• Suki Nakamura •
Being forced into anything was something I couldn't stand. Nobody had the right to dictate my decisions, not even Takeru. Yet, there was something about the youngest Amamiya that always left me speechless and defeated in arguments.
But despite everything I've been through, I refused to just give in.
"I'd rather be kidnapped every night and fight my way out than live with you!" I shouted at him, frustration boiling over.
"You were kidnapped because of me; your safety is my responsibility. You don't have a choice!" He retorted.
Mockingly, I raised my middle finger, "Oh, would you look at that? I do have a choice!"
"Aniki!" Hiroto called out to his older brother for help.
"Masaki!" We turned to face Masaki, who seemed unperturbed while eating his breakfast.
"At this rate, you two should just get married with the way you're always in each other's faces," Masaki said nonchalantly.
As the realization dawned upon both of us, we instinctively took a step back, creating some much-needed distance between us.
"Tell your brother how stupid he is," I glared at Hiroto.
"You are so infuriating, did you know that?" Hiroto's comment only made me roll my eyes.
"Likewise." I gave him a fake smile.
"Enough," Masaki finally spoke up, "Hiroto, why would you want to live with Suki? Are you married? Are you lovers? She's a woman and she's made it clear she doesn't want to live with you."
"Finally! A brother with a brain," I exclaimed, raising my arms in mock celebration.
"And Suki," Masaki turned to me, "I apologize for my brother, but his intentions are always good. It's just that sometimes he doesn't always go about things the right way. But you can't blame him for feeling a sense of responsibility to protect you, especially since you were kidnapped because of him."
Hiroto tilted his head, raising his brow at me.
"I don't need protection," I clarified.
"I know you can fight," Masaki continued, "Takeru could fight too; he was the best among all of us. But he died alone at the hands of the enemy. We couldn't protect him, Suki. So what I'm saying is, we should stick together and let us help you since you're in this situation because of us."
As I listened to Masaki's calm words, something clicked inside me. His explanation made sense, and I realized that having Masaki and his stubborn brother protect me from potential danger wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
"Fine." The word weighed heavily on my tongue, feeling even heavier than taking a punch to the gut. It was a reluctant acceptance, but deep down, I knew it was the right decision.
"Now, I shall go take a shower and wash all of your negative vibes away," Masaki announced cheerfully. "Hiroto, go drive Suki home."
"I am not—" I began to protest, but Masaki turned around with furrowed brows, making me sigh in defeat.
"What are you even waiting for?" I glared at Hiroto with my arms crossed in my chest.
Hiroto smirked and grabbed his leather jacket and keys, walking past me but not before whispering in my ear, "No choice."
"Shove this far up your ass," I muttered, raising my middle finger at him.
As we rode back to the unit on the motorcycle, I sat behind Hiroto, struggling to contain my frustration. His presence was more irritating than anyone I had ever encountered before. Normally, I would have dealt with such annoyance by delivering a swift kick to their face to shut them up. But with Hiroto, it seemed like a constant battle to keep my temper in check.
As we slowed down, I noticed a parked motorcycle by the entrance, and Cobra, with his bleached hair, leaning against it, surrounded by smoke. What was he doing here?
Hiroto parked the motorcycle close to Cobra, and I got off first, removing my helmet. Cobra glanced at me before looking at Hiroto, crushing his cigarette underfoot.
"What are you doing here?" I asked Cobra as I approached.
"Naomi was worried why her new employee hasn't shown up for work the past two days. Looks like you were out with your boyfriend. Next time, let her know if you won't show up," Cobra said, with Hiroto walking up behind me.
I scoffed, "I had an emergency. I'll go there later and talk to Naomi."
Ignoring us, Hiroto walked past without a word or glance, and Cobra's piercing glare followed him before returning to me. "Amamiya?"
Crossing my arms, I replied, "Are we done here?"
Cobra shrugged, swinging his legs over his motorcycle, "You need to be careful of the people you surround yourself with, Nakamura. Not everyone will be as kind as Naomi."
"I'll take care of myself," I assured him before he drove away.
As I approached the unit, Hiroto was waiting by the door, casually leaning against it with his keys twirling on his fingers. "What the hell are you still doing here?" I asked, annoyance seeping into my tone.
"Since when did you get associated with the leader of Sannoh Rengokai?" he inquired, seemingly ignoring my question.
"I work at Itokan diner," I replied, not in the mood to entertain his curiosity. "Anyway, you can go—"
"Don't be stupid and be careful who you make friends with," he interrupted, his expression serious.
"Funny, he said the same thing about you," I retorted, placing a hand on my hip and rolling my eyes. "Now, go. I need to change out of these clothes and head to the diner."
"I still have to check your unit in case they planted cameras or microphones inside," Hiroto said as he entered the room. I rolled my eyes and opened the door for him.
Hiroto meticulously inspected every corner of the place, not leaving anything to chance. He was dead serious about everything, not even my hanging underwear in the bathroom seemed to bother him.
"Are we done here?" I groaned, lying on my bed as he crawled around with the flashlight on his phone.
He stood up, towering over me. "Give me your phone."
"I don't have one," I sighed, rolling my eyes. I had no need for a phone; it was just a waste of money since I had no one to call.
"I thought so," he said, pulling another phone from his pocket. "Here's an old phone I have. I've programmed my number on emergency dial. In case of an emergency, dial my number, and I'll be here."
I rolled my eyes and took the phone from him. "Whatever—"
"Hey," he grabbed my wrist and leaned in closer. Even though he kept a safe distance, the position made me catch my breath. "I'm serious. Stop rolling your eyes or I'll make sure they stay at the back of your head."
I tilted my head and squinted at him. "Is that a threat?"
"It's a promise," he replied, locking eyes with me. We fell silent, and his gaze slowly traveled down to my lips before returning to my eyes.
I pushed him back and got up. "Whatever, will you go now?"
"You said you're going to the Itokan diner," he said.
"And?" I asked, grabbing new clothes since I was still wearing his clothes. I didn't even want to know how I ended up in them, but I had zero energy to find out right now.
"I'll drive you there and drive you home," he said, pulling out his phone.
"You won't do that," I told him firmly.
"Are we honestly going to argue for the rest of our lives?" Hiroto groaned.
I crossed my arms. "I don't know, are you always going to say all the wrong words?"
"I am not going to get into this with you," he sighed, "I'll drive you there, end of discussion."
Hiroto's dismissal left me no room to respond as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Talking wasn't my favorite thing, but dealing with him was on another level of frustration. I could already sense that he would only become more annoying, and I'd need to summon every ounce of patience to survive the days with him.