Vol 2 Chapter 6 (2/2)

“…Who is this?” But the laughter continued despite his furrowed brows. When the caller failed to speak actual words, Rei hung up after a moment.

“A crank call?”

“Ah—yes, it seems so.” Rei replaced the receiver with a wry grin. Crank calls weren’t all that uncommon, but the timing of this one…

’The one who sent me that letter…?’

It might have been someone else—but he couldn’t help suspecting, and once again, a heavy sense of foreboding draped itself over Rei.

First a letter, and now a phone call… Should he see this as an escalation?

A phone rang again—but this time, it wasn’t the office phone but rather Rei’s personal cell. After a moment’s shock, he checked the display and realized it was Shougo, which settled his nerves.

“h.e.l.lo? What is it?”

”So, today? Do I get my reward?”

Rei suppressed a smile at that being the first thing out of Shougo’s mouth. There was just no helping this guy, it seemed, but he quickly recalled the plans he’d just made moments before. “Ah…sorry, I’ve got a prior engagement tonight.” It wasn’t an excuse this time—but in truth, his plans with Shougo had been made earlier than those with Mitsuzuka. He felt a bit guilty, seeing as he was the one who kept putting things off with Shougo.

”Oh, I see… Then when would be good?”

Rei groped for a response. “Uh… I’ve been kind of busy lately…” Which wasn’t a lie, but he wasn’t so busy he couldn’t make some time. However, when he remembered the letter, he hesitated to meet with Shougo for the kind of activities he was hoping for. It would be best for Shougo if they didn’t interact until this matter was resolved. “It’s looking like it’ll be difficult for a while yet. I’ll let you know when I’ve settled my schedule.”

”…All right. I’ll be waiting, then!” He sounded a bit disappointed, but he wrapped up the conversation brightly and hung up.

Rei stared at his cell phone screen for a moment after the call ended, sighing. How long would he be able to put off Shougo’s ‘reward’ like this? If he didn’t hurry up and resolve this issue, Shougo would just start going on and on again about how I’m low on Rei! and Let me get a Rei-charge! and If I don’t, I can’t write songs!

“I have to do something…” One way or another, I needed to solve this problem as quickly as possible.

That evening, following a flood of work, Rei wound up arriving at the restaurant five minutes later than their agreed upon time—though at least he’d managed to contact Mitsuzuka to let him know he’d be a bit late. He had been a bit embarra.s.sed, though, by Mitsuzuka’s confession of surprise that Rei would contact him to let him know that sort of thing. It was true that, in the past, he’d never bothered to call even when he wasn’t going to bother showing up at all, let alone when he would just be late. Meeting up like this with someone who knew that side of him felt a bit strange: both awkward as well as a little comforted, really.

“Mitsuzuka-san is…” He glanced around the chic, dimly lit restaurant, but Mitsuzuka spotted him first and raised his hand to catch Rei’s attention. He was a bit older now than Rei remembered, but it was a comfortingly familiar face.

“Hey there, Rei.”

He was probably in his mid-30s by now, and he looked more accustomed to his suits now than he had in the past. Mitsuzuka had only been perhaps one or two years in the workforce before, and realizing that Rei was now older than Mitsuzuka had been back then moved him deeply.

“It’s been ages,” Mitsuzuka grinned—and he really hadn’t changed a bit. He’d always been a man with a gentle—albeit a bit troubled—smile, ever gentle and kind with Rei. “I’m practically going gray here—and you’re as beautiful as ever,” he complimented as they toasted to their reunion, and Rei felt a guilty shudder rush through him.

“Hardly; I’m almost 30 myself.” He brushed off Mitsuzuka’s words as easily as he did when others in his line of business spoke similarly about his appearance.

After all…who said you’re beautiful to a man they hadn’t seen in years? Should he be on his guard? Admittedly…he and Mitsuzukahad had that sort of relations.h.i.+p in the past—but it hadn’t been one of love, or even pa.s.sion; the man had simply been one of Rei’s numerous friends with benefits. No more serious than a pair of friends who, on finding themselves alone together, decided they might as well release a bit of tension. Back then, Rei’s sense of virtue had been shockingly flimsy, even in his own opinion.

“So, are you seeing anyone?”

“Ah…” Shougo’s face popped up in his mind—but after reminding himself that Shougo was not his lover, he waved it away. “No—though there is someone I have feelings for.” Here, an image of Seiya popped up now, though he took care to keep his phrasing restrained.

