Boys For Hire!!

Chapter 21: A Mother To Me

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Author here! Just letting everyone know the Valentine's Vote is still going on! Which 3 boys will be spending Valentine's Day with Chi?~

Letting everyone know, the Valentine's stories will be side stories, and are unrelated to the Boys For Hire current story.

Now enjoy this chapter!

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I'm flying downstairs almost in sync with the slamming of the front door.

"The hell's going on!?" A panicked Ichirou shoots out from behind the door of the dining room.

"K-Katsumi! He-" I hesitate, on the verge of breaking down. If anything happens to him...! I'm about to spill everything that happened to Ichirou under his worried and anxious stare, but a hand on my shoulder stops me in my tracks.

"Does it matter what's going on? Katsumi's gone, let's go find him." I turn around to see an assured Akihiko standing confidently behind me. Although, his convincing stature doesn't satisfy everyone.

"Yes, it does matter, Akihiko." Hotaka steps from behind the door and sides next to Ichirou. "Katsumi went to see Chi before this, what happened upstairs?" The black haired boy stares accusingly and Akihiko, sparing me his convicting eyes.

I'm about to speak up, but Akihiko steps in front of me. "Hotaka, are you doubting me?" He speaks twice as accusingly.

Hotaka swallows loudly, stepping back.

The Boys For Rent were always a tight knit bunch of friends, almost a family when compared to the strained relationships between the Boys For Hire. But no one would dare go against Akihiko. He wasn't their leader by force, but by respect, which made mistrusting him all the more harder.

"Let's go." Akihiko, followed by Hotaka and Ichirou make their way hurriedly towards the door.

"You comin', Chi?" Ichirou voices out, speedily lacing up his combat boots as he goes. I'm about to launch myself into action, grabbing my sneakers as I make my way to the front door, but I'm stopped by Hotaka who has his arm out in front of me.

"It'd be better if Chiseki stays here, Katsumi might come back to the house." With that, the boys leave in a flurry and I'm left alone in the front corridor. I watch as they split up in front of the house and rush into the darkness of the evening.

"Kat... Katsumi..." Now that I'm alone, I can't help but let the tears spill. I have no doubt that Katsumi would be able to take care of himself, but I'm sick with myself that I'm not able to take care of him while he's hurting like this. "It's my fault though..." I whisper to myself as if my conscious never knew, although the thought had been at the back of my mind desperately trying to keep itself in a bubble. "Katsumi's hurting and it's all my... fault..."

It's as if my body takes in all at once. The Boys For Hire, the Boys For Rent. They've all changed me, whether it's for bad or worse. I've learnt how to be friends with people again, how to connect with different people. Their all suffering because of this stupid system, if it wasn't for the whole corporation... they... they'd be...

"It's no use dwelling on it." I tug on my black hoodie and finish tying up my sneakers. "I'm not gonna be some hopeless girl, and I'm hell not going to be a useless friend. Nothing's gonna change if I don't change it myself." Grabbing my phone from off the shoe rack, I open my Maps application. "I'm sure I'll remember where to go once I get there." I squeak open the front door making sure to text mum that I'm going out. Ichirou's only brought me there once before, but I'm certain it's where Katsumi would go. "Please be safe..."