Chapter 39

The first dinner at Ryo's house was quite difficult for Shiromiya. After meeting at the shelter, he did not see him until the moment Tadao knocked on his door saying that food was being served.

Grateful for the chance to be sheltered in such a complicated time, Shiro promised himself to be a pleasant presence. He didn't want to be a nuisance, so he tried hard to make a good impression. He wore one of the wardrobe's many kimonos, surprising himself with the good quality fabric. Then he ran to the dining room, avoiding the delay.

However, Ryo and Mina were already waiting for him. Despite the growth of hunger in the country, Ryo's table was plentiful. There was more than they would be able to eat, and Shiro thought about in the amount that would be thrown in the trash. In the center, a huge piece of roasted pork gave off a strong odor that made your belly growl. Beside, baked potatoes, rice, salads, and bread. Also two bottles of wine, one white and one red.

" Sit down, Shiro " Ryo called him.

Ryo's smile soothed him. Despite the unfortunate phrase of the afternoon, at that moment, Satoshi did not seem to fear to show how close and friendly they were.

He sat on the trader's right, facing Mina, who was looking at him with distinct annoyance. The unsympathetic face surprised him, after all, he always considered prostitutes to be gentle and caring women. At Ai, he used to be pampered by all of them, but there he received a deadly look from the other.

" It is surprising how even an expensive outfit does not hide a poor face " the female voice made Shiromiya tremble.

Ryo was cutting the meat at the exact moment he heard the recriminating tone. Feeling an explosion in his core, he found himself replying:

" The same goes for you."

The woman's red face cheered the merchant. Now, nobody had the right to talk to Shiro like that. Turning to Kazue, he waited to receive the grateful look but noticed him looking at the numerous silverware, not knowing how to act in front of them.

"Use the hashi, Shiro," indicated the wooden utensils.

He could almost hear the sigh of relief.

Then Tadao entered the room. He signaled to the boss, who got up and followed him.

Shiro, seeing himself alone with the woman, almost ran after the other. He waited for the scathing words and they came, seconds later.

" If you don't know how to behave at the table, you should eat in the kitchen."

Shiro knew she was possessed by his presence, which scared him a lot. Shiro would never consider himself a rival. Especially because, what she wanted from Ryo - money and material goods - didn't matter to him. All he wanted to be his love, but the feelings seemed so far away and unreachable.

" And then, where did you sell yourself?"

The obtuse question made him cough.

"I'm not a prostitute," he said, however.

"Ah," she scolded loudly. " Please! Do you consider me a fool? The only thing that surprises me about all this is that Ryo has been wanting a kid like you. But take advice: Don't fall in love. Take what you can get from him, he is quite generous with lovers."

Shiro was offended.

" I'm not his lover and I don't want his money."

She smiled wryly.

" It's okay, I'm going to pretend you're just a passionate and innocent little boy. However, I regret to inform you: now is my time. I'm here to line my pockets, and if you get involved in my business, I will make you regret it."

The sound of Ryo's boots came on and they both fell silent. The merchant sat at the table, turning his eyes to the plate. He seemed oblivious to the heavy weather.

"Dinner is wonderful," Mina exclaimed, smoothing the man's arm.

" I'm glad you're enjoying it " Ryo smiled in response. However, he took the woman's female hand off him.

The rest of the dinner took place in silence.

***

Despite the tricky start, the rest of March was pretty quiet for Shiromiya. Mina seemed to control her tongue more, and the most she gave him was a caustic look. Ryo was the best of surprises. It seemed, at some point, that his stay at his house was just an extension of his life at Ai. As in Tokyo, the trader spent his afternoons with him, sharing stories and friendly conversation.

In the first week, Ryo avoided touching him, as if he feared to hurt him, as he had the first day. However, his self-control disappeared in the second week. One day, Ryo invited him to see the forest. Surprising to him, he pressed him against a tree, kissing him so intensely that Shiromiya s and squirmed at the fiery touches. After that, they started to visit the woods every afternoon, making each trunk a love nest.

However, there have been no more significant advances. And the fact caused the young man great contentment. For the first time in his life, he seemed to be living a normal relationship, dating like any other. Throughout its existence, sex seemed imposed as if he existed just for that. But with Ryo, he felt like it was also possible to talk or kiss, without feeling like someone else's object of satisfaction.

In early April, Mina was looking forward to leaving. However, she needed money. So she decided to get Ryo's desired feature. As the merchant spent his afternoons walking with the miserable boy, she decided to look for him one night.

Mina snuck into the bedroom and waited for him.

Around eleven o'clock, Ryo appeared, entered the room, and seemed amazed to see her.

