Chapter１６

ChaninneversawRanagainformorethanaweekwhilehewashospitalized.Fromthatdayon,itwasthebestmomentforhim,becausehedidn'tevencontacthismotherafterheescaped.Buttheyoungmanwasverycomfortable,andwaslockedinthissquareroomwithouthavingtofacethebeasteverynight.

ButwhenShaninstartedwalkingdownstairstoeat,hispeacewasbroken.ParanknewthenewsandimmediatelyorderedMamorutofollowhimtodinner.

"IhopeIdon'thavetowearacollartoeatinmyricebowlanymore."

AskMamorutohelpChaninputonhisclothesandlethiseyeslookalittle.

"Ican'tdecideanything,it'sentirelyuptoyou."

Chanincanonlysigh.WhathopedoeshehaveforRun'sbehavior?Hecamebackbeforehehadfullyrecovered,butitseemedtostartfromalightstart.

Wearingacollarandeatinginadogbowlisnotheavyatall.

Finally,Tancomfortedhimselfandlimpeddownstairs.

LanEnsatatthedinnertablefirst.Today,hestillworethesameoveralls,buthedidn'twearasuit.Whenhesawthathehadjustreturnedhome,heheldoutasmilinghandwhenhesawhisbrother'sfacecomingbehindhisconfidant.

"Ihaven'tseenyoufordays.Doyoumissme?Butthepatternonyou...isbeautiful."

It'samoreinfuriatingquestionthanworryingaboutthewhipmarksheleftonChaninthatday.

Chanindoesn'twanttoresistwhenherealizeshecan'tescapeRan,asMamorusaid.Thisisnotacleverway.Hehasrealizedhowstupidheis.

"Comeon."

Hearingtheorder,ChaninapproachedandsatonthefloornexttoRan'schair.Withoutwaitingfortheorder,theotherpersonsawitandsmiled.

"Wherehaveallthosearrogantdaysgone?Ithoughtyou'dbealittlelonger."

Chaninbithismouthtightly,hedisobeyed,andhisheartstillresisteddesperately,butasheknewwhathecoulddo,andhewasnotwillingtogountilhemetnewopportunities.

"SitinachairtodayandI'llgiveyouatable."

Lanebrokeoutsuddenly,whichsurprisedChanningalittle.Icouldn'tbelieveitwastrue.ButwhenhesawMamorunoddinggentlytosignalhimtodoso,hequicklygotupandsatdowninthechairnexttoLane.First,themaninblackwasretractedbythesmallscrewsstandingthereandheldtightly.

"Wait!Whatisthis!"

Suddenly,Chaninfeltsomethingwaswrong.Hesatinhischairandfeltsomethingwaswrong.HebravedthefrozensmokeandsawRan'ssmilingface.Heknewwhathewasgoingtobullyhimagain.

"Don'tfreakout.Iwon'tdoanythingserious.Ijustwantyoutobewithme,don'tI?"

Thewordssoundjustfell,Maoalsocameinwithhandcuffs,letothersholdShiNing'sarmsfirst,andthenquicklyarrangetowearthekey.

Whenitwasallover,Chaninwasfree,andtheyoungmanraisedhiseyes,lookedatthepeoplenexttohim,andwhispered.

"HowcanIeatifyouputmeinhandcuffs?"

"Sir,Mr.Chanin."

Callingthewrongpronoun,Mamoruquicklyputforwardarebuttal.RanwasveryhappytoseeChanin'soffensiveexpression,andlikedbeingbulliedmorethaneverbefore.

"Howtoeatisyourbusiness."

Hearingthenews,Chaninthought,hemusthaveeatenwithouthands,justasbefore,alittlebetterthanbefore,forthistimeheateonthetable,notonthefloor,andwasnodifferentfromapet.

Whenherealizedthatthefoodbeforehimmusthavebeenscoopedupbyhimself,hestoppedagain,otherwisehewouldhavesatthereeatingthewholemeal,fortherewasonlyemptymugsandchopsticksbeforehim.

Butanyway,hedoesn'tcare,itdoesn'tmatterifhedoesn'teat,justletthismomentpassquickly.

ButRandidn'tletChaninsitthere.Hewantedtoknowwhattodo.

"I'llgiveyoutwochoices,eithereatityourselforletmeeatit."

"AndifIrefuse?"

"Youhavenoright,youronlyrightistoeat."

Thisisnotachoiceforhim.Thisisforcinghimtomakemorechoices,butifhechoosesthefirstway,itmakesnodifference.Let'schoosethemostdisrespectfulway.

"Please,myLord,givemesomethingtoeat."

Thelowvoicecameout,whichmadeLane'ssmilewider.Herslenderhandsgrabbedthechopsticksandputthefoodinfrontofher.Shedoesn'tevencaretoaskChaninwhathewantstoeat,butevenifhedoes,heisnotinthemoodtoeatanything.Justfinishitquickly.

Ratherthanputtingamushroomintotheotherperson'smouth,Lanepickeditoutoftheeggstew,buthedidn't.HeputitonhisotherhandandputitinfrontofChanin.

"Eat."

Chaninfrownedandlookedateachotherincomprehensively.

"Letmeeatitfromyou."

"OrIcaneatfromthefloor."

