The Business of Bonds 3/3
Ryo looks up as he walks in the door.
“I see,” he says.
“See what?” Jin asks.
“Jin and Kame sitting in a tree, K I S S-”
“Shut up!” Ryo almost laughs at the blush that covers Jin's neck and face, and the smile he is trying to hide.
“Why?” Ryo asks. “Am I wrong? Should it be F U C-”
The phone rings just in time to save Ryo's neck from Jin's hands, and he laughs as he picks it up. "Hey! Tachhon! How are things over on your side of the world? Is Kamenashi as glowing as - Wait. What? Say that again?"
Jin is about to put his bag down but turns towards Ryo as the tone registers. Something is wrong.
"We'll be there in twenty minutes. Tell the parking attendant to expect me, I'll text you his number plate when I am on my way."
"What's wrong?" Jin asks.
"There's a problem, the press have picked up something about Kame and I. I need to get over there now. It's blowing up and
Tacchon thinks Kame needs my help, but he won't ask for it."
"Let's go."
Ryo grabs Jin's shoulder. "Wait. There will be press, there will be reporters, there will be crowds, there will be photographers."
"I know." Jin hopes his voice is less shaky than his hands.
"Will you be ok?"
"I'm not sure," Jin answers honestly. "I know I want to go, and I am fairly sure that Kame would come here if I needed him."
"Ok. Stick with me, and keep your head down. With any luck they will be too busy taking photos of me to notice you."
"Even though I am so much better looking than you?" Jin jokes weakly.
"Let's go pretty boy."
**
The media is camped outside the building, but Ryo explained the situation to the taxi driver and he manages to get them inside the building with only a few enterprising photographers noticing. Tacchon meets them at the elevator door and steers them into Kame's office. "He's in the boardroom at the minute, talking down a group of visiting Russian investors. Stay put, he might be a while." He gestures at Kame's desk. "Copies of the papers there if you haven't seen them."
"Thanks Tacchon. Let us know if we can help?" Ryo gives Ohkura a one armed hug as he hurries out the door.
"How bad is it?" Ryo asks, as Jin stares at the colour photos.
"Bad."
"What the hell do they have?" Ryo walks across to the desk to look. "Fuck."
"Jin."
Jin ignores him, looking at the photos of Ryo and Kame, huddled together, laughing, faces close, pulling each other through the
crowd.
"Jin."
So many angles, so many shots. The darkness of the dance floor makes each photo seem more intimate than the last, but the most damning ones are the long shots of them standing close together in the hallway, the 'interlude' as the paper infers.
"Jin. It's not what you think?"
"Really?"
"I swear, Kame and I have never -"
"Oh shut up. I know you aren't interested in guys, I know that I can trust you not to sleep with Kame."
"Good?" Ryo says uncertainly. "The photos aren't what they look like."
"I know that." Jin looks at Ryo and smiles gently. "You would never have encouraged me to make a move if you were interested in him. Most importantly, Kame would never have come to my place last night if the two of you had been together as well."
Ryo nodded. "These are all pictures from the club last night. Kame approached me on the dance floor where I was dancing with two girls. We moved back behind the speakers so we could hear each other, and then we left the club. That's it. I swear."
Jin nods. "I trust you. Now I guess we just wait for Kame."
It's three hours later that Kame finally makes it out of his crisis meeting with the Russian investors, who have been assured that there is no imminent danger of Kame's company collapsing or his other investors fleeing. He escorts them to the elevator, then as soon as they are out of sight, he slumps against the wall. Disaster averted.
Ohkura hands him a cup of coffee. "I've cancelled everything else for today. Have you given further thought to a press conference?"
"Yes, but I need to work out what's the best approach. Schedule one in an hour's time. Wait, you cancelled everything? Wasn't there a building site inspection at four? Near Tokyo Dome?
"Yes, but the developer wanted to shift the meeting time anyway. I'll try for tomorrow."
