“Welcome home, sir. Would you
like to have dinner in the dining room, or should I have it brought to your
bedroom instead?”
“Bedroom, please. Ask Kishi to
bring me whatever he feels like making.”
“Noted, sir. Are you okay with
waiting?”
“I have all the time in the
world,” Kenichi answered wearily, turning away after and walking up the
spiraling stairs. His tired feet carried him up and his stomach grumbled, but
he couldn’t complain. Home was better than that damned office where he was
locked up during the day.
He felt undeniably grouchy,
that was for sure. Kenichi let himself sigh as he walked down the long hallway,
framed pictures of family members watching him as he did. From family, it
shifted to him. Pictures of Kenichi graduating elementary, then high school,
then college after taking up a degree in Management and Business showed bright
smiles and proud eyes, holding diplomas.
The man remembered, of course,
stopping to glumly look at a graduation picture, and then one of the same
occurrence, just with his father, whose smile looked less obvious compared to
Kenichi’s infectious grin. He knew, though. He knew that his father was smiling
despite keeping a straight, stoic face.
“You will inherit M Corporation one day. For
now, I’ll take you under my wing until you’re ready.”
“I’ll make you proud, father. I promise.”
Proud.
He wondered if he fulfilled
that promise of his. Kenichi’s stomach lurched, and he turned away once more
before walking to his bedroom, his steps echoing in the hallway.
“I’m going to have to apologize
to Matt.” he muttered quietly. “Gods forgive me for being terrible to him,” his
hand took the keys out of his pocket and he unlocked the door, stepping inside
and turning on the lights, drawn windows reflecting merely the stars.
With his hair ruffled and shoes
kicked off, he finally felt at ease.
Again, he thought of Matt and
how he promptly slammed the door in the ginger’s face.
With Matt came the thought of
A. A and how she arrived at his office to ask him about Taro. A and how Matt
would obsess over the idea of keeping his beloved safe.
A and how she was on his heels.
Like the police.
The fucking police.
The goddamn Japanese police.
He wondered if they had finally
caught up and his palms began to dampen. Who would squeal? Kenichi’s mind
raced: the bastards at Kiryuu? The crime syndicate who was rumored to be more
active at night rather than during the day?
He could send Matt to silence
them –
And he felt like retching.
No.
No.
“I’m not that man from two
years ago,” Kenichi whispered.
Many years ago, in fact, he
would be okay with silencing them with a dart to the neck. And the thought
disgusted him. If anything, he was no better than Yotsuba, who was wiped out
way before the family company could rise to power.
How much would he risk if he
went back to killing once again?
He would risk the integrity of
the company.
He would risk staining the
family name.
He would risk endangering Matt,
his trusted friend and confidante – again.
And Matt wouldn’t be spared, no. They’d reach A, too, and she had a chance of
losing everything dearest to her…as if the poor girl hadn’t lost so much
already.
Was it all worth giving up for?
All to keep his skeletons
tucked away?
Kenichi tasted the answer in
his mouth, salty and bitter at the same time. It was like saying it would rid
the taste, but his mind merely went on and answered.
It’s not worth it, and was never worth it in the first
place.
“Not worth it,” he told
himself, rising from the chair he had sat on minutes before. “Definitely not
worth it. Gods, Kenichi. What would father say if he knew that I was thinking
right now? A fucking failure, that’s what,” he laughed at that at least,
walking to the window to close those damned curtains –
And he shrieked. Loudly, wildly, he didn’t care –
“The fuck are you doing there?!” the Japanese yelled, staggering back
and staring with wide eyes, seeing nothing more than a stranger he couldn’t
recognize, pointing at him menacingly, tauntingly as if saying ‘Karma is a bitch, Kenichi.’
“Sir, I heard you screaming
and–”
“I want you to search the
gardens for anyone who shouldn’t be there,” Kenichi spat, shaking as he stood
back up, “And call the police if you see someone, or I swear to God I’ll serve
his head on a platter and send it to the dogs.”
“O-Of course,” his helper
managed, shocked at the sight of his superior clutching to the round table,
eyes as wide as they could get with his face drained of color.
His nerves were shot.
Twenty minutes later, the same
man had appeared. “We were not able to find anyone out there, sir,” he said.
“No one who shouldn’t be there, as you said.”
“Are you sure? Did you really
search–”
“We did, sir. It’s just us and
the guard who are currently in here.”
“…alright. Just…just bring my
dinner when it’s ready,” he said without looking at the other. When the door
closed, his phone rang at that moment.
Incoming call: Arianne Maxwell
Answer || Decline
Answer || Decline
He closed his eyes, rubbing his
temples.
“If Matt’s not home yet,” he
grumbled, picking up after the sixth ring. As soon as he did, A’s voice came
clear to him, a peculiar German accent twisting the way she pronounced her
words.
“I’m so sorry for calling at this time, Kenichi,” she apologized. “Is
this a bad time?”
“No, no.” he managed a weak
laugh and sat on his bed, listening to her voice. “I just got home ten minutes
ago. It’s all good. Is Matt there?”
“He is.” He briefly heard Matt’s muffled voice in the
background. “Do you need to talk to him?”
“…I do, if he’s not so busy.”
“He’s not.” It
was like she was smiling. “He was waiting
for you to speak to him.”
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