Neveranswerquestionsdirectly,andChanindoesn'tneedadefiniteanswerhimself.SowecanunderstandwhatRunwantshimtodo.

Eathandfood...What'sthedifferencebetweeneatingdogporridgeandeatingdogporridge?

"WhenIwasachild,Ikeptabird,andwhenIpickeditup,itwouldnotbecagedortamed.Mymothertoldmethatifyouwanttotameit,youmusttrainittoeatfromyourhands,justasyouarenottameandtrytobreakthecage.Iwilltameyou."

Chaninuseshislungstoinhaleandtrytorestrainhisanger.Hewantstogetoutofhere,butthemanwhoseesRanisreadytoblowhisbrain.IfherefusesRan,hewillgiveup.

"Eat."

Urged,Chaninslowlyleanshisfaceonthepalmofhisself-madehand,hiseyesstillclingingtoRunning'smockingeyes,thenopenshismouth,putsthemushroomsintohismouth,andchewsslowlyandbitterly.

Lanesmiled,sawthewhiteteeth,smiledinhisthroat,andwassatisfiedwiththepicturebeforehim,whileChaninhardlynoticedthetasteofthefood,andevenswalloweditwasdifficulttoplay.

"Eatitup,andtherewillbenofragmentsleftonmyhand."

Randgavetheorderagain.Heaskedasheglancedatthepalmofhishandcoveredwithfood.

"WhatshouldIdo?"

"Lick"

Heclosedhiseyesasiftostayawake,andthenheleanedhisfaceagainstthepalmofhishandandlickeditgentlywithhistongueuntilthefoodresiduewasremoved.

"Sodocile,whatdoyouwanttoeatthistime,Iwillletyouchooseaprizethatsatisfiesme."

Ransaidhewasinagoodmoodandhiseyebrowsweregone.AsforChanin,hewasnotinthemoodtodoanything.Hewantedtodisappearfromherenow,althoughRan'sbehaviorwasnotcruel.ButIdon'tknowwhyIfeelthatmydignityismoredamagedthaneverbefore.

WhydoyougiveintoamanlikeRand!Why!

Ialreadyknewtheanswer,butIcouldn'thelpbutaskmyself,andaftereatingforawhile,IhadnochoicebuttocontinueeatinguntilMamorucutinandwhisperedaword.

"Youngmaster,youngmaster."

Lane'scheerfulfacesuddenlybecametense.HepulleditoutofChanin'scleaningandwipedhishandswithacleantowelfromMoru.Laneansweredthephonequickly,tookhishandinhishand,andthenheldituptohisear.Chaninsawhimtakeadeepbreathbeforeraisinghisvoice.

"Hello..."

Thentherewasamoment'ssilence,andthebeautifuleyebrowswerealmosttiedtogether,andonlythecountlessanswers"Yes,yes"fellfromherbeautifullips.Beforehangingup,hisgestureschanged,andnooneknewwhatthecallersaidtohim.

"Whatareyoutalkingabout?"

Mamoru,adeathsquad,asksoutandreachesforRan'sphone,wholeansbackinhischair,talkinginhismouth.

"Heknewthatwewerenotheretodobusiness,andtherewasabird'sbeakpentoreportforduty,sohecalledmebackimmediately."

MamoruwasstumpedandhisexpressionwasastenseasRun's.

"Thenwemustasksomeoneelsetotakecareoftherest,andtheyoungmasterwillhurrybackandlettheyoungmasterwaitforawhile.Itwillbeagreatevent,andIwillgowiththeyoungmaster."

Lanenodded,tookacigaretteoutofhispocketandlitit,lookingthoughtful,whileChaninwashappyagainaftergraspingthemainpointsoftheconversation.

Lan'sstepfathermusthaveknownthathisbrotherhadcomeheretomaketrouble,andbroughthimbacksothathecouldescapefromLan'shands.

ThehappinessprojectedfromChanin'seyesmadeRunturnaround,thenopenedhismouthandsaid,whichsuddenlyextinguishedChanin'sdream.

"Don'tbetoohappy,evenifIgo,youwon'tcomeback,becauseIwillletyougo."

"Wait..."

Chaninimproviseshisargument,butnotintime,RanturnsaroundandcommandsMamoru.

"Buyhimaticket."

"Yes."

Whentheorderwascompleted,heorderedtheothermentocontinuehiswork,andmadehismasterlaughangrilyatthosehehadclenchedhisteeth.

"DoyouthinkIwillsetyoufree?Myslavesmuststaywithme,andaslongasIdon'tleaveyou,youhavenowheretogo."

"Whyareyoudoingthis?"

Chaninhadgrownimpatient,andsuddenlystoppedcallinghimMaster,andhehadsoldeverything,butsomethingswerereallyunbearable.

"Tomeetyourneeds,"Lanerepliedhastily.

Thistime,Chaninsuddenlyscreamed.

"Iliketotrampleonmeandbullyadyingpatientjustbecausemydadabandonedyouandyourmom.Ithinkyouaretooirrational.Ihavebeenputtingupwithyou.ThisdoesnotmeanthatIwillgetintotrouble!Don'tworry.Youareanassholeandcanonlythreatenothers.Whatifyoudon'thaveyourstepfatherleadingthegang?Howcansomeonelikeyoubesoarrogant?Isyourstepfathergoingtokissup?That'swhyhemadeyouheir!"