Chapter 26

Despite promises of a seductive evening, Shin did not appear that night at Ai. Unsure, Aiko cried until dawn but was comforted by a short missive that reached him early in the morning.

"Marshal Badoglio declared martial law in Italy."

He felt strange when he read Sakamoto's brief explanation of his absence from his home. It was as if all those war problems were an invented situation, so far out of sight. Aside from the lack of some food on the market, and the occasional rumor that things were going badly on the front, until then, despite the time that had elapsed, the war had not altered his routine or his life at all. Sometimes he found out that some clients had died in a distant country, but nothing that affected him to the point of crying. He felt sorry, made his "minute of respectful silence" there, and then went about his business. Oddly enough, even Nana, who used to charge him daily for running away or destroying the evidence against him, seemed calmer, regardless of what might come.

However, Shin affected him, more precisely, his absence. When Sakamoto was in Korea or Germany, Mamoru felt apprehensive, always waiting for the bad news. As protected as Shin was, they were at war and Hirohito's nephew could be a target for the allies. However, he calmed down as soon as his lover settled in Tokyo. However, Shin went away again, who knew the reasons. That atmosphere of mystery and fear terrified Aiko.

The days started to pass. Aiko saw Jiro a few times, he was always close to Ryo, both talked quietly and in a friendly tone, but he felt a certain animosity between them. However, his concern for Sakamoto did not allow him to gossip about other people's problems. Shiro, little by little, went back to eating regularly and working with animation. He realized that the reasons for that euphoric state were Ryo and his supposed friendship, in which Aiko did not believe at all.

Almost a month without seeing Shin, he made him lose three pounds. The protruding apple was gone and the skin lost its shine. He walked with drooping shoulders, without enthusiasm or joy. Saito was still trying to cheer him up, but nothing seemed to taste.

Jiro was also the one who gave him the news. Shin was busy, Japan no longer believed that it could defeat the Soviet Union by military means. He heard, in a whisper from Jiro in his ears, that Japan was thinking of mediating a pact between Germany and the USSR. The great concern, he said smiling, was that after defeating the Nazis, the Soviets decided to threaten the Japanese. So they needed Shin's gift of speech to help design a plan to show the Russians Japanese goodwill. Even if Stalin did not accept reconciliation with the Germans, he would not see Japan as a country to be eliminated.

" I don't know the reasons for the fear " Saito laughed at a serious Mamoru. " Aren't we protected from the sun god? " Then his face lost its irony. "The vast majority of members of the government already know that we will be defeated," he said. " But, they still use Kempeitai to impose victorious thinking on the people. The population is ignorant of the truths to come. It is a matter of time before everything is bombed, many died inside their homes.

Selfish, despite so many lives at stake, Aiko soon forgot all about that political game and focused on a single question: when would he see Sakamoto again? Aiko missed him, needed him like the air he breathed.

His unease was calmed in early September when a beautiful car pulled up in front of Ai. It was already dark, but he didn't even blink to leave the establishment alone and follow the driver who had come to pick him up to meet Shin.

He imagined that Sakamoto would take him to a hotel, but when the car stopped in front of the beautiful mansion in which he resided, Aiko lost his breath. Yes, he had already seen the place. He had been walking around, seeing the house from afar when they were just friends. He never approached, for fear of being rejected and, even though he had told himself not to accept any more crumbs from Sakamoto, he never expected to be invited to the home of a member of the royal family.

When the vehicle door opened, he left still unsure. What if it was a mistake? What if someone in the family had discovered the relationship and it was just a trap? However, when the door to the house opened and he saw Shin smiling in his direction, he realized that everything was fine. A feeling of happiness exploded in his being and then he ran upstairs to embrace him.

" I missed you so much ..." he commented, as soon as they came apart.

"I was able to rest after a little good news," said the host, pleased. " Germany occupied Rome, and Mussolini was rescued from prison."

Mamoru smiled, not caring about Germany or Mussolini. Everything he wanted was before him, loving and calm, passionately kind.