"Fine." Kame heads towards his office. "Can you see if you can get Ryo or Jin on the phone for me?"
"I can do better than that," Ohkura steps around Kame and opens the office door with a flourish.
"Hey," says Jin.
"Hello, lover," says Ryo.
Jin slaps Ryo over the head while he laughs, and Ohkura closes the door behind Kame.
"How did you two get here?"
"Tachhon called me. I thought you could use our help."
"Tacchon?" Kame asks, eyebrows furrowed. "Wait..you know Ohkura?"
"From Osaka. Who do you think put our shiny business proposal on top of your slush pile for review?" Ryo asks warily, as Kame glowers.
"Underhanded."
"Smart. Using the avenues available to me."
Kame finally nods. "Well this is a damn mess." He gestures at the newspapers spread across his desk. "I think a press conference is going to be the only way I can address this without it becoming a background rumour for the next hundred years."
"What line do you want to take?" Ryo asks, shooting a concerned glance at Jin who still hasn't said anything.
"Outraged disbelief I think. That will play well on the morning shows, and I can question how and why my private life is suitable tabloid fodder. I can also use it as an opportunity to boost our partnership, especially by explaining that's how we know each other. I'll explain the photos are real but the commentary isn't."
"Do you really think they will let the gay angle slide so easily?"
"Well if we need you to go out on a date with an ex-idol from AKB48 next week, I can arrange that. I will state categorically that I am not and will never be in a relationship with you, or any other man that I have a business relationship with, and we can hope for the best."
Jin's knuckles are white, but he doesn't say anything.
"I think it's best if I am the only one at the press conference. If either of you are there, we run the risk of it looking like we are managing the message, and obviously we want to avoid that. Did anyone see you enter the building?"
"A few photographers saw the taxi but I don't think they got useable pictures."
A knock on the door, and Ohkura slips into the office. "Press conference in the building foyer in forty minutes. I've told them you
will be making a statement addressing the situation in today's papers."
"Thanks. Do I have a fresh suit jacket anywhere?"
"Yes. I got the dry cleaners to deliver it earlier today. I'll bring it in." Ohkura spares a glance for Jin and Ryo. "How are you handling it?"
"I'll deny everything and be outraged at the innuendo," Kame says. "Anything else?"
"The Tokyo Dome site developer called me. He can't hold off until tomorrow. He said if we can have a representative there in no more than an hour from now, he will arrange an inspection, otherwise we have to pass on the site."
Kame buries his head in his hands. "It's the perfect site. Goddamn it. What do we do?"
"I go." Jin says quietly and calmly. "I would be useless at the press conference, so I go to the building site. I'll report back this afternoon."
"Great. Thanks, Jin. Sorry to kick you guys out, but I need to get started on this press conference." Kame stands up from his huge leather chair, and the leather blotter on his desk shifts with his movement. Jin hears the scrape it makes against the newspapers covering it, even over the beating of his own heart. He knows he needs to do it now. Before he loses his nerve.
Now or never.
“I love you,” Jin says quietly. Matter of factly. As if it was the most obvious and truthful thing in the world.
“I'm sorry, I really don't have time for this today, look just talk to Ohkura and ask him to schedule us some time for later today or tomorrow, and then we can discuss -”
Kame comes to a halt and stares at Jin who holds his gaze steadily.
“What did you say?” Kame whispers.
Jin holds his gaze for a few more moments, then stands. His shoes squeak against the polished floorboards as he turns and walks towards the door.
“Jin, what did you say?” Kame asks again, his face growing pale.
Jin reaches it, turns back and bows, formally, then leaves. Silently.
Kame turns to Ryo, who holds up his hand. "Concentrate on the press conference. Then sort it out. Think about it."
"What?" Kame asks. He feels like he is missing something. Jin couldn't have said what he thought he said, because Ryo would kill him if he....
"Think." Ryo says, face stony, turns and leaves Kame to prepare for the press conference.
