In the End

Chapter Six - Possessive Pronoun

“So then, can I believe you when you said you love me?”

At such a moment, Shuusei really did wonder what kind of a person Kirin really was. Overtly, the kumicho appeared to be a mindless child who took his position for granted and thought of nothing but pleasure. However, when Kirin asked such a question that even caught Shuusei off guard, the host had to take a step back and rethink. Was the idiotic moron persona just an image and Kirin was truly a highly intelligent man who was a master manipulator?

When the plethora of incoherent thoughts was successfully deported from his head, Shuusei offered a smile that reflected more than a chic nature before lifting an eyebrow. “You can believe me as much as you can believe me when I said ‘I hate you’.” For a second there, he almost was out-witted by such a man. A little agitated; Shuusei turned and sat up on the bed with one simple push of his arm. “Now that you are done, you may leave.” He spoke and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. That movement alone was enough to trigger the pain from his backside.

Before he could frown, the one behind him had already sprang up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him back. One of his vertebrae was pressed against the necklace that looped around Kirin’s neck, and Shuusei closed his eyes against his rising annoyance.

“Why do you always behave this way after you just hit an orgasm?”

“Because you are annoying.”

“How am I annoying?”

“You ask too many questions.” That was merely the beginning of why Kirin was annoying.

“I only ask because you never answer any one of my questions.”

“That means you should shut up and stop asking.”

“No, that means I should keep on asking ‘till I get the answers.” He was sure Shuusei could not see, but he wondered if the host could feel the smile in his voice. Frankly, he’s never been able to have a more fun conversation with anyone else in the world. Turning his head, Kirin peered at Shuusei’s profile. “So my answer is?”

“What, are you deaf now? I’ve already answered you.”

“We both know that was not a proper answer.”

“Get out.”

“Oh well, I didn’t want to do this, but I guess you leave me no choice.” Kirin sighed heavily before unwinding his arms from around Shuusei’s shoulders and fell back on the bed. “I guess I will just have to wait ‘till you tell me. Good thing your bed is comfortable.”

Maybe it was the shift in the bed, or maybe it was the casual tone that Kirin had used, Shuusei turned his head swiftly and looked at the kumicho. “Careful, your little flock of children might just die.”

“Don’t worry, we chose our clan members with care.”

“Get out.”

“No.”

“Get out.”

“Okay, if you really don’t like here, we can always go back to one of my houses.”

“Get out.”

“I will take that as consent to leaving with me!”

The words get out were on the tip of his tongue, but Shuusei knew that this endless argument will just go on ‘till one of them died. So he bit the tip of said tongue and looked at Kirin calmly. The kumicho was smiling at him. The kumicho was looking at him with such an intense gaze that Shuusei could not help but narrow his gaze. Slowly, his teeth released his tongue, their captive; and the host offered a slow smile. “What is this?” Instead of the murderous intent that laced his words previously, it was back to being the number one host for Shuusei. While other people may regard this rapid shift as abnormal and almost frightening, Shuusei regarded it as his ace. “Do you want to keep me that much?”

“So what if I do?” Great, now he was becoming like the host sitting in front of him; answering a question with another question. The truth was that the question caught him off guard and Kirin didn’t have an immediate answer to it either.

Baited.

“If you really want me… I will not object to that notion if you can agree to my condition.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“For a week, do not show your face here. Do not even show your face within ten blocks’ radius of this place.”

“What’s the point in that?”

“So it’s a no then?”

Did he want to keep Shuusei with him? Kirin truly thought about that question. There was no doubt that he was deeply captivated by the host, but he had just brushed it off as lust. Now, when Shuusei asked him such an unprecedented question, Kirin found his instinctual reply was to agree and say yes. It was impulsive and he knew the saiko komon would suffer a heart attack, but…

“Fine. A week.”

… but this want that was written on the cellular level defeated all other reason. Kirin’s grin was wide as he scooted forward on the bed, moving closer to Shuusei. “So in a week, you will be mine.” And oh did he like the sound of that sentence, especially that possessive pronoun.

“Yes, but for now, you need to get out.”

