Haunted

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Chapter 17: The Betrayal


“What now?” Gilfred asked imploringly as he watched his employer move back and forth inside her western styled office,
Serena Tokigawa had almost lost her mind thinking about what had just happened a few hours ago.
She knew someday this would happen and she knew that someway, she’d have to explain.
But she never dared imagine that everything will turn out so disagreeably.
“Did she go straight to her lover’s place?” Serena asked with her forehead forming a deep furrow,
“Where else would she go at such a crisis? Evidently, the man is her ‘shoulder’. I can’t see any other reason why she should go to someone else.” Gilfred explained.
Serena leaned on the massive wall where a gigantic painting of rare birds was hung.
She was breathing heavily with her eyes were shut, as if she were trying to explore other options,
“I have to move.” She said, bringing her head up and looking at her gloriously painted ceiling.
“Really?” Gilred began, crossing his leg over the other and looking interested more than ever, “then what’s your next move?” he asked in an anticipating tone.
“Remember the pictures?” Serena asked, moving away from the wall, her eyes searching Gilfred’s.
“What pictures?”
“The ones taken when Tohma Seguchi went the last time to Yuki Eiri’s condominium.”
“Oh, you mean when we had the ‘alteration plan’?”
“Exactly.”
“Of course we still have it. So you want to use it?”
“What else?” Serena said, almost sarcastically.
“When do you want it to be delivered?” Gilfred asked, standing from his chair and straightening his brown trench coat,
“First thing in the morning.”
“That’s a pretty way for starting someone’s day.” He said ironically, smiling in such a sardonic manner.
“That’s what I want to happen.”
“Then consider it done.” He added.

Gilfred was walking towards the door when he stopped short and turned his gaze towards Serena who was already seated across her colossal glass table.
“Madame, what are your future plans for Tohma Seguchi?”
“The Tohma Seguchi?”
“Yes.”
“Keep him sleeping.”
“Very well, but how about his ‘doppelganger’?”
“Alex Newman?”
“Yes, Madame.”
Serena stopped doing her paperwork and stared unto space. She thought for a while and a smile slowly appeared across her beautiful face,
“Use him again—right after delivering the pictures. I want Sakura to think that there’s still something going on between Tohma Seguchi and Yuki Eiri.”
“Very good thinking, Madame…” Gilfred paused for a while and Serena thought he was leaving,
“What are you waiting for?” Serena asked, her emerald eyes fixed on him.
“Madame…what if…Sakura forgives him promptly? Yuki Eiri is a natural womanizer. I’m sure he’ll find a way to woo her back straight off. If Sakura forgives, then what?”
Serena stood up from her leather chair and walked slowly towards Gilfred.
Dressed in a black halter gown, matched with her stern but undeniably gorgeous façade, she looked extremely sophisticated, captivating and dangerous.
“You think…that a woman…” she began gazing at Gilfred’s lips and tracing a finger on his coat’s lapel, “will easily forget something…once they’ve seen it?” she asked, her green eyes probing his,
“Why not?”
“Gilfred, darling, as what others have said: To see is to believe…but to hear is another thing. If Yuki Eiri tries to win her heart back, he’ll have to do something better than explaining,” she answered confidently, “trust me, a woman never forgets when she has evidence.”
“But what does evidence have against love?”
Serena Tokigawa flinched at the sound of ‘love’ implied between her youngest sister and the man she intensely loathes.
“We’ll see.” She replied bitterly.


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Inside a rather different room, a man with sandy blonde hair stood in front of his extensive windows and thought about his condition assertively. With his arms folded in front of his chest and his eyes intently looking across from the building where he stands in, the man looked besotted and incontrovertibly prepared.
Suddenly, without warning, his mobile phone rang, the ringing coming from the inside pockets of his fashionable brown cardigan coat,
“Moshi-moshi?”
Silence.
“Moshi-moshi?” he repeated,
“Newman. Alex Newman.” A deep seething masculine tone of voice spoke all so suddenly,
“Hai.”
“The boss has got a job for you.”
“Anything. What is it this time?”
“Intercept the ice which will be running after the flower.”
There was a long pause.
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Anytime?”
“Just do your thing.”
Alex Newman was heard softly chuckling at his other end of the line,
“Very well.”
“One other thing.”
“And that is?”
“Make sure the flower does not come any closer to the ice. Straight orders from the boss.”
“Alright.”
“We thank you for your cooperation.”
Alex Newman chuckled again, as if the statement surprised him merrily,
“Oh no, my friend. The honor is mine. Madame’s interminable generosity will always warm my heart. Tell her this from me. Anyway, nice talking to you again.”
“Same here.” Replied the man with a snicker.
And in a second, the line was cut and Alex Newman placed back his mobile phone in his coat.
Out of the blue, a short knock was heard outside the door of his room.
“Come in.” Alex Newman spoke curtly, walking away from his window and sitting on his gorgeously carved wooden chair,
“Mr. Tohma Seguchi, we have received your plane ticket for your meeting today at Geneva.” A woman spoke, coming in swiftly towards the table.
“Cancel it.”
“W-What, sir?”
“I have decided to attend to other matters. Call Geneva and explain my absence.”
“Yes, sir. And how about France? Your meeting with Melody Records comes right after Geneva.”
Tohma Seguchi inhaled deeply and stretched his neck. He closed his eyes and opened it, meeting his secretary’s gaze.
“Tell them the same thing then,” he said and stood from his seat, “I’m off now.”
“Yes, sir.”