Mina was close to twenty-five years old, her body was of classic beauty, voluminous, erect, firm breasts, with dark areolas that sneaked through the transparency of the lace kimono. And she was there, standing before him, ready to be loved as Ryo had done many times in the past.

But the merchant took you two steps to the side, completely annoyed by the presence.

It was a man. How could he react that way?

He knew well why. It was Shiromiya's fault. His obsession with the other had crossed all limits. He needed to end this abnormality soon, to return to the pleasures that have always been so precious to him.

" Mina ... " he started, not knowing exactly what to say.

He noticed her advancing, touching the bodies without shame.

" I miss you ... " Her murmur was very sensual.

" Forgive me " Ryo walked away, walking to the door. " I am very shaken by the war. I lost some people " lied. " I was in the bombing of Tokyo, I saw many others dead, shattered "continued, without embarrassment. " So, I don't feel willing to have a night of love ..."

Mina did not insist, but the merchant noticed her furious face. Perhaps she had never been dismissed in that way, but he promised himself to calm that hurricane with a few jewels before she opened her mouth about her impotence.

The woman turned and left the room, slamming the door. Ryo sat on the bed, hiding his face with his hands, feeling like the most rubbish of men. No one, in his position, would refuse that body. Why then was he like this? Why could you only imagine yourself with Shiromiya?

His shame was such that he hardly slept that night.

The next morning, the first thing he did was look for Shiro. Even angry at his attitude, he found himself smiling at the young man, when he found him sitting in the garden, looking at the plants.

"Good morning," he greeted, sitting down beside his. " Do you like my garden? " Asked to realize Kazue's admired look at the flowers.

"Your house is perfect," Shiro said. " But it's still not a home ..."

Ryo raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, because I am not married," he admitted.

"I don't speak of marriage," he retorted. " A cat or dog is missing so your home can be considered a home. There is no home where a pet is not pacing, stroking its guardian's legs, and spreading love wherever it goes."

Ryo laughed, hiding his fingers inside the pocket of his light jacket.

" You spoke just like Shin."

"I understand why Sakamoto-san left Minikui at Ai," he said, indifferently. " Because there was your home ..."

It seemed that the complement "next to Mamoru" danced on his lips, but he didn't say it. Ryo seemed to understand and was silent.

Some birds, in the distance, flew across the sky, singing their songs to the divine. Satoshi remembered one of the visions, where he saw them dead from the strong explosions and took pity. He had never felt sorry for animals before, but the way Shiromiya spoke of them seemed to change him little by little.

"I have something to show you," Ryo murmured.

Shiromiya stares at him, curious. Then the merchant stood up and held out his hand. The minor held it, also standing. The two went out towards the sheltering hand in hand. In the distance, the whore Mina was watching them closely.

In front of the scene, all she did was twist her lips, planning a way to get rid of that obstacle at once.

***

Shiromiya watched the shelter, looking around, hoping to see whatever Ryo wanted to show. As nothing seemed different from the first time he had been there, he turned and saw him locking the door, as if he wished that he would not be surprised by anyone.

He didn't fear him, because he knew that Ryo wouldn't hurt him. So he just waited for him. When Ryo returned to him, he did not touch him or come too close. He walked over to the nightstand and dragged him from there. Shiro remained standing, watching him. Only when the furniture next to the bed moved did he understand the target. Below, a discreet hatch was camouflaged.

" Is there another floor?"

Ryo smiled as if he were the most intelligent of men.

" We are on top of a concrete slab. There is a basement the same size as the one we are in " he said. " And down here is the reason why I don't fear war or poverty ..."

He pulled the trapdoor up, lifting the lid, setting it aside. A dark staircase awaited them. Ryo went down first and turned on the light. Then he called Shiromiya.

The boy's look of astonishment when he saw what was so precious downstairs was clear. Shelves full of gold, piles of jewelry, and precious stones were kept secret under the merchant's lands.

" There are millions here " Ryo commented. " And it all started with my grandfather, who didn't trust Japan at the time of the First War. So he sold most of the factories and bought gold. He had a huge hole dug in the ground and built that subsoil. One night, he brought the gold here. When we won the war, and the currency appreciated, we recovered all the factories without practically touching any of the stored gold. Then, when my father took over the post after my grandfather's death, he turned all the profits into gold. I pursued his intent when he passed away. And I increased the amount a lot after the war started. Selling food to the army was of great value to me."

Shiro could hardly believe it. He knew that Ryo was very rich, but never imagined that much.

" Besides me, only Tadao knows this place. And now you. I want that, in case something happens to me, you go down here and take what you can carry. This will keep you until your old age."

Contrary to the fascination he expected to see in Shiromiya's eyes at his sentence, the youngster looked at him with apprehension.