"I love you," he whispered. " I'm happy, take me to the bedroom."

The sudden request made Shin laugh. Lifting Mamoru's hands, he kissed them while pulling him into the house.

The first sight that took him was a huge room with expensive furniture. In a row, about half a dozen women were waiting for orders, with their eyes lowered, in a total submissive posture, common at the time.

Shin walked over to them and Aiko stayed by his side.

" This is Aiko Mamoru, he is my partner. I hope he will be treated well whenever he come. If you come and I am not, receive he with the same deference you pay me."

Aiko's eyes widened as he watched the women do the same. Did they understand the meaning of " partner"? If so, wouldn't that be a huge problem for Shin's surname? However, it was only when they were in the dining room, tasting an enormous amount of typical dishes like Gyudon and Tempura[38] that Aiko decided to bring it up.

" Shin, don't you fear what the employees will think about your words?"

" My dear, people of my social level are completely protected. They know what happens to anyone who slanders with the name of a member of the royal family."

Even though it was not the words he would like to hear, Aiko smiled, being grateful for that show of love.

"We have known each other all our lives, and this is the first time I have come to your house," he said, looking around, noticing the pictures on the wall and the beautiful, dark curtains on the windows.

" I was a fool, Mamoru, but I swear it won't happen again. From now on, I will no longer hide it from anyone, not even from Hirohito. I promise to make you happy as long as we live."

It looked like a marriage proposal, and Mamoru promptly got out of the chair and ran over to Shin. He sat on his lap, kissing the salty mouth, while he fidgeted about the masculinity he woke up motivated by the longing for the time they had been apart.

***

The firm buttocks hit him so hard that Shin groaned in pain. He was lying, his body straight, while Mamoru Aiko sat on top of him and moved up and down, in an intense and maddening rhythm.

" Aiko ... " he begged, almost in tears. " Stop a little " pushed him away, causing the other to go to the side.

Shin's member slipped out of Aiko, still hard. He didn't seem to understand what his owner was up to.

" What's?"

"You almost blew my balls," he said, in a mixture of relief and anger.

Aiko sighed, resigned.

" I'm sorry, I didn't understand."

However, he did not seem sorry, on the contrary, he was more than dissatisfied and angry.

" I think I'm paying for my sins," Shin murmured. "You are so cold to me," he complained. " Why, you should love me, and not use me."

"I love you," he said. " But you have sex like a little girl."

Shin was furious.

" Do you want to stop talking like that? I would never use that tone with you in bed, "he said. " However, you seem to have completely lost respect for me since we started making love."

The statement was true, and Aiko was ashamed of it. He lowered his face, embarrassed. Then he hugged Shin again, trying to make amends.

" It's just that I feel that I still have so much to catch up on."

" This is not a delayed service, Aiko. We had sex at the right time when both were ready. But you're scaring me with that appetite out of with one" Shin got out of bed, ignoring the erect member, and went to the kimono. He got dressed. "I'll take a walk, then we'll talk ..."

" Shin-chan ..."

" I don't want to fight or anything. So, I'm just going to cool my head."

Ignoring his lover's dejected look, he left the bedroom and headed for the office. When he got there, he went straight to the drinks table, filled the glass with brandy, and drank in a single sip.

" Well, well ... Someone is not having a good night."

Jiro's tone made him smile. He turned to the sergeant, who appeared to be coming home at the time.

"I thought you were at Ai," Sakamoto stammered.

"That place is not so attractive without Mamoru," he said mercilessly. " But, from what Shiro told me, you sent for him. I am proud, you are treating him as you deserve."

" Not so much."

The sergeant's black eyebrow rose inquisitively.

" What?"

" Aiko and I have a small sexual problem."

Jiro opened his mouth, startled. But he didn't say anything.

" I can't ... Anyway ..."

" Give you pleasure? " completed, curious.

" No, he feels pleasure ... too much. The problem is that he is never satisfied. When I finish, I pass out from sleep ... and Aiko ..."

