"I care so much I'm sick."
- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
TW: Mentions of illegal practices, violence and mature languages. Read at your own discretion
You woke up with a pounding headache, your tongue felt dried out and the limbs of your body felt a ton heavier than it normally had.
A cough forced its way out of your lungs before you could suppress it, the jolt making your body awoke abruptly.
You sniffled after trying to cover your cough with your hand, your eyes drew to a syringe injected on your wrist, taped from where it was injected in the skin. And in a panic you tried to take it out from your skin but someone sat beside the bed hand clutching at yours.
The familiar lavender eyes looked down at you in slight concern, and you swallowed in shock, 'You were back at his mansion again.
"Leave it, leave it.." His voice whispered to you, it was different from the first night he had talked to you. It was calming and delicate, as if he had whispered louder you'd break in front of him.
"It's a medicine to draw out the drugs from your system." He explained, standing up slightly to flick at the tube of the UV bag where a plastic tube was connected. He settles down again beside you, eyes lingered to your face.
He noticed that you had drawn out the color from your skin, unlike where he had found you last time- you were as pale as a ghost.
His finger pinched at your chin, inspecting the cuts from your face. His eyes lingered longer on the cut from your lip where Adam had his ring caught when he had slapped you and you didn't fail to notice the darkening of his eyes from it.
His thumb grazing the wound on the bottom of your lips and you can't help but flush at the unknowing distance you both had closed in. "I'm fine now." You mumbled to him.
He cleared his throat, looking away from your trance. "You should eat, the doctors will check up on you again after a few days."
You settled down on the soft mattress, sighing as the feeling of comfort engulfed you once more.
"I'll leave you to it." Rindou didn't know what to do next so he stood up and went for the door but you caught his hand stopping him~ which only made you flinch back remembering how he said he didn't want to be touched by you.
And of course he noticed this, before you could break your hold he had laced his fingers from yours. The warmth of his palm exudes on your skin.
His palms were rough and calloused compared to yours but it held the gentlest touch you'd ever held on to. "Yes?"
"Sir Rindou.." You called him reluctantly..
"I know well that you hate me now-"
"Hate you?" When he noticed you were genuinely confused, he eased the tension of his shoulder and looked at you, really looked at you. "Why would I hate you?"
"Do you not?"
You shook your head 'no'.
"I never knew how to be angry with anyone that wronged me, it had embedded in my nature to not scorn the life that was given to me. It is embedded in me that instead of hating the people, I try to figure them out instead."
Your eyes drew to him, he was wearing his usual white dress shirt, unbuttoned to the top, and had shown the tattoo you had pondered over the length where it would leave off on his skin, it was beautiful you almost had the urge to trace it with your fingers.
"It is easy to make monsters out of men, to blame the people who put you in this circumstance. So I demand to challenge myself to go the hard way of things, to figure them out, understand them instead."
Rindou felt like you were the most real thing in this makeup world, that's why you were so much in pain. "Have you figured it out yet?" Have you figured me out yet, he meant to say.
Your eyes lingered on him, until you memorized every curl of his eyelashes, the slight curve of his lips, everything that only you can see in this proximity. "I'm still trying to.." You answered him.
After a long silence you spoke again, "I thought you didn't want me here.." You asked him.
He said a lot of words, half meant and you wondered if he ever knew how to keep them.
"Can I not change my mind?" His voice was deep and you just stared at both of your laced fingers.
Rindou reminded himself that he was only letting you hold him this once, just for your sake of healing from the trauma they had caused, he would be willing to do these simple actions if it was worth you to heal swiftly. Just this once, he said to himself.
"Can I ask you something?" You muttered and it raised a brow from him.
"You always have questions.." He trailed off, but he wasn't bothered by it. Rindou was a close off person, conversing was like a chore to him especially if it were people he was not fond of, it felt like it drained his energy, but to you, he felt like talking for hours without the bore.
"Do you prefer I don't.."
Rindou was so used to his own silence, it was new to him to have himself hear someone other than his own thoughts. "I prefer that you do."
"Why do you.. M-make me read to you?"
