Chapter 55: whisper of suspiciousness.
"Someone is here." Before Ren could enter the house, a voice called out to him. The voice was soft and gentle, though it still carried a rough edge. Ren immediately recognized it and turned with a smile on his face.
"Hm... What's that in your hand, Shimo?" he asked, smiling as he looked at Shimo, who was carrying two large bags in both hands.
"Nothing much," she replied, walking up to him. "So... did you have fun at your grandparents' place?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with genuine curiosity.
"Yes, I kind of did. But it was unfamiliar, so I had some problems here and there," he answered, his voice tinged with a slight hesitation as he recalled the day's events.
"Let me help you." Ren took one of the bags from her hand, feeling the weight immediately strain his muscles.
"They're heavy, aren't they?" she said with a sly grin. "Are you sure you can carry them?"
"Yeah, don't worry. I can handle it. So, what are these?" The bags were closed quite well, making it hard to tell what was inside.
"Groceries," Shimo answered, eliciting a shocked expression from Ren.
"Why so much? It's more than enough for two families," he exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"That's the reason," she said, pointing at him with her free hand. "Since you weren't here and the number of customers was increasing at both of our stores, I was tasked with the job of shopping. The bag you're holding belongs to you."
"Uh, I am so sorry..." Ren said with a bland voice, guilt creeping into his tone.
"So... let's meet each other after placing the stuff in our homes," Ren suggested, trying to shake off the feeling of guilt.
"Sounds like a plan." Nodding her head, Shimo walked towards the entrance of her house and opened the door. After she entered her house, Ren followed suit and entered his own.
.
.
.
.
.
"I am home," Ren said as he walked into the house. The familiar smell of detergent greeted him, and it felt so good to be back. It was a scent that symbolized comfort and normalcy, a stark contrast to the unfamiliarity of his grandparents' place.
"Oh, you are back so early." In the kitchen, he was greeted with the warm smile of his mother, who had just finished her work.
"Yup. I am home. How are you and Dad doing?" he asked, his voice carrying a sense of warmth and concern for his parents.
"Both of us are doing good," she said, walking towards him and taking the bag from his hands. "How about taking a shower?"
Ren nodded, smiling at the suggestion. "Yes, I will do that." He headed towards the bathroom, the sense of routine and familiarity providing a comforting backdrop to his thoughts.
.
.
.
.
"Oh! Thank goodness there are people today!" Ren exclaimed with a sigh of relief as he entered the bustling bathhouse.
The bathhouse was alive with activity. There were many more people today compared to yesterday. The sound of chatter, the splashing of water, and the hum of life filled the air.
He walked into the bathhouse, his eyes scanning the area for familiar faces.
"Oh! Someone finally came, huh?" He looked in the direction of the voice and smiled, greeted by a serious, grumpy look from Yuu.
"I was here, but no one was available," he reasoned to Yuu, who sighed. "Well, I did pay my part, didn't I, Yuu?"
"Yeah, you did pay, but that's not the point." She pointed at Ren, who chuckled.
"I will go and take a bath. See you soon." He was about to leave but was stopped when Yuu started talking again.
"Oh, by the way, Shimo-san is in the next room. You can go there and have fun~. Since it's empty anyway~." She said and ran away, leaving Ren shaking his head with a smile.
Ren, in response, just took the towel and went inside the changing room. As he changed, various thoughts filled his head.
Was he able to plant the seed of doubt in Luther's heart? Was he able to shake his confidence? He wasn't sure, but he needed to stay focused. The bathhouse, with its warm, soothing water, seemed like the perfect place to clear his mind.
"No... now's not the time to think about this. I need to take a bath first and then do the thinking," he muttered to himself, nodding as he headed to the large public bath.
When Ren crossed the threshold, he was enveloped in a symphony of scents—exotic spices, fragrant flowers, and soothing herbs mingled in the air, transporting him to a world of sensory bliss. The steam rising from the water added a mystical quality to the atmosphere, making it feel almost otherworldly.
The bathhouse had many large bathtubs for various people. Some were students, some were adults, each lost in their own world of relaxation and conversation.
