Chapter 35: First meeting (6)

Yohan's mind raced with confusion and disbelief. This guy, Kane, was completely out of his mind! What was he saying right now? And what he was doing... it was so strange! Suddenly asking him to date like that, made no sense at all.

But despite the chaos in his thoughts, Yohan's face flushed bright red as Kane continued to hold onto his hand. He stammered nervously, trying to pull away but finding himself drawn closer by the other man's confident charm.

"What do you mean... I'm a man..." Yohan muttered weakly.

Kane chuckled softly, not letting go of Yohan's hand. "So what?" He said playfully. "Everyone here has dated men before. Besides... does liking someone have to be about gender? Do you have a problem with that?"

As Yohan considered this question, he realized that his limited understanding of romance had only been shaped by his sheltered upbringing. His uncle and aunt's relationship, storybooks, and dramas on his phone all seemed to present love as a simple matter between a man and woman.

But Kane's words made him wonder if there was more to it than just those binary categories. Maybe feelings couldn't be controlled by social norms or moral codes... maybe they were simply a force of nature.

Despite feeling uncertain and naive, Yohan shook his head at Kane, which only seemed to elicit a bright smile from the other man.

"Then will you accept me?" Kane asked, lifting Yohan's hand gently before kissing his fingers with tenderness.

As he kissed Yohan's fingers gently, Yohan felt flustered once again, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.

Kane's friends were grinning with amusement at the whole scene. However, they couldn't help but wonder if Kane was doing all this because of a bet or if his feelings for Yohan were genuine.

Meanwhile, Kian watched from afar as his younger brother pursued Yohan relentlessly. He felt a growing unease in his heart, worried that his younger brother might end up hurting Yohan in some way. He knew that Kane had a reputation for being reckless and impulsive when it came to matters of the heart, and he didn't want him to cause any unnecessary pain or confusion for Yohan.

For Yohan himself, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not quite right about this situation. Despite being flattered by Kane's attention and affectionate gestures towards him, he sensed that there might be some ulterior motive behind it all. But even so, he couldn't deny the intense feelings stirring within him at this moment.

In moments like these, Yohan could almost forget the constraints of his upbringing and live a life as a regular person. The thrill of meeting new people, getting acquainted, trying to be friends, and even being asked to date was too exciting for him to resist. Despite not having experienced much, just a taste of it had left him complacent and wanting more.

The idea of accepting Kane's offer to date did cross his mind. Yohan didn't hate Kane and there was something about him that intrigued Yohan, even though he could be annoying at times.

However, reality had an uncanny way of intruding upon one's idyllic dreams. In this case, it came in the form of his uncle's servant who lurked behind the wall with a stare so intense, that it immediately brought back memories of captivity under his uncle's thumb.

The look in his eyes spoke volumes: "It's time to return home. Remember who you are."

Suddenly, the thrill of his new experiences and budding desires was overshadowed by a creeping sense of dread. Yohan knew that he couldn't afford to be away from home for too long, not without risking severe punishment or worse. The stark reality of his situation hit Yohan like a ton of bricks, draining the color from his previously flushed face. He was still trapped in this world under the thumb of his uncle's controlling hand.

Yohan couldn't help but berate himself for even considering pursuing a relationship with Kane or becoming close friends with Kian. If he were to act on those feelings, it would only result in Yoh replacing him as the object of their affections, something that he could not bear to imagine.

And then there was the issue of Yoh's own preferences. While Yohan didn't know if Yoh had any inclination towards romantic relationships with men, he knew one thing for certain: if Yoh found out about Yohan being involved with others without permission, he risked facing severe repercussions.

But above all else, what made Yohan recoil at even the thought of Yoh being in a relationship with the two brothers was the idea of him receiving kindness and sincerity from them. Even just a hint of feeling from Kane or Kian towards Yoh was enough to make Yohan feel jealous, unwilling to let Yoh have what he wanted for himself.

Wouldn't it be better if they all just pretended tonight never happened? When Yohan saw his uncle's servant pull out a phone as though about to record them, he knew he had to act quickly and solve this problem.

In an instant, Yohan removed his hand from Kane's grip with a fierce look in his eyes before turning guilty.

"I'm sorry... That's not because I don't want to... but I absolutely can't! It is something I am unable to do..." He spoke firmly while gazing at each person present.

"And if I can ask for one thing in return. I hope that after tonight, you'll forget about me, my name and everything I did with you. Please don't look for me or remember me after this."

After his words fell upon the group like a heavy blanket, Yohan quickly turned to flee from them all. As he dashed past the servant who had taken out his phone earlier, the man caught hold of Yohan's wrist and ushered him outside of the bar towards the parking lot.

Yoh's bodyguard followed closely behind as they were led to an all-black car, its tinted windows hiding any clue as to who might be inside.

The servant slipped behind the wheel, taking his place in the driver's seat while Yohan slid into the backseat of the car. But as he opened the door to climb inside, his heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of Yoh already sitting there with a face twisted by anger.

Before he could even settle into his seat properly, Yoh's hand gripped onto him tightly, pulling him close and shutting out any possibility of escape. As if sensing what was about to transpire within that small space, the car door shut firmly on its own accord, sealing them off from prying eyes and curious ears.