[ 43 | Second World ]
Rubbing at the corner of his eyes, Hisaya was now officially running on fumes. Making everything run on his definition of 'smoothly' was no small task. He'd been back and forth between the Eastern District and the Commercial District over the week and by the time he stopped in the evening, he was exhausted.
On the last day of the week, Hisaya had booked for a driver to pick him up. And he could barely keep his eyes open on the drive back. But as his phone was always plastered to his side, he heard it when he got a text. For a moment, he kept his eyes closed, willing himself to just ignore it, at least until the end of the journey, but the possibilities of who it could be niggled at his mind.
As expected, it was Yoshiaki. And since the other man knew his packed schedule, whatever he had to say was probably going to be more troublesome than anything. But after opening the text message, Hisaya paused. His thumb hovering over the text-box.
It was a somewhat strange text, "Sorry, I know you're busy, but does the name Asahi ring a bell?"
Asahi? Hisaya spoke the name out loud, finding some odd familiarity with it. But not much else. No sudden wave of memories came to mind, so he truly had no clue. Obviously not someone that important?
He typed back, hesitating only a moment before replying. "Someone I should know?" Not that he was aware in the slightest, but his response sent his assistant into a frenzied panic. So much so that the man dropped his already-abused phone.
"Never mind, sir. I heard from the office that they've managed to find something related to the case." Came a response a few moments later.
Hisaya noticed the quick topic change, but didn't think it was worrying. He texted back saying he would stop by his apartment to freshen-up before heading into work. It wasn't uncommon in the Commercial District that people worked all-hours. Trading was non-stop, which meant that office-lights were always on and small food-outlets were doing their best to cater for the zombie-like businessmen and women.
Unsurprisingly, there were a few cameras loitering around his apartment building, but as he was in a blacked-out car, it wasn't easy for them to snap pictures. And his driver didn't give them the opportunity to get any closer to use the flashes.
As per usual, when he stepped into the lobby, aside from the light piano-music that played in the background, there was no one around. Which made sense how people could go years without even knowing the names of their neighbours. In the lift, he swiped his ID card and it started moving. And when the doors re-opened Hisaya came face to face with a large wicker-basket.
Since the building had a layout whereas the lifts doors acted like the front doors of the apartment, there were tight restrictions on who could enter the building. Which is why he could only suspect Yoshiaki of leaving the gift. But the man wasn't one to be spontaneous.
Tossing his belongings onto the nearby chair, Hisaya walked over to the basket. He had to siphon through various tissue-papers and other 'aesthetically-pleasing' elements before he got to see what was inside. And seeing a few boxes of his new favourite brand of chocolate, he wasn't disappointed.
On one of his rare free afternoons, he had gone exploring the Southern District/ food district, along with the reluctant Yoshiaki. But even though reluctant, the beta still knew everything there was to know about their area. Including, the infamous chocolate shop. As a glutton, Hisaya couldn't say no to a taste-test. And he was impressed; but less so by the price-tag.
Though his business was bringing in enough money to keep any person satisfied, it still wasn't enough to warrant spending a majority of it on chocolate- as much as he wanted to.
Bringing the bundle of joy from the hallway and into the kitchen, Hisaya had to sadly abandon it so that he could get showered and dressed. It didn't stop him from popping a few in his mouth as he shrugged on a new shirt, or from sneaking a small box into his bag before leaving.
He suspected he would see Yoshiaki at the office anyway, so he didn't bother texting.
Since no one in this world understood the concept of going home Hisaya wasn't too surprised to find most of his team still working away within the office. But he was happy to see that they instead wanted to be there, instead of the way it was in the past where they were sleeping with their eyes open.
It became abundantly clear, that the old Hisaya was reaping the rewards of being the boss. When before, when the company was just being set up, he worked diligently on every case alongside his small team. He built the strong portfolio, but as he became wealthier and more known, he fobbed off most of the issues to his exhausted team. Which is why, they were stricken when their boss took on someone like Hiromasa. Because it was them that would have to do most of the work.
"Mr. Reo!" One of the team members greeted warmly. His exclaim drew everyones attention and they greeted him with just as much respect. Just from greeting them, he could tell that they were excited. So he didn't hesitate in asking what they had found.
He sat down, and a few team members crowded round. One set a piece of paper down in front of him, and on it were eight photographs. Hisaya recognised them immediately as the corporate spies he had gotten rid of a few weeks ago.
"We've been working our way through them, sir, as instructed. And it's no easy task. They have little to no affiliation to Kazuki Hiromasa or his empire. We managed to get through them all, and on the surface they're all 'diligent and hard-working individuals'. This has been said by all previous employers."
"For all of them?"
"Yes, sir. Though we couldn't get through to any previous workplaces over the phone, the same generic email was sent to us regarding them. They all left their old jobs with shining letters of recommendations."
