The ginger-haired teenager tensed at the mention of the name.
Haruki, completely clueless, beamed and asked, "You remember him, right? I've mentioned him a couple of times."
Kentaro's expression turned rigid as he mechanically continued eating his food. "How could I possibly forget?"
After all, Haruki had been incessantly talking about the guy lately.
"Oh man, the message is dated two days ago, just an hour after I sent mine," Haruki rambled on. "He probably thinks I ignored him. Should I explain that I don't usually check my emails? Or would that sound like an excuse? Do you think he'll believe it?"
"Even if you don't explain, I think it'll be fine," Kentaro said nonchalantly.
"No, that won't work," Haruki anxiously bit the tip of his thumb. "I have to do it, otherwise he'll think I'm self-centered or something."
"Aren't you overreacting?" Kentaro snapped, standing abruptly from his seat with his plate. "Instead of fangirling over some guy, why don't you call your parents first and let them know you're okay?"
With that said, he disappeared into the kitchen.
Haruki sat there, contemplating: I wasn't fangirling.
Shortly after, he heard Kentaro's phone buzzing and stared at it on the table where the other person had left it.
"Hey, your phone is ringing," Haruki called out.
Ginger's voice came from the kitchen. "Leave it."
The phone continued to buzz incessantly.
"It might be urgent," Haruki insisted.
"I'll call them back later."
Was he just being lazy? Haruki finally took it upon himself to answer it. He looked at the number and realized it was a public line.
"I'm picking up," Haruki announced, placing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Kentaro? Wait..." the caller's voice sounded uncertain before asking directly, "Who's this?"
After a while of contemplation, Haruki recognized that voice. "Akihiro, is that you?"
"...Haruki?"
"Yeah, it's been a while," Haru greeted him, then asked, confused. "But why are you using a public number?"
"That—" his voice was abruptly cut off when someone approached Haruki from behind and effortlessly snatched the phone from his hand.
He spun around to face Kentaro, who was already heading back into the kitchen, speaking into the receiver. "Hey, it's me. Report."
Haruki stood there, initially lost for words, but finally decided to follow him into the other room.
Kentaro's expression appeared grave, and the conversation he was having with Akihiro seemed far from lighthearted. After a few minutes of talking, the younger teenager concluded with:
"I should have known. Anyway, thanks for the heads-up... Yes, let me know if he makes another move... Yeah, alright."
And with that, their brief exchange ended.
Haruki couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "What was that about?"
"Apparently, my father plans to visit this place soon," Kentaro said as he placed his phone on the counter and continued washing the dishes. "The exact travel date hasn't been decided, so I'm not sure when he'll show up."
A sense of unease slithered its way into Haruki's core, unsettling him. "Do you think he might have had a change of heart and plans to take you back with him?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Kentaro shook his head, dismissing the idea. "I highly doubt it," he replied, a scoff escaping his lips. "He probably wants to personally inspect my 'new' place, pretending to care about my well-being like any other supposedly caring father. Tsk, as if I need that kind of stress right now."
The words slipped out of the ginger-haired boy almost in a mumble, but Haruki caught every syllable, intensifying his anxiety.
"You should call your parents," Kentaro effortlessly changed the subject. "Sensei contacted them earlier, and they were so worried that they immediately called me to inquire about your well-being. Unfortunately, I had nothing positive to report at the time."
"I'll give them a call later, but that aside," Haruki insisted on returning to the previous topic, "Are you really okay with this? I mean, this is a pretty big step for both you and your dad..."
Kentaro didn't turn to face him as he responded, his tone devoid of warmth. "Nothing has changed for me, while he's the one trying to act responsible when there's no need for it. I won't suddenly feel ecstatic about that," he stated. "But let's forget about my problems for now. Shouldn't you be concerned about yours? Kim Juwon isn't going to reply himself."
Haruki had indeed wanted to discuss the matter with Juwon earlier, and he knew Ken wasn't open to addressing his own family issues either. However, with this unexpected turn of events...
Clearing his throat, Haruki began, "D-Don't you think it's time for you to acknowledge the Haradas? Maybe not all of them, but perhaps... your dad? It seems like he's genuinely trying to—"
Kentaro glowered at him, cutting him off mid-sentence. Haruki gulped, his voice faltering. "Haha, it was just a suggestion. Please ignore my big mouth."
Haruki's attempt to lighten the tension failed, as Kentaro's next words were tinged with bitterness. "Haruki, it's not that I can't acknowledge those people," he responded coldly, shrugging. "I just don't want to. I won't, and it's as simple as that."
Haruki's laughter faded away, replaced by a shift in his gaze as he muttered, "You're only saying this now because you don't know what will happen."
"And you do?" Kentaro's hands remained on the sink, water dripping from them. The frustration was evident in his agitated expression.
"All I'm saying is you can't keep acting like a kid anymore, Ken. You need to consider these things because we both know what the future holds," Haruki insisted. "Sooner or later, you'll be expected to join the family business."
"After all these years, they've suddenly decided to acknowledge me? Am I supposed to pretend we've always been one big happy family?" Kentaro let out a bitter laugh. "You know, I'm starting to wonder whose side you're really on, Haruki."
"I'm on your side, obviously."