**
Jin tries to clear his mind on the way to the building site. If he didn't think about it at all, there was no reason for his heart to hurt and his stomach to burn. He shouldn't have said it like that. No one should hear it like that. It didn't help Kame, and it didn't help him and it was stupid and he was stupid... and epic fail on the not thinking about this.
The taxi driver was doing a good job, keeping up a one sided conversation and Jin tried to insert the appropriate responses when necessary. Kame's words kept taunting him. He wasn't stupid, he knew it was early but... he felt things were different with Kame.
Was it really just him? Did Kame just see him as a ....what? Business partner? Fuck buddy? Ok to hang out with now until something better came along? A distraction?
Remember the note. Jin pictured the note on his fridge. It was sweet and simple, and happy and Kame had signed it Kazuya. Did that mean something? Was it meant to mean something? No one called him Kazuya. No business relationship people called him Kazuya.
Jin tried even harder to shut his brain down.
The taxi pulled up to the kerb. "Here we are!" The driver announced cheerfully and opened the door for Jin.
Four men in grey suits were waiting on the kerb nearby. One stepped forward, "Akanishi-sama?" he asked.
As Jin nodded, the man bowed and introduced himself as Taguchi, and Jin hurriedly tried to remember their names. Taguchi, Tanaka, Ueda and Nakamaru. Right. If they stayed in that order, he could probably remember their names. No time to be nervous about other things.
Taguchi was subtly moving them onto the building site, and Tanaka held out a hard type helmet for him to wear. "This is now effectively a development site, we started pulling down some of the older buildings at the back this morning. Please wear this at all times."
Jin nodded. "What type of buildings were here?" he asked.
"Mainly small shops in front with some residential housing at the back. No more than two storeys." Nakamaru...no Nakamaru was the one with the glasses and the nose. This one was Ueda. "We have applied to rezone it to commercial properties, with a five storey limit."
Jin nodded. "I see. This might suit our purposes very well."
"Please come this way," Nakamaru said. "We will give you the grand tour."
***
"Ladies and Gentleman. Kamenashi Kazuya." Ohkura stepped away from the microphone and Kame took his place. The light in the room exploded with camera flashes and the ultra bright white lights of TV cameras. Kame smiled slightly and waited, giving them a chance to focus and get their pictures. He hoped that he was standing so that his company logo was displayed behind him, but there was no way he could turn to check.
Finally the buzz of noise tapered off, and Kame bowed formally. "Ladies and Gentleman. Thank you for coming today at such short notice. I regret that my request was necessary, and I do appreciate your kindness." He smiled, eyes running over the crowd subtly. A few friendly faces from the business pages, but mostly tabloids and morning show staff that he didn't know or have a relationship with. He hoped this worked, because it looked like he was about to become tomorrow news as well.
"My name is Kamenashi Kazuya. As some of you may be aware, I am the founder of this company, Kizuna Investments. We act as a venture capital broker, our business is to make bonds between businesses. I assist business looking to raise capital by forming networks of likeminded investors and introducing them. It is a business that I greatly enjoy being part of, and a duty that I take very seriously. I believe Japan benefits from my work, and so do the business that I work with.
He pauses. No surprises so far, everyone is waiting patiently for him to get to the point.
Here goes.
"This morning I was shocked to find myself the subject of tabloid gossip and innuendo. This type of scurrilous discussion could greatly harm not only my business, but also the investments of many other companies both Japanese and foreign. I could not allow it to stand unanswered.
Let me tell you the truth. The photos accompanying these articles are real. The accompanying text is nothing but baseless lies. Last night i was invited to attend the opening of Club Studio Coast, and I accepted the invitation. Also on the invitation list was Nishikido Ryo, a very good friend of mine, and a close business partner. The pictures that have been used are of both myself and Nishikido Ryo. We met on the dance floor, needed to discuss a few matters of a business nature, and then decided to leave the club to continue that discussion. That explains the photos that were taken. That is the truth. Nishikido Ryo and I are not lovers, nor are we in a relationship."