Rindou's eyebrows furrowed, he expected something else you'd ask of him. Usually women had asked him for something that would benefit their own selfish nature, and he didn't mind as long as he had them quiet, he spoils them with gifts and their needs.
"I'll answer that question if you answer mine, then.." He trailed off and he leaned back, steadying himself and you can't help but look at his shoulders flexing, almost stretching the fabric.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree then, you remember Ran had made the same deal with you in exchange for answers of your questions, "Deal."
"Why do you like to read to people?" It was a simple question but it felt like it was a crucial one too, part of you felt like you didn't want to tell him all the personal details about yourself. It was trusting people and had them betrayrd you after that had made you reluctant with him.
"When I read, it feels like I'm going away from here.. Sometimes at the manor it felt like my world had gotten smaller from the same routine and the same treatments I receive. And when I read, I feel like the world feels bigger, it is bigger and it can be better~ and if I feel like it doesn't, I just have to read again."
Rindou contemplated your words again, he did enjoy you reading for him too because he felt it too~ going away somewhere, with you.
"She reminds me of you." He had uttered, "My mom used to read to us every night when my brother and I were young." Rindou remembered the memory they shared was so clear that he thought he made it all up because his father never let them stay together for too long.
His father didn't want both of his sons to become a coward like their mother. He called softhearted people, cowards and vile people, devoted. She was against the practice of their father raising them as cold hearted criminals just for the sake of inheriting his empire.
Rindou never knew how to treat delicate things on his own, he was afraid he'd destroy them without the intention to and it was long enough until the stories no longer kept him soft, not when he and his brother had to pick up their mom bloodied and beaten all the time on the house floor.
"I'm sorry." You told him and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the word, never had he heard it for too long.
"Its-It's a long time ago." He pushed back the memory and finally stood from the bed, "Is there anything else.."
"Actually there is." You looked up to him, your eyes round in a plea, and it had him weak in places he didn't know he had. "Would you let me visit someone tomorrow, it's quite important that I get to see them."
Rindou tried to look for a reason to your favor, were you seeing someone before you had met him? A lover behind his back..his jaw locked at the thought, "You don't have to drive there or escort me or anything, I can go on my own.." You urged him.
"I'll think about it.." Was his answer and he stepped out of the door, leaving you to rest on your own.
The next day came by and you remained sitting on your bed as you nurse your wounds and bruises, you thought you were losing hope that you'll get to see your family today-the concern for what they're doing right now has been an ache in your head from overthinking too much.
"This is Philip. He'll be your chauffeur for your destination, just tell him where you need to go." Rindou stepped in the room followed by a guy in his mid-thirties, hair gelled up and slick back, small rectangular glasses just resting on the bridge of his nose.
"You're actually letting me.." You trailed off, your chances of him approving of your favor was slim to none, so it only shocked you for him to grant your request all of the sudden.
"Have you not asked for it?"
"I did, I'm just-" You trailed off, and you looked up to him. Maybe little by little he can learn to trust you now as long as you don't give him a reason to doubt you. "Never mind, Thank you Sir Rindou."
You got up from bed, and Rindou scanned your body, seeing the bruises from your skin had slowly faded into the same color of your skin. And he hadn't realized he had been gawking at your legs for too long making you blush before him.
"Make sure you come back before dinner." He cleared his throat. It wasn't a reminder, it was a demand.
"I will." You smiled up at him, before sauntering to your walk-in closet and changing into your day clothes.
"Make sure you keep an eye on her." Rindou told Philip over his shoulder before he stepped out of the room.
"Yes, Sir."
💜
The usual posh neighborhood had finally transitioned to a rowdy intersection.
The sidewalks were crawling with busy people that even the road was swarming in a sea of heads. No cars entered this part of town, motorcycles can't even pass through the crowds as the street vendors displayed their goods on the side of the roads.
The usual cacophony of sellers yelling their discounts and goods on sale along with mutters and maddening arguments and kids pickpocketing travelers overwhelmed Philip as he clutched his steering wheel tighter feeling unsafe but you smiled to yourself, home.
You leaned over the front of the car, popping your head beside him and he looked anxious, he might haven't seen this part of town before then.
"Philip, right? You can park just right here. The road is too narrow for the car to fit, I promise I'll be back on time."