“I see… So is it a man? Or a woman?”

“It’s…a man.”

“Haha, oh yeah—I remember now, you’ve always played for both teams.”

“And…what about you, Mitsuzuka-san?”

“Oh, I’m married now—and I’ve got a kid, too. Still an office worker, too.”

“I see! Then congratulations!” Perhaps there’d been no point in practicing restraint, then. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders in relief, realizing that Mitsuzuka must really have just been overcome by nostalgia on catching Rei on television and just wanted to catch up with an old friend, nothing stranger.

“Afer I got married, I slowly fell out of touch with all of my old friends…but then I happened to see you on TV the other day, and I felt like I wanted to chat. Plus, I confess I was curious about what it’s like to work in this world I’m completely removed from. Though I apologize if that sounds like it was my real reason for wanting to meet.”

“Oh, not at all. Have you been at the same company this whole time?”

“Yup; I did transfer to a branch office for a while, but now I’m back at the main branch.”

Rei didn’t exactly remember where Mitsuzuka worked, but recalling that the man had always flaunted his power, he figured it had to be a fairly influential company. He was sure Mitsuzuka had mentioned it before, but just because they hung out a lot didn’t mean Rei could sustain interest in details like his job, so he’d forgotten.

“So how did you get your job at your current company…or, ‘agency’, I guess?”

“It’s actually kind of like SenaPro took me in.” There was no point in hiding how he’d turned his life around from someone who knew his past, after all, so he spoke at length about the road that had led him to work at SenaPro. He spoke of how he’d let himself go after his mother died, and how he’d met Seiya, and how he’d started working as Seiya’s a.s.sistant.

“Wow, so all that happened? That explains why you suddenly disappeared from the apartment. You never even poked your head in at the shop anymore… All your friends from back then were wondering what had happened to day.”

Rei released a wry laugh at his words, certain Mitsuzuka was just trying to make him feel better. In truth, Rei doubted there was anyone who had cared about him enough to worry like that. He’d been with Mitsuzuka for a particularly long time, but most of his partners had been people he didn’t even know the names of. And then of course there had been plenty who could have dropped off the face of the earth at any point in time and no one would have noticed. That included Rei himself.

“Oh yeah—do you remember Sakata?”

“Sakata…?”

“The guy who always had a different hair color every time you saw him.”

“Oh yeah! Him!” Rei nodded, recalling the name now.

“I ran into him…what was it, two years ago, I guess? Through my job.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, what a shock! His hair was black, and I just a.s.sumed he was someone who looked like him until I asked his name, but he remembered me too…”

The conversation continued on in this vein as the pair discussed old times and what they’d been up to recently, but after about two hours, Rei’s cell phone rang, and he slipped his hand into his pocket. He panicked for a moment, thinking it might be Shougo, but after checking the caller ID and seeing the number wasn’t displayed, an ill sense of foreboding rippled through him.

He had trouble believing it was possible, but he couldn’t help but remember the earlier call that afternoon—which had also come from an undisplayed number. “I’m sorry, please excuse me a moment…”

He stood from his chair and stepped away, accepting the call—but as elected, he was met with only the low laughing of a man’s voice before the call quickly cut out.

“Now he’s calling my cell phone…? How on earth did he…” It felt like the stalker was slowly closing in on him, and it unnerved him.

Noting Rei’s dark expression when he returned, Mitsuzuka asked, “What’s wrong? Who was on the phone?”

And here, Rei confessed everything that had been happening lately, seeking advice and certain that this man here, who knew about the person Rei had been in the past, would understand.

“I see… Yeah, I guess seeing as how I was able to track you down relatively easily—it stands to reason others could too,” he remarked gravely. “It might not be safe for you at your apartment. If he knows your phone number, he might have the place bugged. Would you like to stay at my place? My family’s staying with our parents tonight, so there’s no one home.”

“Thank you…but it would be a terrible inconvenience, so I’ll just head home.”

“Hey, come on, you’re not afraid of me, right?”

“Oh no, haha.” It was simply that it felt more than a little awkward being alone with someone he’d had that sort of relations.h.i.+p with in the past.

“All right, fine—but just for my own peace of mind, let me see you home. You’ll give me that at least, right?”

“Indeed; thank you very much.”

Mitsuzuka had always been a terribly kind person, Rei was reminded anew, and he bubbled over with feelings of grat.i.tude.