"Odd," Hisaya acknowledged sarcastically. In his, and the rest of the team members minds, they were well aware of who it was that these people used to work for, but in order to take Hiromasa down they had to find a clear link that they could throw to the press.
But it would appear that all eight of these people had had their backgrounds professionally cleaned. They were painted with glowing reviews.
The team member speaking, tapped on the picture at the bottom of the page. "This man, is just as clean as the rest. He has no records or anything, he never even had debts and was apparently never on the wrong side of the law." He was obviously building to something,
"Which is why, when we received an email from an old neighbour, who had recognised the man from one of the later newspapers who released the eights identities, stating that the man was a grotesque person who would never hide his disgust towards Omegas. Even going so far as to, on one or more occasion, be arrested for GBH." [ GBH - Grievous Bodily Harm (Severe Form of Assault.) ]
"Seriously?" Hisaya's eyes were far wider than a few minutes ago.
Their bosses reaction made the team a little pleased with themselves. This was no easy task. "Yes, sir. We managed to get her contact information and phoned her earlier today and she confirmed his name and old address. She only knew so much information about him because her friend happened to be one of the Omegas he would randomly assault. She also confirmed that he never finished school, which strongly conflicts with what's written in his bio."
They brought that out too, which was on another piece of paper. On the table, was the picture of the man, along with his stellar resume, and then the statement that his neighbour had given. It was no small task covering up a criminal record, only someone with sufficient power could do that. Plus, nowadays it was all but impossible to lie on a resume, there was records for everything, so being able to write how they finished school and went onto further education in a very-respectable university, meant that he had friends in high places that could back up his lies.
"I can't believe it," Hisaya confessed, slumping back in his seat. ", to think that the guy who was always pestering to go on team dinners was someone so dangerous."
Everyone nodded, having thought the same themselves. "Most likely to get us drunk enough to share information."
Hisaya stood up and looked at his team. "This is a monumental find, good work. Though in the broad scheme of things it might not seem much, this is definitely something we should celebrate. These little finds are exactly what I was referring to, when we find more of them, grouping them together they will mould into one heck of a case. And because we will have all the evidence, there's no squirming their way out of it."
This gave the office confidence. "Sir, what about Mr. Noriaki Fumi's case?"
"If we hit Hiromasa head on, we're going to fail. There's no doubt about that." Hisaya moved to the centre of the room, to address the whole floor, ", Of course, the case with Noriaki has already gone public, and there's nothing we can do about that other than stand by the fact that we are going to get our client the compensation he deserves. But think about it, Kazuki Hiromasa has outright denied the allegation, refuses to even entertain questions about it because he thinks its a ridiculous fabrication. He stands by his conclusion that the people who work for him are not gender-racist bigots." A few scoffed.
"If we can continue to link these spies to him, then there's no denying that they acted under his authority. Which means they worked for him. So when this comes out, surely people will question whether or not Hiromasa is telling the truth? Because how can you overlook someone with a criminal record of GBH towards Omegas? And whether or not it's a coincidence have them sent to work for one."
The faces of his team members were serious, listening to his every word. And when he stopped he watched as they morphed to surprise, and then confidence. They understood. And judging by how they were then itching to get to work, they obviously had the confidence in him, which made him feel good.
"So sir, what do you suggest we do now with the ladies statement?"
Hisaya's phone buzzed in his pocket, and after checking who the text was from, he focused back on the people in front of him. "We're going to compose a juicy file of concrete evidence before we do anything with it. File the statement somewhere safe. Also, I think it'll be a great idea to try and get a statement from her Omega friend if possible, or anyone else who can back-up his viscous personality. They can always wiggle-out and make excuses for his resume, but there's no excuse for the criminal record and word-of-mouth evidence from the victims themselves."
The team took notes and got to work. Hisaya would have liked to tell them about his own little planted spy, but that may be a step too far for some. With his experience already living in a world where he could have been killed off many of times, he didn't have the same hesitations holding him back. Plus, if things went south, then he would rather the team not know anything about it so they didn't face any repercussions.
Not that it would. He was quietly confident with his honed skill-set.
What the team were aware of, was that Hisaya had approached his old orphanage, with the intention of endorsement. Which stretched their currently suffering charity, who just needed a little investment to get them going. The team were a little anxious about their bosses sudden move, thinking he could be doing something reckless, but the man was quick to reassure them.
It made sense that their company should be going hand-in-hand with an Omega Charity, as they themselves worked on a daily-basis ensuring that they were treated fairly. But the only notable charity, was in fact Fresh Start, which coincidentally already had a partner; one who they were working hard to bring down.
So, although risky, they understood why their boss was then focusing his attention on a small charity, which had been running in the background for some years, just without the funds to do anything extraordinary. The team also couldn't help but feel touched that the man, who was known for being icy about his past, was openly embracing the place that once looked after him.
