hidingwriter

Elian Volkov, a world-renowned model and actor with striking emerald-green eyes, has everything-fame, fortune, and admirers across the globe. But beneath the glitz and glamour, he longs for the one person who once made his world feel real: Taro Fujimura, his childhood best friend from Japan. Years have passed without contact, but Elian never forgot their bond. Determined to reunite, he travels to Japan unannounced, showing up at Taro's doorstep with nothing but memories and a hopeful heart.

Taro, now a hardworking manager at a small branch of an international company, has built a modest but stable life with his mother and sister. The sudden reappearance of Elian-a man who now belongs to an entirely different world-shakes him to his core. As he struggles to process their reunion, lingering emotions and unspoken words from the past resurface, challenging everything he thought he had moved on from.

However, Elian's return does not go unnoticed. A powerful billionaire with haunting ruby-red eyes, obsessed with claiming Elian as his own, watches from the shadows. With wealth, influence, and a dangerous level of obsession, he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Elian by his side-even if it means tearing him away from Taro once again.

As love, desire, and obsession intertwine, Elian finds himself caught between two forces: the warmth of a long-lost friendship that could bloom into something more and the intoxicating pull of a man who refuses to let him go. In a world where love can be both a treasure and a curse, will Elian follow his heart, or will the past and present collide, leading to a fate neither of them expected?

Toxic Gems is a story of rekindled bonds, dangerous attraction, and the fine line between love and possession.

TOXIC GEMS (BL)

The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the moon filtering through the window. Taro lay on his futon, arms crossed behind his head, staring at the ceiling. On the other side of the room, Elian stretched out comfortably on his own futon, his emerald-green eyes reflecting the faint light.

For a while, there was silence, just the occasional rustling of blankets as they settled in. Then, Elian spoke.

"When do you get a break from work?"

Taro turned his head slightly. "Not anytime soon. Why?"

Elian sighed. "We should go to a restaurant together. I'll treat you and Aunty Yumi."

Taro chuckled. "Aunty Yumi, huh? You're really getting comfortable."

Elian smirked. "Of course. She's basically my second mother."

Taro hummed in amusement but didn't reply. After a pause, Elian's voice turned softer. "Is your job okay? Are you happy with it?"

Taro blinked at the unexpected question. "It's… fine, I guess."

Elian turned to face him fully. "Just 'fine'? Do you want to do something else?"

Taro frowned slightly. "I mean, it's stable, and I don't hate it."

Elian studied him for a moment before asking, "Would you ever consider coming with me?"

Elian's expression was unreadable, but there was something serious in his gaze. "You don't have to, but… if you ever wanted a change, I could help."

Taro exhaled slowly, turning onto his side to face the wall. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. "Elian… I can't."

Elian blinked. "What do you mean?"

Taro sighed. "I'm the only one supporting this house. My mom and my sister depend on me. She's still in school. If I left, who would take care of them?"

Elian didn't respond immediately. He hadn't thought about that. He had been so focused on their reunion that he forgot how much responsibility Taro carried on his shoulders.

"…That's a lot for you to handle alone."

Taro let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, but that's just how it is."

Elian stared at the ceiling, suddenly feeling a little guilty for asking. He had everything—fame, fortune, freedom—while Taro had obligations he couldn't walk away from.

"…Still," Elian murmured, "if you ever need a way out, just tell me."

Taro closed his eyes. "Thanks, Elian. But I don't need an escape."

Silence stretched between them again.

Elian chuckled lightly. "Goodnight, Taro."

As the night deepened, both lay awake longer than they expected, each lost in their own thoughts.

Chapter 6: Late-Night Conversations