A Game of Love - The Law of Attraction
Title: The Law of Attraction (13/14)
Pairing: NishiKato (w/TegoMasu & OC’s in some parts)
Genre: Romance
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: purely fiction
Summary: Shige dismissed his meeting Ryo as a fleeting one. But when fate played its hand and their paths collided again, sparks started flying and the law of attraction took its toll.
A/N : Sorry for the delay, I intended to update you with the last two parts of the story so as not to leave you hanging and it took some time.
Previous: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Chapter 13
Pull yourself together Shige, he told himself firmly. He’ll be seeing Ro again tonight; Yuya said yesterday he’d be away. Who with? The beautiful Makoto? Is he seeing her again?
Stop! He has to stop thinking about Ryo. If he didn’t, he will quietly go insane, although finally deciding to go through his father’s clothes and papers will not make him sane either. His father’s death had been hard on him. He couldn’t bring himself in the past to go through his stuff as it would only sadden him. But after trying unsuccessfully to keep thoughts of Ryo at bay last night, going through his father’s room was exactly what he had decided to do this morning. In a few more hours, their paths will cross again and he has to keep himself busy until then.
Besides, it was past time to get over the loss of his father. He and his mother are together now.
Two hours later, he had cleaned his father’s closet and is now going over the documents in his father’s dresser. He had gone through the papers in the first drawer and had separated the important ones from the rest. He pulled out the second drawer and put it down on the carpeted floor, and gave a puzzled frown. At the back of the drawer he had just pulled out, lay a large brown envelope marked PRIVATE, and after several minutes of debating whether he should look inside or not, he reached out for the envelope and checked to see what was inside.
There had been two smaller envelopes inside and they are now on the floor in front of him. At first he had thought that the letters may have come from his mother a long time ago, but a quick glance at the post mark told him that the letters were recent. All of them were dated several months back. He opened one of them and simply looked at the signature at the bottom to check who it was from. It was the biggest shock of his life to discover that it was from Ryo.
Eyes widening in surprise, he once again checked the postmarks on the envelopes. Both letters were dated a week after he met Ryo at the Country Inn. He frowned. His father never said anything about Ryo’s letters. What did it mean? The only way he would discover the answer to that was to read the letter and with trembling hands, that was what he did.
Sir,
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me on the phone when I called your house. And I appreciate the fact that you have been straightforward, especially to a stranger. If it will not be too much of a bother, can you give the attached to your son?
Sincerely yours,
Nishikido Ryo
The other letter was for him? Shige didn’t waste any second and started reading.
Shige,
First, I’d like to ask for your forgiveness for the way I acted the night we had dinner. The only excuse I have is that I couldn’t help myself. This may come as a shock to you, as it had to me when I first realized it, but I have fallen in love with you. I tried to talk to you the following day but you were gone.
I looked for you and as soon as I found out where you were, I tried to call you but you were out. Your father said you had gone out with your fiancé. You can imagine the shock it gave me when I heard that. It seemed to me that I was too late.
I wish I could turn back the time, back to when you were still free. Maybe then I would have had a chance with you. Believe me when I say that I love you, and I would give anything just to be able to show you, but as fate would have it, things turned out differently.
Where I sit, writing this, I hear the silent echo of a poet’s mad hope - love will soon unburden me - and right now, hope is all that I have left. So if in time you have a change of heart, let me know, and I will come to you and never let you go.
I’m sorry it took me this long to find you.
Forever yours, Ryo
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shige sat silently in Massu’s car, wondering how he would face Ryo tonight He had made a huge mistake and he has no idea at all hoe to rectify it. Ryo does love him, has loved him from the start. And he had been a fool not to see that. He had been too caught up with his own emotions that he didn’t see how painful everything must have been for Ryo --- Yuri, his father, Jin and his own foolishness. He had not been able to believe it earlier when he had read those two letters. Ryo had talked to his father, and he had been lied to - a fact that his father chose to keep from him. No wonder Ryo disliked his father so much.
“What’s wrong Shige? You’ve been quiet since we left your shop.” Massu asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“Nothing, I guess I’m just tired.” Shige replied.
Massu threw him a glance and pulled over at one side of the road. He took out his phone and sent a message to Yuya.
“Why are we stopping?” Shige asked
Massu turned to him, looked at him for a few moments and smiled reassuringly. “Shige, you’re my friend, as well as Yuya’s and we both feel that you have a problem. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Your face is so transparent that it spells sadness all over. What’s wrong?”