" If something happens to you ... why would I want any of these things? " his question was serious. " I don't want to live, if you don't exist, Ry-chan ... Can you understand how precious your friendship is to me?"

No one would never refuse a fortune like that ...

No one would speak in that tone just to convince him that he was more valuable than his money ...

Any other person...

But not Shiro. He knew, without having to think too much, that Kazue had told the truth. Now he still proudly sported a cheap medallion he had given him, bought at the cost of what he would give to a beggar on the street. No one with whom he shared the bed would accept something so devalued. However, the heart pendant seemed more esteemed than any gold bar stacked in that room.

" How am I going to get away from you, Shiro? " Asked, approaching.

The hug was so complicit and kind that Satoshi's whole body shuddered.

" And why would we walk away? " Shiro asked, his sweet breath hitting his ears.

The intention: Ryo planned to give him the right moments of pleasure and then pay him for it. As soon as he got tired, he would put him on the first train back to Tokyo, never to see him again. The truth, however, was much more complicated. He couldn't send him back to Aiko, because he already knew he wouldn't be able to do that. However, he planned to get married - and soon - then he would have to leave him in the city, in one of his many houses, hidden from other people.

So he said nothing. He took his hands and pulled him towards the exit. He felt destroyed inside, but there was something stronger than the feeling he recognized for the young man.

The shame and dishonor of planning to keep a man - a man! - as a lover, undermined his rationality. It could be easy for Shin, who loved to show off his strength. But it was not simple for him. It never would be.

***

That afternoon, Ryo was called to the office. It was one of the worst times for your company since then. He needed to get the fleet of ships out of the sea, already completely overrun by American vessels. That meant he would be unprofitable for a few months. In an act of generosity, which he did not understand where he came from, he decided to keep the wages of employees of the boats and factories, even suspending local service.

While the friend solved such problems, Shiromiya found himself lonely in the huge house. Tadao seemed quite busy, and Mina was not exactly the type of company he wanted to be able to talk to.

So, he decided to stroll through the orchard. He found that in addition to the orange, apple, and cherry trees he saw on the first day, Ryo still had plum trees scattered around the place. Green branches sprawled on the floor, where Shiro could still see green melons and pumpkin.

Delighted, Shiro went to the apple tree and picked fruit. He bit her, thanking the heavens for the generosity of the land that seemed quite fertile there. However, a movement in the distance at the gate caught his attention.

He walked over there, noticing that three children of about ten looked at him, their faces overflowing with hunger. He immediately sympathized, recognizing in them a little of what had happened not long ago.

" Do you want fruit? " he asked.

The largest of them, a boy, nodded vigorously.

"We are very hungry, sir," he said.

Shiromiya felt the watery eyes. Then he made a sign with his hands and asked them to wait. He ran to the house, rushing into the kitchen. He looked in the drawers for five minutes, until he found a burlap sack. He picked it up and ran back to the orchard. There, he harvested several apples and oranges. He also cut a green pumpkin and offered it to the children.

The boys bowed gratefully as they picked up the supplies Shiro had delivered through the gate. Then he saw them returning to the road that led to the city, their legs so thin that they resembled sticks, and he understood that those fruits would not be of much use to children who needed to eat more nutritious food.

"Hey," he called them again. "Be here before the sun rises," he said. " I'll get more food."

The children's happy smile was something that filled him with joy. However, he had nothing to offer. He was eating favorably at Ryo's house, living there thanks to the other's compassion. Even so, he knew there was not much to think about: they were starving children. The war required drastic attitudes.

When Satoshi returned in the late afternoon, Shiromiya even thought about asking about food. Now, maybe Ryo was not pious? However, his experience with the merchant had taught him that the other was a practical man, averse to charity and philanthropy. Ryo was aiming for profit and everything that did not direct him to that did not interest him.

So, he decided to steal.

Not that it was the noblest thing to do, but at no time did Shiromiya feel sorry. He well knew that in that house there was food leftover, which was always wasted. Then, before sunrise, he got up, collected the leftovers from the night before he was going to the trash: a huge piece of pork that had barely been touched, three cans of beans, another of sausage, and two stale pieces of bread. Ryo wouldn't even miss it, but it would make a big difference for those kids.

He went out of the door and approached the gate. It didn't take long and the oldest of the children appeared. Shiro said nothing, just passed the bag over the bars, and smiled at the hopeful look that the boy had.

"Thank you very much, sir," the boy said.

Shiro nodded and motioned for him to leave at once. The child seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and ran, carrying the bags.

Shiromiya sighed. He considered that his plan had worked out, everything had gone smoothly. However, when he turned, he came face to face with Ryo Satoshi and Mina. Both looked at him as if he were the worst of creatures.