Chapter 13

Inside his office, Kanryou's gaze locked on his computer screen, seemingly reading the document. However, his eyeballs don't move at all. After a while staring unblinkingly to the point of hurting his eyes, he exhales and then leans back on his chair, sighing. the meeting with Eiharu that happened in a flash has taken a lot of his mind. a few days after that, and he had already sent a text to Eiharu out of politeness. As Eiharu warned him, Eiharu really took his sweet time responding to the greeting. Well, at the very least, Eiharu still responded.

-Seishichi... Eiharu-

A name he hadn't heard since he was sixteen years old. Back then, Kanryou was still a freshman. As a part of the health committee, much of his free time was spent in the school infirmary, working on stuff the school doctor was too lazy to do. He saw EIharu for the first time there, resting at the foremost bed, back-facing the door. Once, he only wrote down Eiharu's name. After a while, he noticed the same name written so often--Eiharu's uncommon surname left an impression--, making EIharu a regular visitor even though he had no record of having a terminal illness.

There were students like that who took advantage of the school doctor's leniency to skip class. Kanryou thought Eiharu was the same. Yet, each time he found Eiharu in the infirmary, the upperclassman was always sleeping on the same bed in the same posture. It was as if he didn't move a muscle. When Kanryou inquired about Eiharu to the school doctor, the doctor simply shrugged her shoulders and couldn't care less. In her opinion, it's better to let the students take a break so they don't burden their minds and mentality too much. Of course, she wouldn't let them in if it were a troublemaker. Seeing how she kept pardoning Eiharu, Kanryou guessed Eiharu wasn't a troublemaker.

However, when he tried to ask around, he was surprised to hear how Eiharu's classmates alienated and despised him.

-Seishichi Eiharu and... Seishichi Haruna... How come I haven't noticed it?-

Kanryou always felt a strange familiarity towards Haruna. He thought it was because Haruna reminded him of people he had treated so far, or maybe because he rarely visits his parents, that her gentleness felt like home. Thus, he didn't think much about it. When Eiharu showed up, and they stood together side by side, her gentleness and appearance were familiar. She reminded him of Eiharu, though he couldn't recall Eiharu at all.

-Aside from their face, they don't really look like each other, though. Oh, I didn't even look at his face thoroughly, thanks to the mask, but I don't think he changes a lot compared to the past-

From how Eiharu reacted that day, Eiharu clearly recognized him. Haruna also admitted Eiharu only reacted that way towards people he was once acquainted with. Kanryou finds it surprising because Eiharu still remembers when he doesn't. Their friendship--if Kanryou can call their relationship as a friendship--lasted for less than six months. He barely knew Eiharu when Eiharu suddenly stopped coming to school. And the last time they talked, they were badly interrupted.

-Right, that bastard was the reason-

He, Eiharu, and Toshiya attended the same high school together. Eiharu and Toshiya were classmates. Through his encounter with EIharu, Kanryou also became unwillingly acquainted with Toshiya. Back then, he witnessed how Toshiya always picked on Eiharu for no particular reason, twisting his words so eloquently and making Eiharu seem like a villain. Kanryou didn't understand what Eiharu did wrong; they always pointed their fingers at him even if he did nothing. When something happened, the first person they suspected would be Eiharu. Why, what for, Kanryou didn't understand. And it's harder for him to accept why no one realized Toshiya was manipulating them to think that way.

As Kanryou recalls the set of events that happened in the school years, he remembers a particular moment when Eiharu snapped. Toshiya's gentle provocation invoked Eiharu's anger. To prevent further confrontation, Kanryou tried to separate the two. However, after what he said, Eiharu's expression became twisted. He was furious at first, but after hearing Kanryou's words, he looked... dejected. Eiharu looked so humiliated and shocked. It was Kanryou's first time seeing Eiharu show so much emotion.

-Why did that bastard have to say Seishichi-senpai liked me, though...-

If Toshiya hadn't mentioned that, EIharu probably wouldn't have stopped attending school.

If Toshiya didn't provoke Eiharu by saying such absurd things, Eiharu probably would still befriend him.

-The teachers said there were problems at home, but I didn't believe it. Now that I think about it, the timing was too perfect-

The blatant bullying Toshiya caused wasn't a big scoop since EIharu never created trouble outside of his class. Only the teachers who taught that class ever complained, or so Kanryou heard. When he asked directly, the teachers only told him not to be like EIharu without proper context. Maybe they thought Kanryou was too young to understand, so they kept him in the dark.

Since Kanryou and Eiharu didn't exchange contact information, they really didn't communicate after Eiharu stopped coming g to school. The last news he heard was that Eiharu had moved somewhere else. After that, whenever he accidentally met Toshiya around the school building, Kanryou was always quick to avoid him. He was upset, but avoiding the man rather than confronting him was better. After all, Eiharu was nowhere anymore. Kanryou thought it was better for Eiharu to stay away from Toshiya despite still feeling unsatisfied because Eiharu left without words.

The ringing intercom startled Kanryou, and he instinctively straightened his sitting posture.

"Yes?"

'Doctor, the patient has regained consciousness. But Doctor Yonehara is currently handling another patient.'

"I understand. I'll be right there."

-Right, I still have work to do. Let's think about that problem after I return home-

Kanryou fixed his tie and hair and left his office right away.