Shige felt like crying, suddenly understanding what endeared Massu to Yuya. But he couldn’t talk to him about Ryo. It’s Ryo that he needs to talk to.
“Will it help if I tell you that I wouldn’t tell Ryo?” He smiled as Shige’s eyes widened at his remark. He looked at his watch to check the time. “Look, Yuya will definitely kill me if I take you home looking like that. We’ve got some time to kill before dinner so, if you don’t want to talk that’s fine. I’ll do the talking.” He gave Shige a reassuring smile and started telling his story.
“I have known for quite some time that Ryo’s in love with you Shige. Even before he saw you with Yuri, he had told me about you. I was up in his room, remember? He told me how he had fallen for a guy he had met in one of his travels. I also know that he was hurt very deeply when Yuri announced your engagement. You can imagine how shocked he was when he heard that. I don’t know if your father has told you about his letters but, ---------------“ He quirked an eyebrow as Shige nodded his head.
“I…..I just read them this morning. I didn’t know.” Shige explained, swallowing hard the lump that has suddenly formed in his throat.
“Well, that clears that part then, I guess.” Massu said and moved on. “There are still a lot of things you need to know but I guess I’ll leave those to Ryo. There’s just one thing I need to ask you.” He looked questioningly at Shige, and at Shige’s nod, he continued. “Have you ever been to his apartment?” Shige nodded again. “And how did you find it?” he smiled at Shige’s confused look.
Obviously Ryo hasn’t told him. He did not intend to tell Shige about the apartment, thinking that what he had told Shige may have already pushed him in the right direction but what the heck, Ryo will understand.
“Err, it’s quite disorganized, actually.” Shige replied, wondering where the conversation is going. “He told me he took it on approval, and I rather thought that with all his travels, he didn’t have time to unpack his stuff.”
“Yes, that’s quite right. He did take it on approval. I was with him when he took it. It was a week after Yuri’s funeral and a few days after he had signed that television contract. But the reason he hadn’t unpacked his things were not due to his travels. He was waiting for your approval, Shige. He had planned for you two to live there once you’re married, for starters anyway. But if you didn’t approve of the place, he was willing to let it go and find another. Ergo, the still packed stuffed you found there. I know you two are having problems right now, but just so you know, he still has the apartment. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Massu looked Shige in the eye and he smiled as Shige nodded.
Suddenly Shige leaned and pecked him on the cheek. “What was that for?” he asked, knowing smile on his face.
“Now I know why Yuya loves you. Thank you Massu, for everything.” Shige said as Massu started the car.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Massu showed Shige into the sitting room where Ryo stood alone. After throwing Shige a reassuring smile, he rushed into the kitchen to see Yuya.
“Hello, Ryo,” Shige said huskily. He felt so nervous, despite Massu’s assurances in the car. He wanted to see Ryo badly after reading the letter, he needed to see him and talk to him privately but not under the circumstances. Not when they’re about to have dinner with Yuya and Massu. Ryo looked wary, obviously unsure of Shige’s reaction to being railroaded into coming to dinner as his fiancé, not when they haven’t seen each other for three weeks,
If Shige had found the last three weeks a strain to get through, Ryo looked as though he did not fare well either. He looked thinner, his face a little pale, much like Shige’s actually as Yuya and Massu have noted. There’s no humor in his eyes, very much unlike the Ryo of the past few months.
“Shige,” he greeted distantly, not a hint of limp in his movements. No crutches either.
“I see your ankle is better.” Shige said brightly, trying not to show the pain at his distance.
“Yes - thank you.” Ryo replied curtly, eyeing him warily. Neither of them made any move to sit down. “So, if you’re worried about me suing you for damages-----------“
“I’m not in the least worried about that, Ryo.” Shige protested.
There’s just so much he needs to say to him. Suddenly finding it difficult to take in the significance of the letters he found earlier that day. And can he really blame Ryo? First his father, and then himself -- both of them, at some stage, have told Ryo to get out of his life. And Ryo took the blow. How he must suffered.
He had been stunned, and afterwards elated after reading the letters earlier. He had in fact decided to bring them, keeping them in the inside pocket of his jacket, intending to talk to Ryo about them. But those letters have been written some time ago. Maybe Ryo feels differently now. And no matter how much Massu had assured him in the car, seeing Ryo as he is now, Shige thought that he probably just hadn’t gotten around to getting rid of his apartment.