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“Yukiiiiiiiiii.” Shuichi moaned, getting up early from bed, “where are you?” he added, slumping back on his pillows and pulling up the covers on top of him, completely covering himself.
Shuichi heard footsteps coming closer but he didn’t bother to budge,
Yuki pulled the covers down and said in a teasing tone,
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work already?” he asked, his hair still dripping with water and his scent filling in the entire room.
He was wearing a towel across his hips and he was leaning down on the boy who was thoroughly naked on the other hand.
Shuichi wasn’t still opening his eyes and was obviously pretending to be asleep,
“You know,” Yuki started in a sweet way, “I give a lot of free kisses to kids who wake up early in the morning—”
Shuichi sat up straight and looked at Yuki,
“Really?”
Yuki laughed and pushed Shuichi back on the bed.

They were starting to make love again when Shuichi’s phone started vibrating on top of the table beside their bed,
“Oh shoot…” Shuichi murmured while Yuki showered him with wet kisses across his neck,
“Don’t you come late at the studio anyway? Why bother going early?” he asked, his words indistinct because of the way he nuzzled Shuichi,
“Because…” Shuichi started, although hesitant himself, “we all promised to Sakano-san that we’d be rehearsing even before sunrise.” He continued jokingly,
Yuki stop from caressing Shuichi and rested his chin on Shuichi’s flat stomach,
“What time are you coming back home?”
“What time do you want me back home?” Shuichi countered, rustling Yuki’s wet soft mane.
“How about nine?”
“How about eight?” Shuichi teased, smiling broadly at his koibito.
“Done-deal.” Yuki replied and brought his head up towards Shuichi’s face.
Shuichi wrapped his arms aroung his lover’s neck and began in a sweet way,
“You’re gonna have to make dinner for us.” He said and stared lovingly at those golden, captivating orbs,
“Don’t I always?” Yuki shot back cockily.
Shuichi laughed, but his laughter was abruptly diminished when a hard, hungry kiss came down on him.
“I’ll be waiting.” Yuki Eiri whispered, his eyes looking serious but his smile telling that he was looking forward to have their meeting tonight.
Shuichi brought up his hands on his head and rolled onto his stomach and laughed endlessly against the covers.


“Yuki, I’m leaving!” he shouted across the room and headed towards the door.
Shuichi pulled on his other pair of shoes and took his jacket hanging on the sofa. He had finished taking a shower a few minutes ago and started forming his plans for this day in his mind.
He was very well aware of his current condition. He has to tell the truth to Yuki sooner and not later. He just had to look for the right time, and tonight seems to be the perfect time to tell it.
Shuichi had it all planned in his head when the doorbell suddenly rang.
Shuichi opened the door and found a large envelope lying on the floor adjacent to the door.
Shuichi picked it up and looked for a label.
That’s weird. No addresses? Not even a stamp…
Shuichi knew it was none of his business, but since the envelope had no name on it, not even ensuing that it was for Yuki Eiri, why not open it?
Besides, this was to intriguing to ignore, he thought.
Shuichi opened the envelope and peeked inside. It was a bunch of pictures, he could tell. So Shuichi took it out carefully and saw what seems to be very much unexpected.

What Shuichi saw shook him inside the core. His fingers suddenly trembled with an unexplained feeling. Shuichi’s breathing suddenly became sharp and shallow. His eyes narrowed, his violet pupils becoming smaller, and his heart beat faster and faster as he looked at one picture after the other.
“Shuichi, who was it?”
Shuichi couldn’t hear anything right now. His eyes were simply glued on the pictures.
“Shuichi, what’s that?” Yuki asked, suddenly noticing the severely troubled face in front of him.
Yuki came closer, but Shuichi put a hand in front on him, signaling Yuki to halt. He continued to look at the pictures and he blinked his eyes several times, as if seeing some sort of hallucination or trickery.
Shuichi finally closed his eyes, as if he had enough of what he had just seen. He held the pictures behind him so Yuki wouldn’t snatch them away.
“Shuichi, what’s happening?” Yuki asked.
No…this can’t be…Yuki wouldn’t…he wouldn’t…they wouldn’t!
Shuichi began to cry. His body wracked with sobs and he held his mouth with his other hand. He leaned on the wall behind him for support,
“What the hell is that? Let me see.” Yuki persisted, his eyes looking for answers.
Shuichi shook his head. Hot tears traced down on his once glowing cheeks.
“Shuichi—
“This isn’t true.” The boy cried.
Shuichi slowly slid down on the wall, towards the floor, the pictures still hidden behind him.
“Shuichi, I demand to see—
“How could you?”
“What?”
“How could you?!” Shuichi hissed. Looking up at his bewildered lover.
Who would have ever guess, Shuichi thought. I should have known a long time ago…why didn’t I see the obvious?
“Shuichi, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?—
Yuki Eiri was shut off when Shuichi stood up, his violet eyes blazing with anger.
“How dare you speak to me this way?!”
“Shuichi—
“I thought you were just best friends…”
“Shuichi…” Yuki began, trying to understand this whole ordeal.
He was going to reach for Shuichi’s hands but Shuichi flinched.
“I hate you! I hate you so much! Oh God, why did I even love you?!” Shuichi exclaimed, throwing the pictures on Yuki’s feet.
“Shuichi, wait!” Yuki shouted, thinking of running after the boy. But the pictures sprawled across his floor was too damning to ignore.
Yuki went closer and bent down to see what shock the boy completely.