=====

The first thing greeting his blurry vision is an unfamiliar ceiling above his head. Raizou couldn't recall what had happened yet, lying on the mattress with eyes unfocused as his brain tried to gather his scattered brain cells. Numbing pain, dull pain, sharp pain, he feels it all over his body, taking turns on hammering his stiff muscles.

-I was... chasing a car-

Raizou only remembered that much. When he noticed the car was unmanned, it was already too late to stop. The collision happened in a split second before his sight became dark. He didn't even feel the pain when his head crashed into the window.

-Why did I do that, I wonder?-

Thanks to the case Toshiya was working on, the man had made quite an enemy. Assassination attempts happened a lot despite Toshiya acting like his life wasn't in danger. Raizou took it upon himself to protect the man without being asked to. So far, the death threats sent to Toshiya were a mere threat, nothing more. For a moment, Raizou felt like he could take it easy until he saw that car, which had been following them for a while when the trial was still ongoing.

Raizou only meant to take a look. He didn't think it was a trap set to take him out. And honestly, he was sure he was going to die when his head smashed into the car.

"Sir Raizou, can you hear me?"

Raizou shifts his gaze. A good-looking man in a white coat is currently checking him. Raizou doesn't answer simply because he has no energy to move his lips. Heck, even if he is well and healthy, he still won't answer the question.

"Do you remember who you are? Your name?"

Raizou just blinks as an answer, couldn't care less if the doctor understands or not.

"Hmmm... you're amazing, Sir Raizou. Despite your injury, your condition is stable." The doctor smiles and then clears his throat. For a brief moment, he looks unpleasant for an unknown reason. "Your guardian has been notified. He should be here any moment."

Raizou finds it funny how he refers to a certain person as a 'guardian', as if Raizou is underage and needs an adult to take care of him. Though he understands immediately who the doctor was referring to. After all, only one person would act so secretively, contrary to his seemingly unbothered behavior.

-He's going to be mad, isn't he?-

Toshiya, after all, strictly told him not to act without permission. Toshiya controls his a-to-z movements. If Toshiya told him to still, he must still. If Toshiya told him to back away, he must heed. If Toshiya told him to die for him, well... that's the only one thing Raizou does unwillingly. He doesn't want to die because he doesn't want to leave Toshiya to someone else yet.

More medic personnel came, checking him here and there, telling him the technical stuff about his condition that Raizou could care less about. The voice buzzes around like an annoying background sound, but Raizou is still too weak to protest, let alone chase out these strangers. At times like this, he misses the nerve-wracking solitude of Toshiya's cold shoulders. It surprises him there will be times when he prefers to be alone with his thoughts rather than here.

As soon as the medical personnel left him alone with this young doctor, Raizou couldn't shake away the discomfort this person gave him. The young doctor is just doing his duty, not even trying to converse with Raizou. Yet, somehow, Raizou feels a sting of unfriendliness behind his flat expression.

A knock on the door shifts their attention right away. Toshiya is here already, a signature smile plastered on his face, probably trying to swoon over this young doctor, something Toshiya always does to literally anyone. As much as it annoyed Raizou, he couldn't do anything about it. When his gaze shifts to the doctor, expecting a flustered smile or something akin to it, Raizou is surprised to see the cold expression on that doctor.

"You're faster than I thought," the young doctor comments, his voice as cold as his face, "Please refrain from asking too many questions to the patient. He is stable, but I suggest to keep the difficult interrogation for another day."

"I'm not a police, why do I need to interrogate him?" Toshiya clicks his tongue dramatically while shaking his head. "I am here to check on him, Yukisada-kun. I hope you don't accuse me like that since it makes me sad."

Kanryou just shrugged his shoulders and left without another word. Seeing the short conversation confuses Raizou because he never sees anyone--outside of the court--showing such malicious intention. The doctor was gentle towards him but changed his attitude the moment Toshiya entered the vicinity.

"Always so thorny, that guy." Toshiya clicks his tongue again as he enters the room. "How are you feeling, Rai?"

Raizou looks at Toshiya, pondering. In the end, he just shrugs his shoulders. With the pain taking turns torturing him, saying he feels okay is clearly a lie. He doesn't say that kind of like to Toshiya, though he prefers not to talk blatantly, either. Since he can't feel his throat can muster any words yet, it was the only gesture he could think of.

"I see." Toshiya sighs as he gives Raizou a disapproving look. "Why did you do that? I told you not to go against my words, Raizou."

Raizou averts his gaze. When Toshiya calls his full name like that, it means Toshiya is furious. Beneath the soft tone and unchanged speaking manner, Toshiya hides a deadly poison. So far, only Raizou ever sees that side of him.

"But... the doctor said not to discuss anything difficult yet." Toshiya inhales. "He is right. You just woke up, so I better refrain myself. It was an awful accident, after all. You need to see how badly your injured when I brought you here."

Raizou looks at him. He's only half-believing Toshiya's words since he knows Toshiya will never let his hands get dirty. He undoubtedly had his people cover the accident from the public while maintaining his clean image. Well, not like Raizou expected him to be rushed to the hospital while Toshiya carried his bloodied body; it would be too funny.

Toshiya notices the gaze, though he misunderstands why Raizou looks at him like that. In the end, Toshiya just lightly touches Raizou's forehead.

"That's your punishment for now. Be prepared since I am angry at you."

Raizou lowers his gaze. Somehow, he doesn't feel happy knowing he hasn't died yet.