" Aiko stays even more awake, ready for more?"

" Yes."

Jiro laughed.

"You have a problem."

Then he walked away. However, before arriving at the stairs, Saito was intercepted by Shin.

"Hey, wait," he asked. " Where's my advice?"

" Advice? " laughed. " There is no advice on that. You two are going to have to come to a consensus, or you must end."

" Finish?"

That was out of the question.

" Talk to him, Shin. Will you be looking for answers from those who are not involved? Sit down with Mamoru and talk about it. Give in as much as you can, and ask him for the same. A perfect relationship is not born out of anywhere, you need to work out the differences."

Shin nodded and allowed Saito to disappear up the stairs. He never expected to go through that kind of situation. The truth is that in all his daydreams when he dreamed of personal fulfillment with Aiko, he imagined that they would be completed in all ways. Even the differences that could occasionally arise, would be due to social or economic difference, never sexual.

However, sex was exactly what was separating them. Status or money did not make the least difference between them, it was in bed that things seemed wrong.

When he returned, he realized that Aiko was still awake. The courtier was sitting on the bed, the sheet covering his nakedness. His chin rested on his knee, his legs were drawn up, and his eyes were sheepish.

"Mamoru," he called, sitting beside his. " We need to talk."

Aiko nodded but remained silent.

"I want you to know that you are the most important person in my life," he confessed. " I would die for you without thinking twice. Besides, I love making love to you, I love enjoying you in bed, licking your body, watching you whimper when you climax. But when it ends, I "coughed" my body "corrected" my body needs rest. I don't know for how long, but I can't get excited so quickly."

"But you're still so young ..." he persisted.

" Aiko, I'm not like you " he got angry. " You make ejaculate of me and before I can even clean the snot, it's hard again."

" And what do you want me to do?" He replied.

" I don't want you to do anything. I just want to know if you think we can continue like this? Are you willing to maintain the relationship that way? I don't want you to regret it tomorrow, because you didn't share your life with someone with the same intensity as you.

When Shin say that, he notice him in shock. So it left Aiko free to decide. He lay on his back to Mamoru and closed his eyes. Aiko was silent, sitting as if meditating on the words. After a while, when Shin imagined that this was the end, he felt a loving embrace, and Aiko's face was sinking into his back.

" In those days that disappeared " Aiko whispered ", I wanted to die. When you are not close to me, I don't feel like smiling, or eating, or seeing the sun. If you leave me, I'll kill myself " he promised.

It was so childish that Shin laughed. Then he turned forward and took him in his arms.

" I have no life without you, Aiko ..."

"Then don't talk to me like that," he asked. " Don't you know that I love you above all?"

Shin laughed.

"So can you please wait for me to recover to jump on me?"

The courtier seemed to think.

"I can try," he smiled.

They kissed.

"Thank you for telling me about your afflictions, " Aiko said happily. " I always want to share the joys and sorrows of life with you, Shin-chan. I feel more relaxed about telling me what bothered you. I promise to do the same if something ever comes up."

Shin spun the body over Mamoru.

" As partners?"

" Yes."

" So it's our deal: no secrets. If there is anything between us, no matter what, it must be said. Sincerity above all."

The sentence shocked Aiko. To disguise it, he raised his hand to Shin's butt, in sensual affection. Shin kissed him on the mouth, while the bodies were again heated by the passion. However, that time it was Aiko who stopped.

Sincerity? He couldn't be sincere! Shin could never suspect him! Aiko didn't trust Sakamoto's love that much to confess his secret. He knew that in the face of the truth, anything could happen.

"Have you lost your will?" Sakamoto laughed, holding Aiko's penis in his hands.

"I was drowsy," he laughed, surreptitiously. " Do you mind letting me sleep a little?"

Strangely, the feeling of dissatisfaction now changed sides. Sakamoto saw him turning his body and closing his eyes. He didn't like it, but he didn't try to stop it. He even gave her a light kiss on the back of the neck before giving himself up to the god of sleep.