"Miss y/n, you can't just-" Before he could finish his protest you opened the car door and maneuvered out of it then slammed it closed.
The Eskelita, where you live, travels through tight alleys that only one or two bodies can fit through.
That's why cars or police had a hard time infiltrating criminals who hide in this maze-like state.
Law enforcers always try to bring down illegal settlers who created their homes out of scraps, but the people who settled there were linked stronger than any gangs, once a police messed with one of their homes they were quick to take actions throwing rocks and street brawls were commenced.
It was a violent war to start, and law enforcers lost their motivation to bring the houses down because the people who reside here only restored them back again.
The tight passage was long that on each side there is another passage and a family living.
The Eskelita is not one thing and another, it was everything happening at once.
People do cock fights on the other side, some lose and some win their bets. People were drinking in front of their house even though the sun was just coming up at its peak and there were crawling with children playing different games, Chinese garter, hit the can (tumbang preso) and of course the game of tag.
"Hey, Rosalie, how's the butcher shop going?" You were now on the first state of the Eskelita, it was made up of four states and you had to walk along the shortcut to get around all four.
"Doing great, Y/n! The herbs you sent for my husband works wonders by the way. Here, take these to sweet Thea when you get home." She handed you a plastic of shark fin crackers, these are illegally shipped goods, by the way from other countries, and this state was the Inkam state (Black-market, selling illegal goods). It was crawling with street vendors who solicit unwavered goods to people and Rosalie was very well known here along with her husband, Apollo who kept the people in line.
"Thank you!" You called out to her as you entered another passage of the walkway, the smells of goods from the Inkam state had turned faint and you were now stepping into another state.
"Hey Y/n! Think fast." You heard a familiar young voice, before a ball was passed unto you and you were quick to catch it, your eyes drew to the basketball ring and you made a three point shot making the kids who were 2 points away from their score shout in enthusiasm.
The basketball court was wide in Kiydnam State (Illegal child labor state), it was shared as the recreational part of the Eskelita. Crawling with many kids, who work as pickpockets from people who'd pay them.
Being poor meant no family planning and it sometimes makes you wonder why parents who were now in a very poor state could bring in more children in their lives and let them suffer for it. It only forced them to work at a very young age where they should be in school right now.
If you weren't alive, would your mom let Thea be like this too?
"Aww." Echo frowns, his dark skin slick and glowing from the morning sun. His hair was bleached and clothes were smeared with black oils, he's working at the factory again.
Echo was a versatile kid, he took whatever work was offered to him, his family was no longer with him. Father in a prison cell while his mom had an overdose 6 years ago.
"Better luck next time bud." You scratch his head and he continues with their game.
From the side of the court a familiar little girl was crying sitting on the concrete bench. "Why are you crying, Samira."
"My flippers tugged." She sniffled snot coming out of her nose as she showed you her slippers that had the laces tugged from the hole.
You took the rubber flip flops from her hand and a discarded stick from beside you, poking the center hole of the flip flops and pushing the lock back from behind as it now laced on its proper place.
"Here this will do." You handed it to her and her eyes brightened with a smile.
"Thank you!" She beams before throwing the flip flop in a frisbee hitting a can a few feet away from where you stood.
You didn't realize they were playing tumbang preso. And you shook your head as the kids scrambled to get their flip flops while the kid on guard finally stood the fallen can and started chasing them before they could cross the line. The other kids gave Samirah a high five cheering for her. "Thank you, y/n!"
You smiled to yourself, you can't remember what it's like to experience being a kid more than worrying about your next meal.
You stepped in from another state, the blinding lights of welding works almost had you blind. This was where the mechanics reside, welding steels were their hobbies and knickknacks, creating illegal guns with just the use of plastic toy guns, anything they can make with their crafty minds.
This was now the Junam state (Illegal shippers). They could fix boats from docks, motorcycles and other transportation, they were also the ones who were powerful in the whole Eskelita because they were the dwellers and the guards from the underground abandoned subway lane, a hidden passage that shares the shortcuts all over Roppongi and no one knows it exist besides their trusted peers.
"Y/n!" Someone called out your name and you swiveled to see Scottie making his way towards you.