Except on Shuusei’s end, what Kirin would never predict, was that the host counted on being gone in a week’s time.

“Fine, fine.” His tone was petulant; his movements were slow; but there was a smile at his lips as he complied and moved off the bed to dress himself. “Make sure you wrap everything up with this club; I expect to come and collect your pretty self in a week’s time.”

Your pretty self?

Shuusei frowned to control the rising bile at the back of his throat. “We’ll see about that. If a death occurs within this week, then the deal’s naturally off.” The moment he pushed himself up from the bed, there came a sharp pain from underneath his right ribcage. It was so real and shot up so quickly that Shuusei thought he was going to lose his footing and collapse before Kirin. How he gritted his teeth and managed to walk to his room door was unknown to him. “Here, leave.” He pulled the door open and made a gesture with his free arm to indicate that Kirin has long over stayed his welcome.

It started at the base of his rib cage and moved upwards. Then there came the tensing of his abdomen muscles as his diaphragm struggled for air. However, something was blocked. Then, there came that urge, an expansion of his lungs to cough and choke. Shuusei’s teeth clamped against each other to control his body’s natural response.

“What death? Trust me; I will live a long life with you.”

“You’re quite right.” Shuusei offered him a grin that held no sincerity. “Bugs do have an unnecessarily long life.” When his hand was able to reach Kirin, the host shoved Kirin out of the door without another word and shut it just as quickly. Of course, it was because he was annoyed with the younger man and his self confident ways; but it was mostly due to the coughs that finally took control, wreaking his already stick thin body. His fingers gripped tightly around the door knob as his knees buckled and gave away. Shuusei wondered if anyone could ever understand how much pain each second holds.

And when he withdrew the hand he had used to cover his mouth, the threads of blood red on his palm reminded him of the ticking clock.

On the other hand, Kirin strolled down a dimly lit hallway as if it were the red carpet beneath his feet. Needless to say, he was pleased with the outcome of this surprise meeting. When he came into Opiate tonight, the place looked a little more lit than previously. Just when the kumicho was about to inquire a staff members as to all the people here, he had caught sight of Shuusei.

With another man.
Even though the kumicho never said anything, but he recognized the cologne almost immediately. Then, he had to remind himself that Shuusei was a host and he was just doing his job.

Of course, that will all change in a week’s time.

Maybe I should invest in a nice and expensive cologne. Kirin thought to himself idly with half a grin on his lips. Scent would be the first step to marking Shuusei as off limit property, in one word, his. Downstairs had cleared when he exited the lobby, and the outside was as quiet as it should be; it was in the middle of the night after all.

His car was parked off to the right, near the edge of the visitors’ parking lot. Again, Kirin wondered just what sort of event was able to bring about these many cars that seemed to be made out of money. He whistled as he took notes of the cars lining the parking lot.

Damned rich people indeed.
And he was one of them.

It happened when he was literally two steps away from his car. The first shot hit the pavement next to his foot and chipped up a good amount of mud to defile his pants leg. Out of reflex, Kirin moved to duck behind his car, using the vehicle as a shield as his hand reached for the gun inside his jacket. The earlier satiation was gone when blood pumped through his veins and the kumicho looked around the area cautiously.

There was no doubt that the shot was meant for him.

So then, why did the shooter miss? Carefully, the kumicho moved and rose from behind his car. His gun was raised at a readied stance as he turned three hundred sixty degrees before looking at the displaced mud and the bullet that was left behind. Once he was sure that the shooter was no longer around, Kirin bent down to pick up the metal casing and weighed it in his hand. There was nothing extraordinary about the bullet, but the message was clear.

More than the intent to kill, it was a warning.

The small death in the form of metal was still in his hand when Kirin was sitting in his car, behind the wheel. His eyes starred straight ahead of him, seeing nothing. His mind, metaphorically, scanned the entire clan of Hirokin-kai, wondering just who dared to raise a gun at him. To the outside world, Kirin knew he was the picture of walking confidence, but behind closed doors, Kirin also knew that there were many points to his inheritance of Hirokin-kai that could be considered controversial.

