Chapter 126: Natural
***
They had a fixed schedule for the next few weeks. Haruki spends his weekdays in Hiroshi’s house and Hiroshi spends his weekends in Haruki’s main house. Their Saturday was spent leisurely with Aki coming over to play golf.
Haruki enjoyed the schedule it had come almost too natural he saw nothing wrong with it. He began to dislike the weekends he had to spend his time with other people around.
He wanted to eat the food Hiroshi cooked because there was something about how Hiroshi prepared his meal that made it feel more homemade than what his chef prepared.
He had meetings with Ren during the weekends and he could not afford to miss those meetings. Hiroshi had easily integrated himself into Haruki’s life.
He came with warmth, passion and companionship without confessing the woods he held deeply in his heart. He showed it all with his actions, eating with Haruki, cooking for him, massaging him, stealing a kiss whenever they got close enough and pleasuring him when alone.
It was so good, he could swear that things would get better and never end if it continued this way. He had begun noticing the respect he got from the staff and men in the house during the weekend with every weekend he stayed over.
All these were perfect but it would be dumb of him to believe that Haruki was completely his since he still felt hesitant to confess his love verbally for fear of the contract ending.
***
After an important meeting this weekend, Haruki noticed Ren lingering so he gave him the chance to speak. "What do you want to talk about?"
Haruki placed his tablet down and leaned backwards giving his mentor enough attention.
Ren stood up and got closer to Haruki’s chair. Seeing his hesitation, Haruki knew the man wanted to talk about something sensitive.
"Go ahead," Haruki told him now curious.
"I think you should end your relationship with Dr Yamamoto," Ren said directly meeting Haruki’s gaze squarely.
Haruki was taken aback by those words. He smiled finding it more amusing than annoying. "Oh, why?"
This was not the first man he had spent time with. When he was Katora, Ren hadn’t gotten involved.
"I think he is very distracting," Ren replied sincerely.
"What is the evidence of that?"
Ren pressed his lips together as anger filled his eyes fixed on Haruki before she looked away.
"Have I ever missed any of my schedule since he returned to the country?"
"No, you haven’t. I am not talking about your schedule," Ren said meeting Haruki’s gaze once again.
"Okay, explain yourself. If not be patient we have less than three months left in the contract." After saying these words, Haruki realised he had such a short time left in the contract. It was disheartening.
The thought of renewing the contract flashed on his mind. When he cancelled that possibility, he thought of how hard it would be to find someone like Hiroshi. Or at least someone who would bring him that much pleasure with the right amount of gentleness and submission.
"You’ve developed affection and although that could change later, I think it’s best to stop it now before it gets too late," Ren warned firmly.
Anger flashed in Haruki’s eyes as soon as the words Ren said sank deep. But he remained calm, almost too calm as he replied, "It is only natural I have affection towards the man I share my bed with."
"You know what I mean," Ren said with a trace of frustration in his tone. "I think you’ve fallen in love with him, to put it bluntly," he was forced to say blatantly.
The anger in Haruki’s eyes intensified, unmasked. He rose calmly and stood before his mentor, the man he once feared but there was something murderous he reined in his obsidian as eyes.
"You have nothing to worry about, he leaves when the contract expires. I never cared about him anyway," Haruki denied the accusations. Ren’s words had pointed out something to him.
His earlier thought of renewing the contract and his fear of not getting someone like Hiroshi. The memories of the moments they spent together flashed through his mind.
Peace, warmth, companionship and something unique, so obvious yet hidden, all these the doctor gave him asking for nothing in return. That had to be love, right?
Love. That was a dangerous word. That was something he should never taint the relationship he had with the doctor.
"I think you love him, I believe you won’t let him go when the time comes. You’ve become too dependent on his presence. When was the last time you went a day without seeing him? When the time comes for you to marry to have an heir, that might be difficult."
Haruki’s fist clenched and he swung it only stopping just before it could hit Ren’s face. He took in a deep breath and dropped his hand. "The next time you say such words, I will kill you."
Haruki walked past his surprised mentor and left the office. He was not in love with the doctor. He could not be. He had a duty, a duty to himself to protect himself from loss. A duty to his family to bring his heir and a duty to the doctor to keep him safe.
He stopped outside the door and took in deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He felt himself tremble slightly. He raised his head to see Hiroshi watching him as he walked up the walkway towards him.
"Aki arrived, he’s downstairs," the doctor announced excitedly when he finally got to Haruki.
"Okay," Haruki said a small smile lifting the corners of his lips. Hiroshi walking beside him boldly took Haruki’s hand in his and squeezed it slightly.
Haruki responded by squeezing back. Something was soothing about the doctor’s presence and touch that kept his mind far from what happened in the study.
"Tsubaki invited us to the class reunion."
They all sat in the gazebo after an afternoon of playing golf and Haruki didn’t find such an announcement pleasant but he remained calm masking his thoughts in a questioning look.
"I didn’t even graduate from that school, why should I get invited?"
"I totally understand but I think they’re doing it to get your forgiveness," Aki replied thoughtfully.
"I don’t think I need that. I have long moved on with my life. They can move with theirs, it’s pretty easy." Haruki said this knew it wasn’t easy at all, in fact it was difficult to forget the past so soon.
"Someone as powerful as you are could easily crush them if they cross your path so this could be their chance at getting on your good side," Aki suggested.
"I have always supported my cousins and aunt why then should I have a problem with the bystanders?"
"Really?" Aki’s eyes widened in disbelief as he asked. "Why will you?"
"Because of my aunt."
"Then if you come, they can move on and might even boast about knowing you in their past."
Aki was doing it for them not even for himself to prove to them that he had succeeded and could not be bullied ever again.
"How did you get over it to forgive them?"
"I don’t know," Aki shrugged. "I guess I just moved on."