He had grown muscular and taller, and it's been a while since you've seen each other. He had hazel eyes that looked lighter when bathed in sunlight. His hair had grown out longer just by the end of his shoulder. His skin had turned tanned and smeared with motor oils and grease while he wiped his fingers on the towel hung on his shoulder.
"Scottie, how has it been?" You greeted him.
He looked behind him and his other peers were waving at you momentarily before they continued along with their work. "It's been a while since I've seen you."
Scottie had been a love sick guy for you for over years, and you noticed the change in his actions but he knew it was too good for you to give him a chance of his pining, considering how he knew your circumstance with your family and he respected that. So he rather cares for you in the sidelines but his hope that one day you'd get to see more of him never faded.
"We had another project by the docks, maybe you could swing by next time. Dad has been missing your presence." His father was a brave and self made leader in their state. You knew him because you had a chance to work with him referring the customers from the manor to his Mechanic shop.
You knew Scottie since you too were growing up and he was almost like a brother to Echo too.
"When I got time, I promise to visit." You smiled up to him, and the warmth of his chest felt blossoming in overjoy.
"G-Great-"
"Hey Scottie hurry up, lover boy!" One of his peers called out to him and you purse your lips looking down in shame.
"I-I'll see you around!" He called out sheepishly before making his way towards the shop and you caught sight of his peers patting his back in consolidation.
When you arrived at your familiar home, you noticed someone was idling in front of your doorstep.
"Marites, what's up?" She was your neighbor, the one you entrust to keep an eye out. Marites was a housewife around here and had all the gossip evolve around her life, she was as skilled as gaining information false or truth and had an undying energy to spew and bad mouth all the gossip around until the sun went down.
She was your eyes and ears whenever you weren't around.
"He's in there again, be careful." She warned you, flipping her abaca fan in front of you. She meant, it was Grant again creating havoc in the house.
You were about to step inside when two ladies stopped you again by the door. Both wore pink button up blouses and black slacks, their shirt had a heart logo in it circled by stick figures of hand holding kids.
"Hello young lady, we're looking for Mrs. Y.L.N."
"Who are you.." You scanned their appearance, and the other lady kept jutting down something on her clipboard assessing your broken down house and the dilapidated front door as if she was judging the exterior.
"Were from the child protection social services, were here for Thea Y.L.N. We've been trying to get a hold of you after receiving calls from the neighborhood of child neglect." She explained.
"What?" You asked her confused, now blocking the front door from them.
"It's crucial that we seek to check on her." The lady was insistent.
"No we don't need-" You stuttered out and the other lady jutted something in her clipboard after she assessed your whole body making you squirm in aggravation from her judgmental look. "What are you writing down?" Your voice sounded angry and it made them exchange looks.
"It's crucial that you let us in and check the conditions of Thea Y.L.N." They kept ignoring your questions, and it only put pressure on you. You won't let the social worker take Thea away from you. She was just fine in here, with you.
"No, we don't need care proceedings, Thank you." You shut the door from their face and locked it, you pressed your hand on the wood and thought, who had called for them?
"Mom, I'm home." You alerted the house, slipping off your shoes and bags on the side and you heard another round of voices arguing in the kitchen. The usual cacophony of your run down house and it's not something new to hear and see. Glad they haven't roared the house down.
"What's wrong.." You looked at your Mom and Grant who looked like they were flushed red from anger and you caught them in mid argument.
You saw your mom holding on to the mason jar you guys used to stack up the money for her treatments and you noticed the pilling bills in there were gone and you looked over Grant who was scratching his head sheepishly and annoyed.
You immediately knew what he did, and he did it again.
"We needed that money!" Your anger seethes as if your patience finally snapped. He stole the first money and now the second stock for the whole month again.
"I thought i could-" He tried to explain and you knew it was another repeat of words. It was his gambling habit, he kept thinking the money would turn up twice once he brought it to the cockpits.
"You thought! This happened the last time and it happened again!" You don't know who's voice you were using anymore but all you see was red, and you can't even choke down the anger lodged up in your throat. That money was for your mom's medication when will that even get in his head.