The question now remained: what the hell is he being warned against?

[Next Day]

It was no secret that in Red Velvet they operated on a clock that was made for a different time zone. When the rest of Japan was up and about for work, school, and other appointments, Red Velvet stayed dormant and silent. Usually, the first sign of some life could be detected at about six or seven at night. Therefore, when someone shoved open his door in the early afternoon, Shuusei was ready to pick up the nearest sharp object and shove it straight down the intruder’s oesophagus.

“Get up.”

“Just because you are old and half way into your grave does not mean other people do not need to sleep.” It was an automatic response of pure bitchery on Shuusei’s part when he realized that it was the owner standing there. However, after the words were said, Shuusei felt the bitter aftertaste of mockery instead. “What do you want?”

“I am going to be kind and wonderful and give you a parting present.”

“Throw it out.”

“I haven’t gotten it yet!”

“Then don’t bother.”

“You are coming with me.”

The argument went on ‘till Shuusei knew he could no longer go back to sleep. When he finally got up and saw the cheeky grin on Hayasaka Yasuka’s face, he understood that it was the owner’s plot to get him out of bed. Fine, his body was decomposing, his brain might a well be rotting as well. Half an hour later, Shuusei was slumped in the passenger seat of Hayasaka’s car as it drove down one shady street after another. They have not exchanged more than a dozen phrases and Shuusei was still thinking about the comfort of his bed. The last week of his life, and he had to be here doing this? Whatever this is.

When the car rolled to a stop, Shuusei lifted his head and looked out the window at a tattoo and piercing parlour.

“… you think I don’t have enough tattoos?”

It was a sensitive topic for Shuusei, more sensitive than one could imagine. And Shuusei did not enjoy the idea that Hayasaka might want to code him with an owner’s tag as well.

“We’re not here for tattoos.” That was all that the owner said before he got out of the car, and without a choice, Shuusei followed after him. “We’re getting a tongue piercing.”

“We?”

“Of course!” Hayasaka offered him a toothy grin, that infamous grin everyone knew was a trademark of the owner’s. “I’m even paying for it, come along!”

“Who said anything about wanting to get a tongue piercing?”

“I did.”

The two of them stood on the steps leading up the parlour and looked at each other. If the owner knew him well enough to be able to concoct a plan to get him out of the club, then Shuusei knew the owner equally as well. Seconds later, Shuusei crooked the corner of his lips upwards and lifted an eyebrow at the owner.

“What did he say?”

“What?”

“I know he said something to you. You are absolutely livid.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about!” The owner said with a defiant tone before turning around to pull open the parlour door with one swift move. Shuusei looked after the older before following while shaking his head. The owner, despite age, experience and connections, could still be agitated to unthinkable degrees with one word from the bartender of Red Velvet. As much as the owner liked to deny it, Shuusei knew the truth just months into his stay in Red Velvet.

However, in the end, both of them indeed did emerge from the parlour silently cursing. No, not because they were considerate of any spying ears, but because their tongues wouldn’t exactly cooperate as of this moment, they could only resort to the power of thinking.

“You were right.”

That was admitted by the owner when they were almost back to the club.

“Mmm?”

“There were some words exchanged between him and I.”

Here, Shuusei tried not to snicker.

“So instead of shoving a needle through his tongue with you, you chose me? Why?”

This time, the owner said nothing. Shuusei thought the pain was getting to the owner when a frown appeared on the elder’s face. In the underground parking lot of Red Velvet, Shuusei unstrapped himself and was reaching for the door handle when the owner finally spoke up.

“Even though it is on a rare occasion that we even speak to one another, but you were my number one for almost ten years. As much as I hate to admit it, I will agree with your words of us being similar. Looking at you reminds me of myself, and I wonder what you would be like at my age.”

“If I get to that age.”

“The pain in your tongue was a pain that you allowed willingly.” As much as Shuusei wanted to counter that, he knew it was true; if he really did not agree with the idea, even if it was the owner, he wouldn’t give a fuck. “I hope you will remember that you are still alive right now no matter what may happen tomorrow.”

Live for the moment, was it?

To be continued...