He’d actually been just the tiniest bit scared to go home alone.

“Wait here a moment, Rei.” The pair had returned to Rei’s apartment building in a taxi, but on arriving, Mitsuzuka exited the taxi, leaving Rei with those words. After glancing around, he leaned back into the cab. “It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone around.”

A wave of relief washed over him, and Rei exited the taxi. He tried to pay the fare, but Mitsuzuka stopped him, reminding Rei that he would take the same cab home. “I’ll leave once I’ve seen you safely into your room.”

He felt a bit guilty at the offer, but he nodded and they headed as a pair for the entrance. However, as soon as they entered, Rei realized something was off, and a shudder raced down his spine as he steeled himself.

His mail box was open.

“Rei? What’s wrong?” Mitsuzuka called out, worried when Rei suddenly stopped in front of him.

“My mail box…”

“The mail box?”

It was always tightly shut–but right now, it hung open a hair, and the letter he’d received the night before rose up in the back of his mind.

“…Do you want me to open it for you?”

“N-no, I’m fine,” Rei rea.s.sured, and carefully, with no small amount of trepidation, he opened the box–and found a cup of coffee from a shop sitting inside.

“…Why would something like this…” He couldn’t bring himself to pick up the cup, staring at the logo of a popular chain shop found throughout the city.

Mitsuzuka picked up the cup when Rei hesitated. “It’s still warm.”

Rei’s eyes flared in shock. “Then that means…no…”

“Yeah–whoever left this here must have been here only moments ago… I don’t want to consider it, but he could still be lurking nearby.”

Another shudder ran down Rei’s spine. The letter alone had been disturbing enough, but realizing that the culprit was so near now was unbearable.

Rei had been in more than his fair share of fist-fights, and he should have been used to people fixing their ill intent on him. But being stalked like this filled him with an undefinable discomfort. If the guy had just come at him swinging, they could resolve this quickly.

“…Rei, no matter what you say, I’m going to stay here with you tonight. No objections to that, I presume?”

Given the grave mien he wore, Rei could do nothing but nod his a.s.sent.

“My apologies for the mess…” Rei said, inviting Mitsuzuka inside. He didn’t have many belongings, so the state of his apartment wasn’t that terrible, but it was a bit dusty as he hadn’t had much time lately to tidy up.

But simply making it safely into his apartment left Rei feeling more relieved than usual at the end of a long day. His door didn’t seem to have been messed with, and nothing about the room seem changed from when he’d left that morning. And of course, no one seemed to be lurking nearby either.

“Please sit wherever. I don’t have much but…would you like a beer?”

“Thanks.”

Rei grabbed a beer from the fridge, pa.s.sing a can over. They sat at the table, huddled near at the corner, and punched the tab to open their cans. “To think I’d see the day when you and I sat around having a beer together again… Never would’ve imagined it, honestly.” Mitsuzuka lightly clinked their cans together, musing nostalgically.

A bit of the resent he hadn’t shown earlier seeped out now, and Rei smiled wryly, feeling a bit bad. “I really do regret…”

“Honestly, I was shocked—you just up and disappearing like that one day. I thought maybe I’d never see you again.”

“Mitsuzuka-san…” Rei groped for a response, not having expected such words from the man. He’d a.s.sumed things were settled between them, given that Mitsuzuka had said he was married now, but the way he spoke made it sound almost like…

“I know it makes me sound like an a.s.shole to say this, but…I’m actually kind of grateful to whoever’s stalking you.” A heavy silence stretched between them, and Mitsuzuka’s eyes were quivering when he looked at Rei. “You’re not seeing anyone right now, right?” He stretched out a hand.

’Ah…I should’ve seen this coming…’ Rei muttered to himself in sobering realization, but concluding that just once couldn’t hurt, he quickly gave in. This was a man he’d slept with dozens of times before, after all.

He fell silent, letting his eyes slide shut, and Mitsuzaka’s burning lips seared his own with a kiss, weight s.h.i.+fting to try and ease Rei down onto his back.

But then, in a flash, Rei immediately shoved Mitsuzuka away.

“Rei…?”

Rei’s eyes widened at the shocked tone in Mitsuzuka’s voice. “Ah—no, I’m…I’m sorry…” He hadn’t the faintest clue why he’d reacted the way he had and settled for just shaking his head slowly.

