Hiroshi forced open the heavy lids of his eyes when he felt a warm touch against his cheek. His father’s face ca into view. He felt too weak to lift his hand but seeing his father’s sad and aged self, he forced himself to wear a smile.
"Are you okay?"
Hiroshi’s smile broadened at that question. He could imagine how worried his father was about him, and he hoped that showing he was doing better than they had imagined might be the best way to ease his father’s worry, rather than a verbal response.
He forced his body up despite his father’s protest. "Did you bring anything for to eat?" he asked calmly as soon as he sat up.
"You haven’t eaten?" his father asked, his eyes widening. He could see his son had lost a lot of weight but rather than hunger alone, he attributed it to the worries of being locked up.
"No, they won’t serve anything. It is part of their torture." Hiroshi leaned against the cold wall of the room. He held back a shiver and smiled.
Seeing the pale lips of his son curl up despite his weak state made Dr Yamamoto sigh in relief. "I will get sothing for you to eat first before I check your wound." He rose from the bed and walked to the door. Ren was at the door when he opened the door so he told him, "Get him sothing to eat, first."
Ren looked hesitant but he nodded anyway and walked away. By the ti Ren returned with a carton of milk and bread, Dr. Yamamoto was already done redressing the wound. He frowned at what was stretched towards him.
He could not reject however, he took it from Ren and opened the carton for Hiroshi before lifting it to Hiroshi’s lips.
Seeing what was close to his lips, Hiroshi could only sigh before he parted his lips and took a sip first. He drank it very slowly taking one small sip after the other until the carton was empty.
A bowl of warm porridge would have been very soothing to his stomach not a carton of milk. He felt a sharp pain through the upper part of his stomach causing him to wince but he maintained a calm façade.
He had spent nights and weekends in the house to know that prepping a quick al for him was not sothing the chef could do but Ren had chosen to serve him cold milk. He was still grateful it was milk at least he wasn’t served a bottle of soda or citrus drink.
"Your lawyer ca. He found evidence that your phone was hacked and cloned. He also found traces of who was behind it. Soone must have done it when you weren’t with your phone during a surgery. He also found the person who did it. He gave everything to Ren."
That was a very obvious and plausible result. How will he know who gained access to his phone while he was in surgery? He was almost certain that Ren knew he could get nothing out of him because he was innocent and yet still kept him locked.
He also suspected that was the reason why he had avoided leaving any other physical wounds on him while starving him. He was certain that if his lawyer had not intervened, perhaps they would have starved him for two more weeks.
"It has been more than ten days already, and I’ve tried. Tell my lawyer that I do not want to stay here anymore."
Hiroshi was soone who had always eaten as required and had only healthy als. For them to starve him for this long with the intention of continuing it, was not fun. He had tried to reserve his energy as much as he could during the past days but he was still starved and it could get worse if he continued this way.
At his son’s words, Dr. Yamamoto’s eyes widened as he asked, "Are you sure? Why don’t you wait for Haruki to return? We have evidence to prove you didn’t do it."
"Evidence could easily be created. If Haruki doesn’t believe it, I won’t get the chance to leave."
Dr. Yamamoto frowned and shook his head, "I don’t understand. You don’t believe Haruki would forgive you even with evidence?"
Hiroshi could see what his father ant by asking that and although it hurt so much to think of it, he knew he did not an that much to Haruki, he had missed the man so much all alone in this concrete box but he was at his wits’ end and he wanted to leave.
Dr Yamamoto felt the urge to scold his son for getting involved with soone as dangerous as Haruki. Haruki would most likely order his death if he did not find the evidence his lawyer found. It was very calm at that thought but he didn’t want such a bad cri pinned to his na when he dies.
If Haruki chooses to kill him after seeing the evidence, then he knew he would gladly die but not without the chance to prove his innocence. The more he thought about it, the more complicated his thoughts got.
He was glad to die by Haruki’s orders but he didn’t want to remain locked up. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"Do you think Haruki believes I did it?" Hiroshi opened his eyes and asked. He sincerely hoped that Haruki believed him.
Dr Yamamoto could easily read the worry in Hiroshi’s eyes and he knew why the man was worried. It was about the relationship Hiroshi had with Haruki which made it impossible for him to respond to the question.
Feeling the urge to scold Hiroshi again, he could not hold back as he said, "If all these get resolved successfully, I want you to cut ties with Haruki and move sowhere else."
Hiroshi shook his head at that thought. Why would he want to be away from Haruki simply because he experienced such shortcomings? Obstacles and difficulties were only expected if he wanted to be with soone as beautiful as Haruki.
It was a love so beautiful yet so painful. He smiled sadly and shook his head. "I don’t think I can live without him. If he doesn’t abandon , I won’t leave."
Hiroshi resting his head against the wall thought deeply. If Haruki had been coming to see him while he was locked up, perhaps it would have been bearable. Whatever expression Haruki wore, whether anger, hatred, or disappointnt, he would be pleased to see them as long as Haruki was not indifferent.
Indifference was okay too on a second note because not seeing that beautiful face at all was the most torturous. He swallowed reading the look of disappointnt and sadness his father wore as he looked at him.
A sad self-depreciating smile lifted the corners of his lips as he closed his eyes shutting the world out from his sight. He could understand why his father looked at him like that. It must be his biggest regret to have a child who loses his mind over a man especially one as dangerous as Haruki.
Hiroshi felt his eyes sting but holding back the thoughts he could fight back the tears that threatened to fall.
"You know you will always be a target to anyone who intends to harm Haruki. This ti, there might be a chance for you to escape but even if you do and keep hanging around him, one day, they’ll take your life."
Hiroshi nodded he understood but what caught his attention was the implied aning that could get him back to being Haruki before he dies.
"The more you stay with him, the more valuable you beco to Haruki and in the eyes of his enemies, you’ll beco an easy target and they’ll use you to bait Haruki into so dark ending and I am not sure if either of you would survive."
Hiroshi sighed. He sincerely hoped he could beco soone Haruki loved enough to that point but it was quick for the pain in his chest and abdon to remind him not to be delusional.
He looked away and stared at the ceiling lost in thought. It was his father’s turn to sigh. He could easily see how much Hiroshi loved Haruki and it saddened him to think that that could be the reason he would lose his eldest son.
***
Haruki replayed the sight he witnessed when he was leaving the hospital. He saw Miyoko talking to one of Hiroshi’s colleagues who seed to recognise her enough to let her know that Hiroshi wasn’t at work and hadn’t been to the hospital for more than a week.
He had his thoughts about it and he wanted an explanation even through the anger he felt at the thought that Hiroshi was still in close contact with Miyoko.
He parked before the stairs leading to the main entrance of the house. An older subordinate was waiting and opened the door for him after bowing deeply. He got out of the car and gave the man the key.
Walking up the steps to the door, he noticed Kiyoshi walk out of it followed by a tall blonde-haired foreigner. This was the first ti he was seeing a gaijin in the main house, the surprise made him narrow his eyes despite the look of indifference he wore.
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