"So you aren't gay lovers?" yelled one of the tabloid reporters.
"I repeat, Nishikido Ryo and I have a close business relationship. I have invested in his company Japan Sports Stars and I am privileged to count him as a friend. We are not involved in any type of sexual relationship. To be quite clear, we are not gay lovers."
The cameras start flashing again, and seven people start calling out questions all at once. From the corner of his eye, Kame sees Nishikido approach Ohkura and grab his sleeve, pulling his head down to talk to him. Ohkura looks up at Kame, and he can see from his face that something is terribly wrong.
"So Nishikido Ryo is not gay?" finally one voice louder than the others is heard.
"As far as I am aware he is not gay," Kame says, distractedly watching Ohkura pushing his way to the front of the lobby crowd.
"Your relationship is strictly professional?"
"Of course. I would never form a sexual relationship with someone whose business I was representing and seeking investment..." Kame trails off, as he realises what he has said. The words reverberate in his brain, and he can see Ryo's face when he told him to think. Jin thinks that. He said that to Jin's face. Jin thought that...oh fuck.
"And are you gay?" two or three voices all shouting the same question. Before he can react, or even try to find the answer, Ohkura and Ryo are pushing their way to the front. Ohkura grabs Kame's arm, pulling him gently away from the microphone.
"My apologies ladies and gentleman. A matter of great importance has just been brought to our attention, and I need to brief Kamenashi-san about it. The press conference will continue with the help of Nishikido Ryo-san from Japan Sports Stars. Nishikido-san, if you please."
Kame hisses, "What the hell?" at Ohkura while keeping a composed and concerned expression on his face.
"Come with me," Ohkura orders and bows as Ryo steps up to the microphone and another explosion of camera flashes go off.
Kame can hear Ryo beginning his own introduction, his own brand of charm and affability, and he manages to keep his temper
until Ohkura escorts him into the elevator and hits the down button.
"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" he spits out, yanking his arm from Ohkura's grip. "Are you trying to get fired?"
"Kame, listen to me." Ohkura pushes Kame against the mirrored wall of the elevator, a hand on each shoulder and holds him in place. "Listen. There's been an accident at the building site. An explosion. They think an incendiary bomb left over from the war was uncovered by accident, and when it exploded it hit three residential house gas tanks. The building collapsed."
"Jin?" Kame gets his name out, through pinched shaking lips.
"We don't know yet. They know Jin and the four senior engineers were on site at the time of the explosion. They haven't heard from them yet. They think there will be casualties. Emergency services are there now sweeping the building looking for survivors."
The elevator doors slide open, and Ohkura hauls Kame out towards his town car. "Uchi will drive you."
"No, Ryo should be.." Kame starts to protest and Ohkura pushes him into the car. "Ryo told me. They called him directly. He said you should go, and I will drive him whereever he needs to go after the press conference. Once it breaks in the media we won't get close. This way you have a chance of getting there before the media does. Go."
He slams the door shut, and Uchi drives away. If Ohkura had ever wondered whether Ryo made the right call in sending Kame first, that doubt had been washed away by the terror in Kame's face. Ohkura had never seen Kame terrified before. Ever.
**
Ohkura returned to the lobby and Ryo nodded as he left the elevator. "So you see, it's just impossible for Kamenashi and I to be in such a relationship." He finished smoothly, to appreciative laughter. "I tell you, anyone who dares to compare the swill of Tokyo style okonomiyaki to the one true variety of Osaka stye, well they obviously hold no place in my heart."
Ryo waits for the laughter to die down again.
"Now to be completely open, and I am counting on you all to keep my secrets here, there is a young lady in which I am interested. It is very early days, and I am 100% uncertain of her feelings, so I would appreciate it if you could keep my regard for her a secret for a while longer. As I said, it is early days, and she has only been allowed to begin dating recently, so - well let us just say I would hate to scare her off with a media scrum if we happened to be having dinner next week? Say Thursday night?" Ryo winked and the crowd erupted once more.