Mitsuzuka offered a wan smile, realizing he hadn’t been pushed away out of protest. “Did I surprise you, I guess?” He extended his hand again, slow and gentle, but the moment his fingers brushed Rei’s cheek, he realized in an instant what this feeling was—

’This disgusts me!’

This time, well aware of what he was doing, he brushed the hand aside and s.h.i.+fted away. He didn’t quite know why he felt this way, but he knew he did not want Mitsuzuka touching him. “I’m sorry…I don’t think I can do this. I’m…not feeling well.”

But Mitsuzuka just smiled and stood, looking down at Rei, who couldn’t even understand his own actions.

“Sure—maybe you’re a little tipsy? Hold on, I’ll bring you some water.”

Relieved that the man was backing down without protest, Rei released a soft sigh.

What was happening? He’d thought he’d be totally fine with this, but his body was strangely reacting with profound rejection to Mitsuzuka’s advances. It was baffling.

“You okay?”

“Ah—y-yes, I’m sorry.” He accepted the gla.s.s of water Mitsuzuka offered, gulping it down in a single draw.

“Maybe you had too much to drink?”

“I can’t imagine that…” would happen, he started to protest. Certainly his job required him to drive people places, and he’d been so busy lately he hadn’t had much occasion to indulge in a drink in his private time, but he had never been this much of a lightweight. Plus, Rei more than anyone understood that he wasn’t feeling ill because of the alcohol. “I really am sorry,” he apologized once more.

He hadn’t explicitly said that Mitsuzuka touching him was what had caused him to feel unwell, but the timing had likely made it blatantly clear, and an awkward silence stretched between them.

“…You must really love them, huh?” Mitsuzuka finally offered, and Rei blinked, processing the words.

“Eh…? No, that’s…I don’t think that’s why…” After all, despite his heart belonging to Seiya, he had s.e.x with Shougo without issue. It was unthinkable that any feelings for Seiya were getting in the way here.

At least…he’d a.s.sumed as such… “…!” His vision suddenly wavered, and while he could feel his upper half listing to the side, he couldn’t stop himself from tipping over, falling to the floor in a helpless heap. “What’s…”

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even manage the strength to try.

“Geez, you should’ve just let me have you…” Mitsuzuka muttered as Rei’s mind swam, trying to process what was happening.

“Mitsuzuka-san…?” The voice was dark, as he’d never heard before, and Rei struggled to look up.

Staring down at Rei, Mitsuzuka smiled softly. “You never realized it, did you? Just how much I loved you.”

“!!” A shudder rippled through him at the unexpected confession. Mitsuzuka had seriously loved him…? He couldn’t believe it. True, the man had treated him kindly in the past, and they’d spent a fair amount of time together, but Rei had always had other partners. Though honestly, he’d never even counted them as partners—he would’ve slept with anyone if called to it, and he’d never thought it remotely strange.

And Mitsuzuka had never reprimanded him for it, either. So he’d just a.s.sumed that the man only saw Rei as another warm, willing body, someone to have fun with.

“I thought you’d betrayed me. After you disappeared, I was really hurting, for a long while. And then, just when I thought I’d finally gotten over you…you show up again, right in front of my eyes.”

“Mitsuzuka-san…!”

“So…let’s start over, shall we? I’m gonna make you mine this time, for sure.” Thus saying so, he crawled over to straddle Rei.

“You know that…even if you do this to me…it won’t make me yours, right?” He struggled to get the words out. He finally realized that there’d been something in the water, but it was too late to do anything abut it.

“Oh don’t you worry about that. I’ll take lots of filthy pictures of you in the process. People might not care about your past, but what would they think if they saw that side of you now? If that person you care for saw them?”

“Are you threatening me…?!” He couldn’t bear to have that happen. He couldn’t care less about his body being displayed for all to see, but the problems it would cause the agency were unthinkable. Even if he quit his job right now, there’d undoubtedly be a scandal touting him as a former manager of the agency. Plus, he couldn’t imagine quitting. Losing SenaPro would be, for Rei, the same as losing all meaning to life.

But with his body sapped of all strength by whatever drug he’d been slipped, he was powerless to stop the inevitable. He couldn’t even stop Mitsuzuka from reaching for his tie. He felt despair creep in as he realized that Mitsuzuka really was going to have his way with Rei.

“St…stop…!”

’No…no, someone…help…!’

“Shou…go…!”

To be continued…

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