Funny though, Yuki almost had the same reaction, although, the entire blame was on him. And he was utterly, irrefutably—guilty.

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How could he do this to me?—To us?!
Shuichi cried endlessly as he ran across the streets. How come everything is falling apart?
First, he finds out about his true family and learns that that his father was part of a secret medical organization that soon resulted to his accidental parting with the rest of the family.
Second, someone tells him that he’s going to die, and the worse part is, it could be anytime this year.
And third, he finds out just this morning, to be exact, that the most important person in his life had betrayed him.
Or rather, was betraying him.
How the hell would Shuichi know when those pictures were taken?
For all Shuichi knows, they could’ve been doing it every time he was away.
But it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter when it happened and why.
Even if it did happen a long time ago, the fact that Yuki kept it as a secret was still unforgivable. Even if Yuki kept his past relationships to himself, the fact that it was him made it so different.
And it made Shuichi sick to death.
How could he spend the rest of his life with a sneaky secretive sonovabitch like Yuki Eiri?
Shuichi was so wrong to trust him.
“Shuichi, yamero!”
Shuichi whirled around at the familiar voice,
“Go away! I don’t wanna see your face again!”
“I can’t let that happen.”
“You won’t, but I will.”
“Shuichi,” Yuki began in a gentler approach, “please, give me a chance to explain.”
“No!”
“Well you could at least hear me out!” he fired back.
“The hell will I!” Shuichi cried, his fists shaking with fury and itching to punch that handsome pale face of Yuki Eiri, “I have given you so many chances already—and it wasn’t only the time when I last left you! Even before that, even at the time when we were starting out as a couple.” Shuichi explained, “I knew in my heart that you treated me differently among all your lovers. I knew I was only one of them, but at least I had it my mind that I was different—that I was special!” Shuichi cired, pointing to himself.
“But you are special…” Yuki replied.
Shuichi opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He slowly shook his head and brushed his tears away,
“I don’t want to listen to you this time.” He cried softly,
“Shuichi—
“I had enough of this!”
“Don’t do this—
“I tried so hard trying to make you love me, but nothing ever seems to work—
“Shuichi, it’s not that I—
“Even though I knew you weren’t capable of saying such sweet promises, I knew that someday you’d come to me on your own will—
“Shuichi, I—
“I don’t want to hear any excuses from you—
“Shut up—
“—and that’s final!” Shuichi added forcefully, which shut off Yuki.
Yuki raked his fingers through his blonde mane feeling immensely frustrated. He was running out of words. It was a funny thought since he was a novelist—a romance novelist at that. But right now, he couldn’t seem to get the right things out of his mouth,
“Shuichi, what you saw isn’t what you think—
“Seeing Tohma Seguchi giving you a lovely blow job isn’t what I think?” Shuichi said sarcastically, “seriously Yuki, I think you need to upgrade your glasses.” He added.

Shuichi began to turn around and walk away. Yuki tried to catch up but Shuichi turned around, but when he saw those violet orbs looking something he couldn’t decipher, he began to retaliate inside,
“When I said I don’t want to see you again, I meant that.” Shuichi spoke icily, “I’m leaving for good. And I hope you’re happy.” He said, turned around, and suddenly added, “I never wanted it to turn out this way. I wanted so much for the both of us. I was even willing to give up everything for you…but this…this is just too much…it’s awfully below the belt…and you know it.” He finished and ran off.

Yuki stood their, alone in the middle of the street, watching the back of his young koibito running away.
Yuki turned around and lifted his head towards the sky.
God, why can’t you just make me happy forever?
And likewise, he walked away.

Behind a wall where no one could have had suspected was a man in a stylish wardrobe and a blonde hair. He pushed back his Gucci shades and picked out a phone from his pocket,
“Moshi-moshi?”
“This is Newman. Alex Newman.”
“Hai.”
“The job’s over before it even started.”
“I see…” the person at the other end of the line paused for a while,
“Should I still interfere?”
Alex Newman’s employer was still thinking when he answered,
“No. Remain at your current position until further notice.”
“Hai.”

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