Some were washing their backs, and others were helping to wash others. Ren thought that those pairs of guys must be friends, bonded by the simple act of helping each other.
Ren kept looking around until his eyes fell on a familiar face in one of the bathtubs.
"Oh, Tokusake!" Ren snapped out of his thoughts and noticed he was much closer to the familiar boy than before. "Come on, get inside," he said, smiling warmly.
"What are you doing here... Tarazune-san?" Ren asked Akeshi, who let out a small chuckle.
"I am here to take a bath, of course!" Akeshi responded, soaking in the hot water, his expression one of utter contentment.
Ren's eyes kept on Akeshi, but he decided to let himself and Akeshi enjoy the bath. He slid into the hot water, feeling the warmth seep into his muscles, relaxing him almost instantly.
.
.
.
.
Despite always calling Akeshi by his first in his mind or thoughts , he always addressed him by his last name whenever they talked. It was a subtle sign of respect, a way to keep some distance in their otherwise close relationship.
"So, Tarazune-san... how have you been?" Ren asked, trying to strike up a conversation, his voice echoing slightly in the steamy room.
"I am fine," Akeshi responded and continued, "I heard you went to your grandfather's place. How did you like it?"
Ren's eyes widened in surprise. How did Akeshi know that he went to his grandfather's place? He hadn't told anyone. He questioned himself, wondering if he had mentioned it to someone.
Akeshi looked at his face and said, "You didn't tell anyone. I heard it from Kiritsuga-kun."
Ren was again shocked. How did Akeshi know what he was thinking?
"By the way, Tokusake Ren... who are you really?" This question caught Ren off guard. Akeshi's tone was serious, his eyes boring into Ren's with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.
"Let me elaborate," Akeshi said, his voice calm but insistent. "The Tokusake-kun I knew used to come to me and ask for help for whatever he did. Yes, he tried his best to work all by himself, but he still came to ask for help from either me or Yamashiro."
Rens hand touched the water , the calm surface was now slightly shaken.
"But you don't do that anymore. And you also placed second in the recent mock exam, which isn't something you would have probably been able to do. I am not saying that you can't. I am not talking about the results but rather the aftereffects."
His hand turned itself in knuckle and the surface of the previously not-so-calm water started to shake more than before.
"You didn't seem a little bit tired. To get over Ming Chen in terms of academics, you need to at least not be able to open your eyes for a long time, as that would mean you didn't sleep for a while."
Rens hand tuned into a fist behind him , the area around that place shook.
"But that's not what happened. Yes, I didn't attend school for those times, but you know I have people all around the school connected with me."
He released that fist and calmed himself.
"But that doesn't mean I am not Tokusake Ren! I am Tokusake Ren, and I think you are going mental after studying too much..." Ren argued back, his voice rising slightly. Akeshi's reasoning was enough to shake Ren off, but Ren had to admit, Akeshi was right. He isn't the Tokusake Ren Akeshi knows. The Tokusake Ren is an adult in a child's body.
"Alright then, I will give you another piece of evidence that you aren't Tokusake Ren... it's the fact that you actually went ahead and fell for our teacher all of a sudden when for the entire middle school and for the whole extra classes we took, you didn't show any interest. The only thing you wanted was to make sure you were ahead of everyone when it comes to studying.... So tell me, Tokusake Ren..."
Akeshi leaned close to Ren, his warm breath falling on Ren, who had his eyes wide open. Ren met Akeshi's intense gaze. Short black hair that wasn't wet met with long red hair that was drenched.
Ren's eyes fell on Akeshi's body. A beautifully built body. Akeshi leaned closer, reaching Ren's ear. Akeshi's breath sent shivers down Ren's spine.
"...Are you a time traveler?" Akeshi whispered, his voice barely audible over the bubbling water.
Ren's heart pounded in his chest. He knew he was caught. The secret he had worked so hard to keep was now out in the open, exposed by Akeshi's relentless questioning and keen observation.
Both Ren and Akeshi sat in the steaming bath, the weight of Akeshi's question hung heavily in the air. Ren's mind raced, trying to think of a way to deflect or deny,