Ryo know he needs to buy time, so he smiles and gestures at the logo behind him. Time for his sales pitch! "As you can see from the logo behind me, Kamenashi and I are close business associates and friends. He has recently personally invested in my company Japan Sports Stars. Let me take this opportunity to tell you about it, if I may?"
**
Uchi keeps his eyes on the road, and drives as close to the legal limit as possible. Kame is silent in the back seat, his mind trying to piece together what has happened in the last hour. The press conference retreats into a distant blur, all he can think about is Jin's face in his office, and the fact that Jin could be dead. Only could... he couldn't allow himself to think might. The mere possibility was enough to terrify him.
Kame realises something very important, something he had overlooked. The way Jin made him feel had become such a normal thing, such a warm enveloping hug that he hadn't realised how greatly he treasured it and how much he relied on it. The mere thought of losing it made him want to howl in denial.
Jin couldn't be dead, he just couldn't.
Not like this. Not after what he said.
Why wasn't Ohkura calling him? Surely he had Ryo's phone, surely they would call him as soon as they knew, surely, surely..
Uchi takes the last corner very close to the kerb, and pulls up behind an ambulance. It is empty, doors agape.
"Kamenashi-san, I'll wait for you on the next blo -" Kame doesn't wait for Uchi to finish speaking, he throws open his door and runs towards the chain link fence.
A police officer blocks his way. "You can't go in there, Sir. It's off limits."
"You don't understand, Jin is in there. I need to find him. Let me through!" Kame yanks his arm away, and the police officer nods at two colleagues who grab his arms from behind.
"This way, Sir." They physically escort him to the far side of an ambulance where a short man in a grey suit is covered in blood and dust, and wheezing into an oxygen tank. Between deep breaths he is talking to a fireman who is tracing a route on an old building plan.
"Where's Jin?" he interrupts. He shakes the arm of the wounded man, pulling him away from the fireman. "Where is he?"
"Kamenashi?" The man wheezes, and sucks in more oxygen. "I'm Tanaka. I'm sorry. I don't know."
"How can you not know? Where is he? Tell me!"
“Kamenashi-san,” the fireman says, pulling him away. “Tanaka-san has been injured in this incident, we are trying to determine
where everyone is.”
“I need to find him.”
“We will.” The fireman picks up his receiver and asks, “Situation report. Any more survivors.”
“Still looking, Chief. We found another two survivors in critical condition further down that hallway where we found Tanaka. I'm sending them out now.”
Kamenashi and Tanaka wait by the ambulance, united only in the hope that either of these survivors would be people they knew.
As the firemen emerged carrying the stretchers, Kamenashi broke free and ran towards them, scanning the faces covered in blood and soot. He fell back, and Tanaka moved forward. “Nakamaru and Ueda,” he said faintly. “Nakamaru and Ueda.”
The firechief noted the names, and looked at the building plans once more. “There's a boiler room at the end of that hallway,” he says, looking over at the building. “Keep going. It's the only other place to look.”
“Roger.”
Kame counts the minutes with the beats of his heart, or tries to. He keeps starting over, because he can't keep up, and where is
Jin and then the receiver crackles again. “Chief we need two stretchers.”
The Chief glances over at Kame and Tanaka. “Both DOA?”
“One,” comes the response. “The other is uncertain, we need to lift a concrete slab off him to check. I'm sending the confirmed DOA out with two men now.”
Tanaka collapses to his knees, and Kame sinks down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Together they wait, hoping and knowing that hope will be all one of them has left.
When the two firemen stumble out into the light, the stretcher carried between them, Kame and Tanaka stand together.
“Let me,” Tanaka says, the skin around his mouth white with strain, as he stumbles towards the stretcher. The firemen pause, and Tanaka lifts a stained green sheet.
“Taguchi Junnosuke.”