"You watch the tone you use around me!" He veered his anger towards you and you sauntered in front of him, gritting your teeth. You can't help but urge to grab a knife, anything to hurt him to make him feel that you were sick and tired of him burdening your family and dragging them deeper into the dirt.
"Y/n stop it!" Your mom's faint voice scolds you, her arms grabbing onto your shoulders.
"Mom! Why are you siding with him, you know we needed that money, you won't get any better if he keeps doing this and you keep letting him!" Your eyes drew tears, but it was all from anger and frustration.
The argument goes into silence when you see a small figure walking up from the hallway, her teddy bear hanging from her small hands as she rubbed her eyes, great now they disturbed Thea's sleep. "What's wrong?"
"Thea, baby.." You called out to her and her tiredness immediately faded, a bright smile exchanged as she ran up to you for a hug.
"Aye, you're back!" She giggled, arms lacing around your neck. Her hugs made your tiresome fade in such an instant that you can almost feel your whole body exhale.
"Of course! I missed you so much, how was school?" You asked her, combing back her golden locks. But when she heard you asking about school her smile immediately faltered and you immediately knew something was wrong. "What happened?"
Your mom sighed, eyeing at both of you. Grant had left the house, and couldn't stand himself hearing your mom scolding him. "We got a call from the principal, Thea was sent to the office."
"What, what happened.." Your eyes widen in shock, caressing her cheeks.
"I didn't mean to." She swayed from left to right, the floor caught her eyes as she looked down in shame. "I called Annie Ankins a whore."
"Why would- Thea! Why would you say that? You know that's a bad word."
"I'm sorry." She says with her big doe eyes, and you knew you can't be mad at that. You noticed she's been spending her time too much in this toxic household that she's been copying Grant's words without meaning to.
You thought of any place you could let her stay but you couldn't think of anyone, Dahlia usually babysits her but even Dahlia is busy with a lot of stuff.
"Thank you for being honest and telling me, baby." You caressed her cheek, "But promise me you won't do it again, okay."
She nodded desperately, "I know I know, Anne Ankins was calling you names saying you take your clothes off for strangers in exchange for money. Her mom said so." That's when you realized Annie Ankins' mom was the one who called the social workers. That bitch.
"Next time you meet Annie's mom you tell her this okay, his husband is our usual customer tell him I said Hi." You instructed her.
"Otay, hehe." Thea giggles before you kiss her cheeks and hands her the shark fin crackers Rosalie had given her and she starts nibbling while watching her toons from the broken down TV Scottie fixed for you.
"Don't say that-" Your mom scolded you.
Once you and your mom were now left in the kitchen, and Thea distracted, you finally spoke to her. "What happened to the money, Adam was sending you."
"He had cut us off." Your mom informed, the usual wrinkles from the corner of her eyes were becoming more visible by the day.
"What do you mean?"
"We don't know.." She shrugged and started coughing hysterically again, the phlegm from her throat was louder and more itchier to hear and you heated up Lagundi herbs and ginger tea for her to drink.
In front of you, you can't help but look at her and feel pathetic within yourself. You can't even buy her medicine now for her cough and she needs to have the operation before the failing liver on her body longed to poison her.
You set her down on the mattress, wrapping her around with the tattered blanket. She smiled at your care, her fingers caressed your locks and she didn't know she had missed your presence in this house.
"You're so beautiful." She muttered before forcing herself to sleep, she did it in a way to not feel the pain on her body.
When she had shut her eyes, yours had started to water.
She was turning skinner, and paler and you had nothing to do but watch. Mom, have I become like you, beautiful, hopeless, and unlucky?
"I promise I'll get the money." You kissed her forehead, voice cracking as you immediately wiped your stubborn tears.
"Please take care of yourself, I'll keep Marites keep checking on you, okay." Your voice was faint and shaky from trying to stop the tears.
"About the social workers, could you please don't let Thea get near them." She nodded, and you waited until she had longed asleep already and you took out all the money from your pockets and stuffed them inside the empty mason jar, and looked for a better hiding place.
Your eyes scanned your family before you parted again.
💜
"Y/n?" You heard a familiar voice once you stopped by the main entrance. You had found yourself back at the Dollhouse Manor but the place looked like it was ransacked and the usual number of guests and workers were reduced to numbers that you could count with just one hand.
