The game begins

"It is okay," a voice whispered. So distant from his dreamland, yet so close he could almost feel the warmth of the person's breath against his ear. "You are safe."

***

When Haruki woke up, he checked the injury in his abdomen under the covers. Yet another scar on his body. He did not wince or make a sound as he stood up from the bed.

"You need to rest," a familiar voice said so softly it reminded him of the voice he heard in his sleep. He turned to the source as he took notice of a presence he had not felt when he opened his eyes.

The warmth and worry in those brown eyes that met his gaze was one he had not seen since his parents' death.

He swallowed as his brow furrowed in confusion. The voice was familiar but the face wasn't.

The man did not look like he wanted him dead but something was threatening about the man as he walked forward causing Haruki to look around for his guards yet he was so engrossed in that strange warmth and worry that he did not want any interruptions.

He found himself who has not listened to any order in more than five years making an effort to return under the covers.

A warm gentle touch brushed his hand holding the covers. It was only short but he could feel a foreign tingle that caused him to swallow and even wince as he sat down on the bed obediently.

The young man's brow furrowed slightly before saying, "Gently so you don't get hurt again."

The man reached to support him to lie down. The part of their body that connected was warm. The man's face was so close he could notice how light-colored his eyes were as his heart palpitated.

For those seconds, he felt like a patient and not an injured Yakuza chairman. The man pulled the cover over him before making sure he was properly covered by adjusting it.

It was all over and the man had taken a step away from his bed when he came back to his senses however, his heart refused to recover as it continued to race with the new question on his mind, what was that just now?

Snapping out of whatever that was, he reached to tap the edge of the headboard. It took only a dozen seconds for the door of his room to be slid open after a gentle knock and his assistant hurried in as though he had just run a marathon.

The furrow of his brow disappeared as he looked at the strange young man expressionlessly but with the right amount of coldness, he had come to wear every moment.

"Where is he?" he asked as he pushed aside the covers while training his thoughts and eyes to ignore that strong presence in his room.

"Who?" his assistant asked but froze after meeting Haruki's calm cold gaze. He hurriedly replied to Haruki's question, "He is in the basement."

"How messed up did they make him?" Haruki asked.

"You told them not to kill him."

Haruki began rising from the bed as though he has not just sat on it obediently.

"You should not move," that presence he was trying to ignore hurried to his side.

Haruki glanced at his assistant who looked at the man as though he had lost his mind before signaling to him to keep quiet.

"I had to perform surgery on that injury, none of your organs were affected but it was deep and if you keep moving, you will further hurt yourself as it might get infected," the man ignored Haruki's assistant as he scolded Haruki.

Haruki's gaze was calm as he moved his head to meet the man's gaze. The man met his gaze with that same worry and warmth that made his heart palpitate as he paused.

He snapped out and slowly stood up from the bed without a sound made despite the pain he felt with every movement he made. The man hurried closer to him and Haruki glanced at his assistant, Kiyoshi who understood the assignment as he lifted his hand to stop the man.

"Bring him," Haruki who wanted to give up the idea earlier to rest felt even more motivated by the man's fearlessness to show him what it meant to piss him off somehow, he could not bring himself to make the man experience it himself but to let him witness it.

Kiyoshi gave the order and Haruki walked to the window of his room without wincing once from the pain he felt.

When the young man who injured Haruki was brought into the room in his battered state, Haruki turned and with his gaze fixed on the man, he beckoned to the young man to come closer.

The young man looked hesitant but with a kick from the guard that brought him in, he was forced to get closer to Haruki while trembling like a blade of grass in the wind.

He thought when the man sees the state of someone who messes with him, the man will get pale in fear but when he raised his head, the man met his gaze fearlessly before glancing down at his injury and back at Haruki clearly reminding Haruki of his injuries.

At one point, Haruki felt a strong urge to tell the man he was not weak and he did not need his worry or his sympathy but saying that made him feel he will appear even weaker so he decided to show it in actions.

He gestured to his assistant who brought over the same knife that was used to stab him earlier. Without breaking the gaze, he leaned forward and planted the knife in the same spot he was spot he was stabbed. It was as though he was saying, 'I am a dangerous man, I do not need you to look at me with concern as though I am weak'.

He pulled out the knife and received a towel from Kiyoshi before leaning back. He slowly wiped the warm blood off his hand. Nothing, he saw nothing change in the man's eyes. The man still occasionally glanced at Haruki's abdomen before meeting his gaze.

"Take him to the hospital," Haruki ordered the guard who brought the man in. "Have him treated and bring him back," he added.

The young man on the floor was groaning in pain as he used his shaky hands to cover the bleeding wound. When the young man heard Haruki order that he should be brought back, he lifted his eyes to Haruki in horror most likely wishing for death.