Kame tries to hold back the sob in his throat, and realises that someone else is wailing. It's Tanaka, kneeling beside the stretcher now, crying for his friend. Kamenashi and the fire chief haul him up and bring him back to the oxygen tank, as he sobs.
“The one left inside must be your friend. We've cleared everyone else from the area, accounted for everyone else. I'm sorry.”
Kame nods. “What happened?” he asks, voice low and broken.
“Old unexploded ordinance left over from World War II. They must have hit it as they were demolishing the back of the building. When it exploded, it took out some nearby gas tanks, which was enough to cause the building to partially collapse and started the fire.” He gestured at the building plans. “The gas tanks are here, and I am assuming the bomb was here. From what Tanaka said, their group was on the floor above it, just around this corner when it exploded. Tanaka managed to carry one of them along the hallway and so did your friend, Jin. When the smoke got too thick, Jin told him to leave the two injured men there. He went back for the last member of their group and sent Tanaka on for help, as he could move fastest.”
“Then how is he pinned now?” Kame asks. “If he could carry one of them earlier?”
“Part of the wall collapsed. When he went back for...Taguchi.. the wall collapsed and he's pinned now.”
“We got him. Bringing him out now. Coming out fast.” The voice on the receiver says quickly.
“Status?” the fire-chief asks, seeing the question in Kame's eyes.
“Alive, but serious. Extensive compartmental crush injuries on his right leg, shock, blood loss. He's tough, he's still conscious. I think he's going to lose that leg.”
The fire-chief puts his hand on Kame's shoulder. Together they wait.
**
They carry Jin out as fast as they can, but it's still a dangerous journey. They have to trace back their steps to find another way when their path is blocked by debris and flame. Kame starts to consider taking an axe and cutting his way through a wall, but the fire-chief's grip is strong and sure, and finally he lets go when they emerge from the building.
Kame is frozen, he can't make his feet move, he can't make his vocal chords move, he can't do anything. Jin is lying still on the stretcher, covered by a blanket but he can see it is spattered with blood and his right leg is hanging limply. His eyes are closed, his face white and for a second Kame thinks that they are wrong and he is dead.
“Jin!” He screams the name, and sobs as Jin's eyes slide open slowly.
“Easy, friend.” The ambulance medic pushes past Kame, then grabs his arm to pull him along. “Bring him over to Number 4, we'll take him straight in.” He says sternly to Kame, “You can come, but you are quiet and let us do our job.”
Kame nods.
“His name is Jin I take it?”
Kame nods.
“Yours?”
“Kame.”
“Ok. I'm Koyama. Kame, wait here.”
Jin is loaded into the ambulance and Kame waits obediently to be told where is sitting. He watches Jin's face, he seems groggy and in pain and becoming more distressed by the minute. Koyama leans down and says something quietly to him, Jin tries to answer... Koyama turns to Kame. “Are you Kazuya?”
“Yes.”
“Sit here. Hold this hand. Don't move the IV line. Talk to him, but do not upset him.”
Kame takes Jin's hand. “Jin,” he whispers.
Jin's eyes open slowly. “Kazuya?”
“I'm here.” Kame lifts shaky fingers to brush dusty hair back from his forehead. “I'm here. You are safe now.”
“Why are you here?” The medics are working busily, cutting through the legs of his suit pants to see his injuries. When Kame sees his knee his grip tightens, and he forces his gaze back to Jin's face. There's nothing left below his right knee but bone, no foot, no ankle, just broken bone.
“You were in an accident. I came as soon as I heard.”
“There was an accident?”
“Yes. An explosion.”
Jin thinks, and Kame strokes his forehead and wrists and cheeks. “I was with the inspection team.”
“Yes.”
“Are they ok?”
“Jin, don't worry about -”
“Are they ok?” Kame hears the fierceness in the question, and strokes his cheek.
“Truthfully. Tanaka is ok. Probably smoke inhalation. Nakamaru and Ueda are in serious conditions, they carried them out first and sent them to hospital, that's all I know. Taguchi died in there when the wall collapsed on him.”