"Y/n what are you doing here!" Dahlia dropped her broom and went to clutch your hands but your eyes never left to scan the premises.
"What happened?" You asked her, eyes still trailing at the small numbers of people and it looked like the manor was being evicted or something, it was an unusual sight to see since the manor is always full of life and full of crowds.
"Adam had lost reliance with The Bonten clan. The Red Light district, which was run by the Haitani brothers' boss, was planning to buy all the workers from the manor and referred us there instead with good pay and good working hours." Dahlia explained and you wondered why she was still here.. "Adam has been pissed for a long time after what happened. That's why it's unwise for you to be here."
"I don't remember much about that night but- I need to speak with him."
"As I expected, no matter who you end up with, real kindling will always go back to the hole where they come from." Your blood drained from the familiar voice booming from the spiral staircase.
Adam stood at the railings looking down on you, his arm was in a cast along with band aids stuck on his face.
"What are you supposed to be doing here?" You followed Adam to his office, and you noticed the room was in a state of chaos, the door remained open as you were afraid to be left alone with him. He sat on his long back office chair looking up to you.
"I need you to explain to me why you're cutting off the income you were supposed to give to my family."
He chuckled, hating how you got the guts to walk back here after what you had caused. "Look around, doll." His arms spread in front of him, "It's obvious who's at fault."
"What do you mean?"
"He wants to shut down the manor, and all of it was because of you." He draws in the words and you look at him further in confusion. "How dare you step foot again in here after the damage you have done! This was my life's work and you wretched had to sabotage everything I built!" He slowly stood up from behind his wooden desk, anger evident in his bruised eye.
"Adam, I didn't know he was going to do this!" You genuinely didn't know they would do this to the manor.
"Of course, you wouldn't, you're too sweet to make this all happen." He mocked the word, as if he no longer trusted his judgment about you being a harmless sap. "Let me offer you a deal then." You looked up to him and you knew what he was about to ask before he worded it.
"If you persuade the Bonten to give back what I own then, I'll give you the money that you need." You immediately felt hope in your chest, "All of it, your mom's medications will be all paid off along with the operation and your precious sister will be enrolled in the most prestigious school with full scholarship. How is that to be fair?" The deal was tempting, because it was all you had ever wanted, you've ever worked for but you knew sweet deals like that come off with a price.
"In exchange for what."
"Bring back my manor," That would be easy, you could try to persuade Rindou for it, but your hope dies down when he asks for another favor, "Along with a seat at their table."
You haven't met all of the Bonten clan, you knew nothing much about them and to actually give Adam a position in their organization? "I-I can't- how will I persuade them, my words meant nothing to them." And face it, you were known as nothing but Rindou's plaything.
"Oh trust me, your words mean everything to him." You didn't know what he meant by that.
"In persuasion, I don't care how you'll do it.. Let him have his way with you, let him fuck you, keep him happy, I don't give a fuck about what you'll do as long as you make it work. Gain his trust and all that sappy shit. The boy's got a thing for love stories doesn't he?" Adam lit his cigarette and said it in a mocking tone.
"I can't I-I'm not going to do th-" You didn't get to finish when in long strides he had shoved your small frame on his desk, cheek plastered on the table.
The position he always had you in when he was about to slash your skin with his switch knife and you were sanctioned to squirm. He was very careful not to leave any bruises or he'll pay further more for the damage he kept causing you.
You were lucky one of them owned you or you wouldn't be walking out of here anymore. He'd rather use you to benefit him in another way then..
He leaned over you, until his mouth was beside your ear. "You will because you have no choice! If you don't get your cherry pop by the end of the month I'll be paying your family a visit myself!"
"If you touch them, I swear you won't get what you want!" You sobbed beneath him and he gritted his teeth letting you go and you scrambled away from him, pinning him with your glare.
"C'mon y/n I'm at the end of the rope here.. Won't you be so kind. My sweet sweet doll." He mocked making you clutch at your clothes as his touch overwhelmed you again.