Shige stared at him, his eyes searching, trying to read the emotions in the harsh severity of his face, in the cold unfathomable depth of his eyes. But all he could see was bleak bitterness, an emotion he had never seen in Ryo before now.
“Ryo -------------“
“Here we are.” Yuya announced as he came in with a tray of sushi, effectively putting an end to whatever Shige was going to say. “Massu is just bringing in the champagne, to toast your engagement!” He told them excitedly. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that the two of you are together at last - my favorite best friend and my favorite brother,” he added exaggeratingly.
Yuya can see that his friend and his brother hardly looked as an ecstatic couple. How can they? Massu has told him everything he and Shige had talked about in the car. One quick look at them told him all he needed to know. They do love each other - they’re just too foolish to see the truth. He smiled and raised his glass, winking at Massu and said, “To both of you!” He dutifully sipped his champagne. “I thought about inviting Mama tonight but I don’t see why she should ruin all the fun,” he added mischievously.
Despite all of his efforts though, the whole evening was an ordeal. Shige was too wary and Ryo barely talked, in fact he hardly looked at Shige’s direction, giving him a pretty good idea of the tension between them. He had suspected for some time that his brother was in love with his friend. He just never got around to asking him. When they came back from their honeymoon, Ryo told them about the bogus engagement and how things ended between them, and as Ryo told them the story his eyes showed it all - the love, the pain, the longing. The very same things he had seen in Shige’s eyes yesterday. But looking at them now, things may very fly out the window as neither one of them seemed to want to make a move. But Yuya, being Yuya, will not settle for settle for anything less, not when their love for each other clearly shows in their faces. All they need is a push in the right direction.
And he wanted to help Ryo for all that he’s done for him, notwithstanding the fact that Shige is his best friend of course. What could be wrong in helping the other two most important persons in his life? Which is why they’re having this dinner now -- on the pretext of celebrating their engagement -- to try and get them together. He smiled with amusement as he tried to think of a way. Well, the evening will definitely not pass without him thinking of something, he just needs the right timing. He got up and excused himself, pretending to go to the bathroom.
A few seconds later, Massu’s phone rang. He smiled as he read Yuya’s message. Keep the glasses filled, but don’t drink too much.
And the right timing presented itself when the time to leave has come. “Let us know when the wedding will be, you two. Yuya and I will obviously fly home.” Massu said as Ryo got up.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Yuya said excitedly, but as Ryo headed for the door, Yuya went over to Shige’s side and called out to his brother. “Ryo, would you mind terribly if I ask you stay for the night? I think Shige has had too much to drink and I don’t want him staying home alone. I would feel much better if he stays here. And I know it was stupid of me but I told him not to bring his car as Massu suggested to pick him up, and I totally forgot about the drive back.” He continued before Ryo could protest. “It would be silly if you leave your fiancé here alone, you know. There’s a spare guest bedroom and you two can stay there.”
Ryo, his eyes suspicious and Shige, eyes confused, spoke in unison.
“There’s more than one guest bedroom ----------“
“Don’t worry about me ------------------“
“Nonsense,” Yuya said, dismissing Shige’s protest. Then he said to Ryo, “Err, the other rooms are full of our stuff, luggages and the wedding presents. It would be too much of a bother to move them, since we’re leaving tomorrow anyway.” And before either one of them could protest, Yuya led Shige along the hallway and into the guest room, Massu and Ryo lagged behind.
“What are you two doing?” Ryo asked his friend.
“Your brother has decided to play cupid.” Massu shrugged. “Give it a chance, Ryo, for all you know, you just might end up thanking us.”
Ryo didn’t say anything and started walking.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Standing inside the room, Shige could not even look at Ryo. He seemed totally unapproachable, very much unlike the man he knew.
“I’m sorry about all that out there.” Ryo finally broke his silence. “I’m surprised you didn’t protest too much.”
Shige glanced at him and noticed that his expressions are unreadable. “I needed to talk to you so I figured I’d take the opportunity.” He shrugged, thankful for the champagne as they calmed his raw nerves. He reached for the letters inside his jacket and handed them to Ryo. “I believe they belong to you. I found them inside my father’s drawers.”
Ryo glanced at the envelopes, obviously recognizing them as his mouth tightened. “I don’t think so,” he dismissed ruefully, making no effort to take them. “Letters belong to whom they were given to, not to the one who wrote them.” He continued to ignore the letters, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets.