***

Ryo looked at Saito. The sergeant was an unknown quantity difficult to understand. Nothing in his countenance or posture denounced his intentions. He watched the slender body, stopping his eyes on the white fingers that caressed Shin's cat, lying on his lap. Jiro looked at him, noticing the look. He smiled mysteriously.

Uncomfortable, Ryo looked away, resting them on the old board, and seemed to think.

" Ai is a very pleasant environment, isn't it?" Jiro called him.

The sound made him look up again.

" Certainly."

It was early afternoon, they had both had lunch with Aiko and were now playing chess in the shade of an old cherry tree in the garden.

" I wonder if this legendary house will be able to stay away from the war."

The comment did not seem to have anything implied. It was just a simple observation.

"Certainly," Ryo said, firmly. " There is no way Japan could be hit by the war. Certainly, it will stay away from our lands."

Jiro smiled knowingly as if he understood that Ryo was lying. Uncomfortable with that, the merchant could not stand it:

" Do you think we will be defeated?"

Saito looked at the board. It was his turn to play, and he seemed determined to risk only one pawn. He moved it, turning back to the man.

" My dear Ryo-san, I believe the world was created, I just don't know why or who. God, Kami-sama, beings from other planets, or a simple explosion, no matter. The world has emerged in some way. And that was unique, perfect, and complete. And I believe that then this creator made the plants and animals, beautiful and majestic " raised Minikui. "See this beautiful cat. Clear, beautiful, and arrogant eyes. Soft fur, a perfect combination of colors. He is not handsome?"

The cat was Shin's, so Ryo didn't agree.

" Minikui has personality, he likes it or doesn't like it. And he demonstrates it, without falsehood ��� he put it back on his lap and the cat purred when he felt the affection. " And not just cats, but all animals. The beauty of butterflies, the docility of birds, the meekness of cattle, or the importance of reptiles ... Anyway, everyone is perfectly included in this life cycle, of creation."

He cleared his throat and went on.

" However, at some point, this creative god or, simply, the consequences of the explosion created a disease. A disease of skin and bone, that walks and talks, that even has feelings sometimes, but that most of the time only destroys, kills, and annihilates you from what it touch. This error of nature usurps what is not yours, exhaustively consumes all the reserves on the planet, kills animals, destroys forests, and is still capable of destroying itself without any burden on conscience. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

" Human beings."

Jiro nodded.

" So I hope this war destroys all humans. I want everyone to die."

Ryo was shocked.

" And your friends? Your family?"

The other shrugged.

"It's the price to pay," he smiled.

Ryo lowered his face, returning his attention to the board. Jiro's opinion was cruel and uncomfortable, but who was he to judge him? Ryo knew from Sakamoto that sergeant's life had not been easy. That he had been subjected to strong psychological torture that should have changed his view of the world. And, given the visions Ryo had, how could he not understand it?

He moved a piece, without thinking straight.

" Oh, Shiro " heard the sound of Jiro's voice again, this time sweet and loving. " I didn't see you there."

He looked up quickly, meeting that black sea like look of sensuality and lust. By heaven, how he wanted to sink into that fragile and delicate body ...

Shiro was standing next to them, a teapot in his hand. Smile.

" Aiko-san asked me to bring the tea."

There were cups near the men. They both extended them and he filled them with green liquid.

"For digestion," he explained.

Then he turned on his back and walked away.

Ryo took a deep breath, holding himself up not to go to him, hug him, kiss him, and use him for all his wishes. How Ryo wanted him! He couldn't even understand how much. He would do anything to have it, pay any price ...

" Checkmate " the sound woke him.

He turned to Jiro and saw him laughing, mocking.

" A deconcentrated rival is always easier to break."

" Are you talking about Shiro or the game?"

Saito's laughter echoed through the garden.

" From both."

Ryo mumbled some blasphemy, before getting up and leaving. How he hated Saito Jiro!