What else wouldn't hurt was having this charity, that their company would eventually endorse, become strong enough that it could rival Hiromasa's own publicity-charity.
When Hisaya went back to his office, he pulled out his phone and redialled Ayako Chiharu. She was immediately apologetic or interrupting him, but he reassured her that she wasn't. Unfortunately, because she has spent so many years having to deal with the issues herself, she wasn't used to letting others do the work for her. Like how Hisaya, under Yoshiaki's research, managed to find the ideal location for her and the children to move to.
It was still in the Eastern residential district but it was on the boundaries between there and the Commercial District. The building was split into two, with a corridor that wrapped around a courtyard in the centre where the children could use for playtimes. The corridor also connected the two buildings, as one was going to be used as the home for both the children and Chiharu, whilst the other building was for the charity.
Most importantly, it was visible. And undoubtedly had room for growth.
Work had been commencing on-site, which was making sure the children had everything they needed and that the building was up to standard. Hisaya was ensuring everything was perfect, which could be seen as fussy, which is why Chiharu was phoning. She was concerned he was spending excessive amounts of money. And it would appear that way to anyone who didn't keep their eye on property market.
After a long conversation, where Hisaya had to repeatedly reassure her that everything he was spending his money on was necessary, and that she shouldn't worry, he could finally put down his phone and sit back in his chair. The earlier exhaustion was creeping up on him.
Tilting his head back a little, his blond hair brushing his cheeks, his mind wandered back to the conversation he had earlier with Yoshiaki. It was strange for him to suddenly bring up something like that, especially to brush him off straight away when he responded too.
The niggling feeling of the unknown irked Hisaya. He had embraced the fact that with this new world came a new challenge, but he had to admit that the blurred-memory of his was definitely inconvenient. Especially when he had to plan his moves, and countermoves. And especially when Hiromasa seemed to know more about him than he seemed to.
Hisaya pushed the unhelpful thoughts to the side, opting to deal with those worries later, and got to work. With everything going on, all he could do was be patient. But since he was anything but, he got on the phone with someone to talk about branding.
When he was eventually on his way home, his phone lit up. The notably absent assistant was ringing him, "Why do I pay wages to a man who never seems to be in work?" Hisaya asked.
"Because you know when I'm out of office I'm likely using my connections to help you, o' generous wage-payer." Remarked the sassy beta.
Hisaya scoffed, "Good point. What's up?" He stifled a yawn as he rubbed his hair. Though it was pitch-black outside, it was the early-hours of the morning. He would likely get around four hours sleep before his brain demanded him to put it to use. And no doubt whatever Yoshiaki had to say would add to it.
"There's a charity event being hosted by one of the big companies, and you've been invited."
"Hm? Which charity?"
"Not one specifically, it's a conglomerate of charities, which is why I recommend going in order to represent your own."
Hisaya hummed, "This big company who has so generously opted to host this event doesn't happen to be your big boss does it?" He asked sceptically.
"No, sir. But he may be there, along with Hiromasa and other targets."
"Tempting." He confessed. No doubt as soon as Yoshiaki looked into the real-estate for him, did he figure out what Hisaya intended to do. The man was far too astute for his liking, but he was convenient. Because of his quick wit, Yoshiaki helped him formulate a solid business-plan for the new-and-improved charity and orphanage. The man also happened to be the one to get the right people in order. So Hisaya didn't doubt that the beta had the right-intentions when talking about this charity event, but he wasn't entirely sold on it being solely his assistants idea.
Because behind the beta was an even more calculative person than Hisaya himself. But he would be lying if he said he wasn't missing Zhang Feng's embrace. So he decided not to escape this time. Opting to freely fall into the mans trap.
"Send me the details."
Hisaya was confident he heard Yoshiaki make a sound of relief. "Wise choice, sir. I'll see you tomorrow morning with some paperwork."
"Ok, ok. Wait! I meant to thank you for the chocolates."
"Chocolates?"
Hisaya wondered if he was perhaps a little too quick to stuff the delicacy into his mouth, perhaps he should have confirmed they were from Yoshiaki and tested to be safe to eat? But they were too delicious.
When he got home, he ventured back towards the gift that was left for him earlier that day. He took out all of the small boxes of expensive chocolate and set them down on the kitchen island. Only after scalping the basket did he spot a card which had obviously slipped down the side of the tissue-paper. Plucking it out, he flipped it over and scanned the writing.
In the large, empty apartment, a burst of laughter echoed throughout. Hisaya wiped one of the tears that flooded down his pale cheeks. He was elated, and so relieved.
"It's really you." He whispered, examining the terrible handwriting that he would recognise anywhere.
[ TBC ]
[ A/N: Cutecutecute. ]
We're here again. Gradually loosing creativity on how to say this, *clears throat* : Chapters Forty-Four And Forty-Five are on Patreon! [Link to Patreon in bio <3 ]