"Are you, really? You're even talking as if my father is some great guy," Ken scoffed.
"I'm not saying he's great, but that doesn't mean he's all that terrible either," Haruki reasoned, sighing heavily. "Consider this: if he truly didn't want you, why did he choose to keep you? Why didn't he toss you and your mom out onto the streets?"
"Because he didn't want the world to know he'd impregnated a maid!"
"Th-That might be partially true, but what if it was his best solution to protect you guys... In some weird, twisted way?" Haruki's conviction shone through. "And to make it seem like he wasn't defying his parents' wishes, he acted like he didn't care about you. Even when they isolated you—"
"It was Satoshi Harada who made that decision, and you know it! Why are you..." Kentaro's laughter echoed in the room, forced and acrid. He shook his head at Haru. "Why are you suddenly pretending like you're oblivious to all of this, Haruki? Is your memory failing you? You're well aware that it's that man again who won't allow my mother to leave the Estate, even for a hospital visit. Everything bad that has happened to me and my mom is primarily because of HIM! WHY DO YOU THINK I HATE HIM SO MUCH? If he truly cared, we wouldn't have suffered. Tough love? Yeah, screw that. I don't believe a word he says!"
Haruki opened his mouth to respond but found himself at a loss for words. The tension in the room became unbearable, and he regretted not keeping his thoughts to himself earlier.
Taking a deep breath, Kentaro regained his composure, finishing the dishes in the sink before leaving to collect Haruki's neglected dishes in the dining room. He quietly scrubbed them clean and dried his hands with a dish towel.
"For now, let's not spend as much time together," Kentaro declared, his voice steady.
Surprised by this sudden decision, Haruki exclaimed, "Are you really that upset?"
"Don't misunderstand me. This has nothing to do with our disagreement," Kentaro explained calmly as he placed the towel back on the counter. "I simply think that since my father is visiting soon, he shouldn't know that you and I are close. The same goes for Tadashi and Takumi. I'll keep my distance from them as well until things settle down. He can't know that I have any connections with any of you."
Haruki couldn't help but feel incredulous and exasperated. "Are you serious? He's just one person. Do you think he would use our friendships to threaten you or something?"
"Yes, I do think that. I truly do," Kentaro replied, his expression solemn.
Haruki was left speechless, unable to find words to respond.
"I know it's hard for you to wrap your head around, but that's just the way he is. And trust me, he's capable of pulling some nasty tricks to get what he wants. Keeping our distance doesn't mean we have to start ignoring each other. It simply means we won't be hanging out as much for the time being. And I won't be swinging by here as often."
Haruki scrunched his brows in confusion. "So, how long is this 'time being' supposed to last?"
"Until Akihiro gives me the heads-up on Mr. Harada's departure from the mansion."
"So we're just going to wait until this guy comes and goes before things go back to normal? We don't even know when he's coming," Haru protested.
"Same goes for the rest of the Haradas," Ken reminded him. "Akihiro said the timing hasn't been decided yet."
"Then let's wait until it's decided!"
"Who knows, Haruki? Maybe he'll send his spies beforehand to keep tabs on me and report back when he finally arrives. He'll definitely want to know what I've been up to. That is, if he hasn't already," Ken explained.
Haruki's anger burned within him, his words escaping through clenched teeth. "If he's already done that, then what's the point of pretending now? You once told me you wouldn't care if your old man sent his spies after you, so what's changed? Have you forgotten your own words? Or were you just saying it for show?"
Kentaro used to exude such confidence. What had happened to him now?
"Maybe this is me facing reality for once," he replied, avoiding Haruki's gaze.
The other teenager didn't respond immediately, but his pent-up frustration was evident.
Rubbing the tension between his brows, Kentaro continued, "Look, I only said those things before because I believed I could handle my father. But I can't, okay? I'm scared, and I don't want the people I care about to get hurt because of me."
Haruki had wanted to keep his anger ablaze, but faced with Kentaro's vulnerable expression and words, he could only contain his rage.
Satoshi couldn't be that much of an asshole, could he? Seriously...
Meanwhile, Kentaro readied himself to leave, the discussion reaching its end. "If you start feeling sick again, just give me a call."
An already upset Haruki grew even more dissatisfied. "It's night! Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"To my place?" Ken looked slightly puzzled. "It's not like I live that far away."
"Fine, I'll walk you—"
"No, you're still not well."
Haruki snapped, "The hell, I'm not sick! I'm walking you out, damn you!"
Kentaro seemed disappointed once again. "I knew you wouldn't listen. It's not like you ever listen to what I have to say."
"You—!!!" Not knowing how to channel his frustration at this point, Haruki groaned and turned away, gripping his head resentfully. His willpower alone prevented him from lashing out at something. But in the end, he had no choice but to obediently stay behind as Kentaro left. After all, he couldn't completely disregard how he had also angered Ginger earlier.
Haruki remained wide awake well into the night, plotting various forms of retaliation.
This wasn't over.
He lay in bed, staring into the darkness with his back against the mattress, using his arms as a makeshift pillow. A devilish smirk crept across his face.
Don't assume I'll sit idly by and swallow that crap just because you said so, Ginger. Just you wait.
~~~~~~