Chapter 14: The Rental House

The colleague and the manager ogled at the shy Ryohei. Ryohei was lowering his head, but he was grinning to himself. The news he has just delivered really astonished both the receivers. They even exchanged glances among themselves, ensuring whether they misheard or it was just a hallucination. However, both of the guesses were wrong.

Ryohei really did divulge that he has engaged to someone. He even showed them the ring.

"I don't think today is April 1st," the colleague frowned until his brows entangled to each other, "You must be kidding me."

"He's right," The manager's expression was horribly petrified. It was their first time to see the manager doing that face. "You never brought anyone to us, and out of the blue you claimed that you are engaged?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm serious. I don't joke about this. It's just that I prefer to keep it in private. That was why," Ryohei even blushed a little, "I will bring my bride-to-be one day. For now, my bride is busy with work. So I'm working hard too."

Once again, the colleague and the manager exchanged looks. There was visibly perplexed countenance mixed with astounded amusement. Like how the manager has stated, Ryohei has never brought anyone with him for the whole four years of working at Niji Bookstore. They only learnt that Ryohei was into girls, but they never viewed Ryohei spending time together with an opposite gender. The best moment they caught him talking to females were during working time, and he even used formality.

As for Ryohei, it was a lie if he has not seen how surprised both the colleague and the manager were. If only Yuki was not preoccupied with his editing, he would bring Yuki along and introduced him to them. He just had to be extra cautious that Yuki might release his pheromone. Two months as Yuki's housemate and roommate, he could sniff the fragrance occasionally, but he wondered if Yuki could actually control it.

Ryohei still remembered the colleague and the manager's warning regarding Yuki, yet he practically denied them. He still befriended Yuki, he even lived under one roof with Yuki. And the latest, he has engaged with Yuki. He also tried hard not to reveal to them whether his fiancee was a he or she.

"Ryohei, about my friend."

The colleague's calling slightly startled Ryohei, but Ryohei successfully covered his nervousness.

"He said he wanted to visit your house this evening. Since you're in morning shift, I told him you probably could make it."

Ryohei took a glimpsed of his mini watch clipped on his pocket, estimating what time he should get going. He did not want Yuki to wait him long, thus he should shorten the meeting. "Then, please inform him that I will be there around 5."

The colleague nodded, understanding Ryohei's message and relayed it to his friend via chatting platform. Each of them scattered to perform their given tasks respectively. The colleague and the manager could not help but to peep at Ryohei whenever they got a glimpse of him. He might be unnoticeable, yet they could see how delighted Ryohei was. He seemed so eager to work until his shift ended, and he would return home in a rush.

Judging from the appearance, Ryohei did seem healthier. He did not possess thin face anymore - He has gotten chubbier cheeks although he still had his sharp jaw line. The attire did not really change, but the face was surprisingly clean and tidy, as if he had girly face - smooth and glowing.

"It must be the power of love," then both the colleague and the manager giggled to themselves.

As promised, Ryohei arrived at his house five minutes before 5. He was excused to leave work ten minutes earlier since he has cut his lunch break, and consumed five minutes to go to the house. The renter has not arrived yet, hence he used the remaining time to enter the house first.

As soon as the door swung open, reminiscence of past gushed at Ryohei. An imagination of a small boy playing with a man, while a woman cooking in the kitchen, was displayed before his eyes. He was totally aware of those figures - it was a bit of his memories flashing back when he was there.

It was not a new thing. Ryohei has been enduring the reminiscence of his late parents for five years. He loved his parents, hence he loved seeing those memories. He knew all these while he could not repeat the history, therefore he kept on replaying whatever scenes coming to his mind. It was utterly nauseating and devastating, but as the only son of a small family without the support of his grandparents, it was all he had.

Nevertheless, Ryohei never ever predicted that he would leave the house also because of love. Yes, he loved Yuki. He was into girls before, but there was something alluring him to look at Yuki. From simple attention delivered, he then immersed himself deeper into the world of Yuki. He has decided to move on from the reminiscence, and agreed to live with Yuki instead of bringing Yuki to his house. He happened to discover Yuki's tormenting past, and he could not be more grateful than his own life.

"Are you sure you're renting this house to me?"

A voice butted in, interrupting Ryohei's daydream. Ryohei gasped in shock, then he breathed calmly. An unknown man accosted him from behind, so he turned around to confront that man.

"You are..."

"Yamato. That's my name."

Ryohei nodded, "Yamato-san, my name is Ryohei. I'm the owner of this house. Due to certain situation, I had to live somewhere else. So I rent this house at cheap price."

The man who called himself Yamato crossed his arms to his chest, "I must say you have a very cosy cottage here. Despite the old furnitures, their conditions are still well beyond my expectation. You are surely a very detailed person. Or do you want to tell me that this house is actually haunted?"

"Oh, no. Nothing like that," Ryohei quickly brushed it off. It was logic that the rent was cheap predictably because of unseen creatures living in as well, but there was no such thing there.

Ryohei left the house to live with another man, who was not his fiancee. Should he say that?

"It's okay. I was only joking," Yamato laughed and lightly slapped Ryohei's forearm. "I don't feel any weird aura here. I believe it must be related to relationship or such."

Bingo! But there was no way Ryohei would concur that. He would remain quiet, and just grin whatever that Yamato man guessed. He led the tour in the house and described everything - the age of the furnitures, the latest renovation he has done, the airways, the place to throw rubbish, and many more.

There was only one thing Ryohei was bothered by. Yamato's gaze towards him was quite disturbing, and his contemplation to proceed halted by Yamato's outrageous inquiry. "Are you happened to be a homo?"