You know Adam's wicked ways, even if you denied him right now who were you to be sure he won't harm your family out of spite. "Fine, I'll do it." You finally decided. Not sure how you'll make it work, but you'll risk just about anything to have your family brought out from the dirt they're trapped in, even if it will risk yourself getting killed. "Just don't cut off my income and you stick with your word."
"Yeah yeah, whatever, I'll send the money in a bit." Adam wavered his hand, side stepping from his desk and taking up his usual position on the chair looking up to you. "It's a deal."
You sauntered over the door, if you stayed here any longer you felt like you might suffocate.
"If you touch both of them, the deal is off." You said lastly before exiting the manor.
💜
Lately at the Haitani's mansion the gang was on their usual dinner table.
"Food is getting cold." Ran informed his young brother as he noticed he hadn't touched it in front of him.
Rindou didn't reply to his statement and Ran knew it was getting late and you hadn't come back yet. Ran expected you had run off or something, it was possible, you never liked it here in the first place.
"You're sure to trust her to leave just like that, and to come back that easily..." Ran trailed his words.
"Why wouldn't she?" Rindou asked. He was beginning to believe his brother that you had run off, as he kept restraining himself to keep checking the clock that hung on the wall.
"What would be her reason to stay?" Ran asked, prolonging more of Rindou's overthinking.
"She'll be back." Rindou concluded. This only made Ran look at him pervasively. It was so unlike him to be this way. "Heat my food up." Rindou ordered the maid who lingered by the wall.
"Yes Sir." She states before disappearing to their grand kitchen.
"I thought you had learned your lesson little brother." Ran chuckled, puffing his cigar and Rindou immediately knew what he meant. "No matter how loyal they are presumed to be, if nothing benefits them to stay, their choice is always to leave." Ran stood up from his seat, leaving his little brother to ponder with himself. "You know that better than anyone." Ran meant how their mother had left them at a young age, because she could no longer handle the violence within their home.
Ran knew it before it came, while Rindou who was close to his mom, didn't. He thought they'll be enough reason for her to stay longer even though the things were getting rough, so when she had left them it broke Rindou more than Ran ever expected and a bitter hate lingered within his heart.
When their mother left, there was nothing to balance the cruelty in their house and violence had become an undying cycle within them until it had latched in their identity.
Softness had no place in their hearts anymore and small acts of distrust reels him away from people who ever planned to betray him.
He was about to order the maid to clean up instead as he had lost his appetite, but the familiar gentle smell of your cologne and soap enthralled him of your arrival, and he looked over his shoulder.
The familiar eyes he had become accustomed to lingered to his and he couldn't help but feel the easing of his chest, as if his mind exhaled all the doubt within him and he could finally think straight once he had a glimpse of you.
The familiarity of wanting almost burned him up from the inside and out. One moment he was in overload of thoughts and doubts and now just by hearing and seeing you, he swore, he could feel them all went up in smoke.
"I'm sorry, I'm late, Sir Rindou." Your gentle voice sounded like music to his ears.
"Y/n." He spoke and you took a seat in front of him on their longe dinner table.
"Did I make you wait?" You asked him genuinely, eyes focused only to him and his to yours, that you can't help but feel at awe from how he was always this beautiful.
"Not at all."
Author's note: I'm finally done with my midterms and I'm so drained already. The regular updates will commenced again on weekends, and this weekend another update will be released I'm not done yet proofreading it lol.
The next chapter will be MATUREEE A MASSIVE DIRTY SMUT BEWARE! and hold unto your holy water. Reminding that this is a mature book again, read at your own discretion. I'll see you this weekend! mwah!
- Meraki, the drained human 💜
NOTES:
The Eskelita - is a place divided into four states. (Inkam, Junam, Kiydnam and Lethyum)
Inkam state - black market of the underground or illegal goods and products are sold. Ruled by: Rosalie and her husband, Apollo (The big traders)
Junam state - The illegal shippers, Ruled by: Scottie and his father. (The mechanics ) and the guards of the abandoned underground subway where shortcuts around Roppongi is used and no one knows these other than the people from Eskelita.
Kiydnam state - Child labor was profound in this state. Ruled by: Echo (The pick pocketer)
Lethyum state - The prostitution sector or where the Dollhouse Manor resides. Ruled by: Adam (The bastard, lol)