all, his engagement party was only a few days ahead and he had a lot of things to follow his fiancée around to arrange but that feeling of boredom could not be ignored.
He tried calling his friends out to drink but he could not get satisfaction from that at all.
They were friends who left their homes abroad simply to visit his home country and attend his engagement party but there was this sense of distance he felt between them as though none of them would ever fill the space Haruki left in his life.
It was his brother's words that had him running away from the country the moment he confirmed his feelings for Haruki and yet his brother was the same person staring at Haruki as though he was the only one in the room.
He could not ease the bitter taste that thought caused in his mouth. He felt defeated in a war he never got the chance to fight. He scoffed and pushed away the glass of whiskey he held and leaned against the backrest of the sofa.
He felt his fiancee lean against him and he could not ignore the sourness that brought to him. He thought he overcame his past after meeting her and falling in love with her but at the end of the day, just a glimpse of Haruki threw it all away.
A vibration from his phone distracted his thoughts and he pulled out his phone from his pocket. "Think about the devil," he muttered as soon as he saw the name of the message sender.
"Hmm?" his fiancee asked lifting her body away from him.
"Oh . . . nothing," he replied loud enough for her to hear this time. He opened the message. It was short and precise as he remembered his brother had always been.
-What is the name of the drink you served us that night?-
-Are you free?- He asked instead of a direct response to his brother's question.
-Just got off work, I'm going home to sleep-
He leaned forward again and took a picture of the bottle of the drink they drank that night among the other bottles on the table and sent his brother a picture.
-Thank you-
He did not feel the urge to respond to his brother's appreciation and simply placed the phone face down on the table.
"Who was that?" his fiancee asked when he leaned back again to watch the others having fun.
"My brother," he replied casually as this was not the first time she had asked such a question.
"I hope he won't be too busy to attend our engagement party after all, we rushed things a little."
"It's his duty to be there, don't worry," he laughed reassuringly as he wrapped his hand around her shoulder again. This is what he should be worried about not Haruki or even his half-brother, Hiroshi.
"Yeah, that's right, is your billionaire friend coming for the party, Lilian is so into him. She did not even get to say a word to him that night and she is so love-sick," his fiancee informed him leisurely.
He had thought only a second ago that she was good at keeping his mind fixed on what was important but she ruined with her question.
He swallowed as his mind went back to Haruki who used to look weak and girly when they were young but he had become someone powerful and it showed in every movement he made but that did not take an ounce of his beauty away.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt Haruki looked even more attractive now than he did in the past. He looks independent with no one having the guts to bully him anymore but he wondered what it would be like to have Haruki like him too.
He felt someone tap him out of his thoughts and he turned to look at his worried fiancee. "I hope he attends although I am not sure his schedule will let him. He is a busy person and it is not his duty."
He was not talking to his girlfriend alone but reminding himself. He would return to his life abroad after the engagement party and the party would most likely be the place he would see Haruki last. They might never see each other again until perhaps something major happens at home.
"I hope he comes," his girlfriend said seriously.
"Same," he hummed subconsciously.