“I told him to wait by the wall.”
“Not your fault.”
“I put him there.”
Kame strokes his cheeks. “The wall fell on you too, it pinned you to the floor.”
“Kazuya?” Jin looks up at him. “I can't feel my right leg anymore.”
“I know.”
“Is it still there?”
“Part of it.”
“The knee?”
“Yes. No foot, no ankle.”
Jin's eyes close and Kame bends to rest his forehead against Jin's. “I'm sorry,” he whispers.
“So long as the knee is there I can still walk. Will need a foot though.”
Kame strokes his wrist, “You will.”
“Maybe a cane? I'd look good with a cane.”
“Top hat and tails too?” Kame jokes and swiftly wipes away the tears on his cheeks before they fall too far.
“Your press conference...” If Kame hadn't been so close, he probably wouldn't have heard the whispered words.
“That doesn't matter.”
“It does.”
“Not as much as you.”
Kame sits up, just enough to see that Jin's eyes are still closed.
“Can you open your eyes please?”
Jin shakes his head, a little, just enough to be a firm denial.
“Please. I'll beg if I need to. Open your eyes.”
Kame waits. Finally his eyes open, and Kame holds his gaze intently. “I owe you an apology, but first I need to tell you
something. I love you.”
Jin's gaze is steady. He doesn't look away.
“I love you.” Kame says it again, and this time he cups Jin's jaw and places a chaste kiss on his lips. Jin doesn't move.
“You don't need to say it,” Jin says. “I know that it's not...”
“Don't say it's not true.” The fierceness in Kame's voice earns him a sharp look of reprimand from Koyama. “Jin it is true. I swear it's true.”
“You feel sorry for me now.” Jin stares at him “If you loved me you would have said it earlier.”
“I should have said it earlier. I'm a selfish stupid self-centred bastard, but you know that. I should have said it earlier.”
“You didn't.” Jin's voice is soft and sad. “You didn't.” His eyes slide closed.
“Listen,” Kame says urgently, words tumbling over each other. “I said I owed you an apology. I do. At the press conference I realised that I said something stupid, something I hadn't explained to you. Something that would hurt you, and I need to explain it and apologise. Listen please. What I said about never being in a sexual relationship with a man that I have a business relationship with, I didn't say that to hurt you. I didn't mean it the way it sounds. I swear. I don't see our relationship as just a business relationship; we are partners and friends, and Jin this might not make sense to you, but I invested my own money in Japan Sports Stars. I didn't go find capital from somewhere else. It's my own money. My risk. We are partners. You, me and Ryo are the ones together in that business. It's not like my other business relationships. It's true I would never form a sexual relationship with someone else I was doing business with, I couldn't do that and then find money for them by selling the company to someone else, that would feel unethical. With you... we are so much more than business partners. Do you believe me? Jin?”
Jin lays motionless, eyes closed, and Kame starts to panic. “Can you hear me? Jin?”
“He can hear you,” Koyama says gently. “The monitor says he is still conscious. He did just have a building collapse on him. Maybe give him some processing time?”
Kame nods and leans down again to rest his forehead gently against Jin's. At his angle he can see Jin breathing, can hear him breathing, is sure he is still alive. His fingers curl around his wrist, where he can feel Jin's pulse beating, his heart beating, keeping him alive. The one thing that matters, and the one thing that Kame has been praying for. Jin is alive.
“I love you, Kazuya.”
Kame strokes his cheeks, his wrist, fights back tears and loses. “I love you too. Jin. I swear I love you.”
Jin reaches for Kame's hand, and links their fingers together.
“Promise?” he asks.
“Promise.”
Jin smiles softly, and this time when Kame leans in to kiss him, Jin kisses him back softly and sweetly and Kame realises that no matter what else happens, that really is the only truth that matters. Somehow they have found each other, and that bond will not be broken regardless of time or place.