Venomous Deception ✅

Chapter Seven

June 18th, 2028

Genji was nervous. He was early and he went straight to a table, but he fidgeted where he sat. The coffee shop was small but affordable for him. "Café au lait, please," he said to the waitress. "Someone will be joining me shortly."

"I'll be back when they arrive," she said, leaving with a smile.

Genji tapped his foot against the floor and wrung his hand through his bangs. This was the earliest we could meet. He's coming all the way here to see me. That's a good sign, isn't it?

"Genji Shimada?"

Genji launched out of his chair at the unfamiliar voice behind him and turned. He recoiled when he saw the hard face of the elderly man who stood before him. The man looked exactly like his own father, though his hair was fully silver and slicked back, and he was leaning on a cane with his left hand. Genji didn't know what to say.

Wakou Shimada did not look impressed by him. "Well?" he asked. "Are you Genji Shimada or not?"

"I-I am," Genji said, wringing his hands slightly. "Ah—nice to meet you...Grandfather."

Wakou didn't smile at him. "You look Ken. He was your heigh at your age. Are you as troublesome as him?"

"A-Ah..." Genji rubbed at his nape as his heart slammed against the wall of his chest. W...What do I do?

"It was a rhetorical question," Wakou said in a chipped tone. He walked past Genji and sat down at the seat across from him. Genji slowly retook his seat.

"Black coffee, please," Wakou told the waitress when she returned. She hurried off, leaving them alone again.

They sat in silence for several long moments, Genji kept his head ducked forward.

"Well?" Wakou asked sharply.

"Eh?" Genji looked up at him.

"The grandson whom I have never met called me out of the blue begging to see me," Wakou reminded him. "After traveling over an hour by train, I have come. So." He leaned back in his chair. "Why am I here, Genji?"

The waitress brought Genji his café au lait and Wakou his black coffee. Genji took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. I'll tell you."

*

"Aguni I'm sorry, but they were sold out!" Asato protested into his cell phone as he fast-walked down the sidewalk.

"Are you sure?" Aguni asked. "Did you go to the right location?"

"Yes, I did! I was there, but the special edition tankōbon was gone!"

"Damn!" Aguni shouted in frustration. Asato held the phone away from his ear. "I really, really wanted to get that book for Nishioka! She loves that series!"

Sarina Nishioka was a student at Shirahime with whom Aguni had a crush on. Getting the tankōbon was his attempt at trying to "woo" her. "I'm sorry, Aguni, I tried," Asato said sincerely. "I even got up early so I would catch the first train to get here."

"No, it's not your fault. Ugh, WHY did my family schedule a trip to the zoo today of all days?!"

"Because it's Sunday?" Asato offered with a laugh. "I—" his voice broke off as he walked past the large window of a small coffee shop. His eyes widened as he peered inside. Wait, isn't that—