Shige’s hands dropped down to his sides, the letters falling on the carpeted floor. “Ryo…..,” he moistened his suddenly dry lips. “I had no idea ……... father didn’t tell me ………..” he swallowed hard. “I didn’t know you tried to find me.”
Ryo shrugged, sighing heavily. “It doesn’t matter now.”
Of course it mattered, Shige thought. One of the things that had always troubled him was the fact that Ryo didn’t try to find him, which is why he thought he didn’t care after all.
“It does matter, Ryo,” Shige said heatedly. “My father told you I was engaged to someone else when you called the house that day.”
Ryo shrugged again. “I half expected it. You told me there was someone in your life.”
Shige explained, a little shakily, “You scared me out of my wits. I have never met anyone like you before and ---------------.”
“Or I you,” Ryo said
Shige felt the heat rushing in his cheeks. “You were right about one thing, though. I did allow a part of myself to be attracted to you.” He said rather awkwardly. “But, I wasn’t engaged to someone else.”
“Three weeks later, you were,” Ryo reminded him grimly. “You got engaged to my friend! God, how your father must have laughed at the irony of that. When I challenged him on the lie he told me, on the day I told you about Yuri’s death, he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not good enough for you, that I can’t give you the happiness you deserve. He wanted something better for his only son and he saw that something better in Yuri.” he added grimly.
Shige’s insides are panicking now. His father had deliberately kept them apart all this time, and if he didn’t get through to Ryo now, and by the looks of him, he probably wouldn’t, he will die a thousand deaths.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*sighs* as much as I would like this story to be longer, it can’t, it has to end somewhere - but to make up for all the angst and anger in the previous chapter I promise you a good ending . . . . .i hope it doesn’t disappoint you …. ..
[ click here for the final chapter]
Pairing: NishiKato (w/TegoMasu & OC’s in some parts)
Genre: Romance
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: purely fiction
Summary: Shige dismissed his meeting Ryo as a fleeting one. But when fate played its hand and their paths collided again, sparks started flying and the law of attraction took its toll.
A/N : Sorry for the delay, I intended to update you with the last two parts of the story so as not to leave you hanging and it took some time.
Previous: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Chapter 13
Pull yourself together Shige, he told himself firmly. He’ll be seeing Ro again tonight; Yuya said yesterday he’d be away. Who with? The beautiful Makoto? Is he seeing her again?
Stop! He has to stop thinking about Ryo. If he didn’t, he will quietly go insane, although finally deciding to go through his father’s clothes and papers will not make him sane either. His father’s death had been hard on him. He couldn’t bring himself in the past to go through his stuff as it would only sadden him. But after trying unsuccessfully to keep thoughts of Ryo at bay last night, going through his father’s room was exactly what he had decided to do this morning. In a few more hours, their paths will cross again and he has to keep himself busy until then.
Besides, it was past time to get over the loss of his father. He and his mother are together now.
Two hours later, he had cleaned his father’s closet and is now going over the documents in his father’s dresser. He had gone through the papers in the first drawer and had separated the important ones from the rest. He pulled out the second drawer and put it down on the carpeted floor, and gave a puzzled frown. At the back of the drawer he had just pulled out, lay a large brown envelope marked PRIVATE, and after several minutes of debating whether he should look inside or not, he reached out for the envelope and checked to see what was inside.
There had been two smaller envelopes inside and they are now on the floor in front of him. At first he had thought that the letters may have come from his mother a long time ago, but a quick glance at the post mark told him that the letters were recent. All of them were dated several months back. He opened one of them and simply looked at the signature at the bottom to check who it was from. It was the biggest shock of his life to discover that it was from Ryo.
Eyes widening in surprise, he once again checked the postmarks on the envelopes. Both letters were dated a week after he met Ryo at the Country Inn. He frowned. His father never said anything about Ryo’s letters. What did it mean? The only way he would discover the answer to that was to read the letter and with trembling hands, that was what he did.
Sir,
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me on the phone when I called your house. And I appreciate the fact that you have been straightforward, especially to a stranger. If it will not be too much of a bother, can you give the attached to your son?
Sincerely yours,
Nishikido Ryo
The other letter was for him? Shige didn’t waste any second and started reading.
Shige,
First, I’d like to ask for your forgiveness for the way I acted the night we had dinner. The only excuse I have is that I couldn’t help myself. This may come as a shock to you, as it had to me when I first realized it, but I have fallen in love with you. I tried to talk to you the following day but you were gone.
I looked for you and as soon as I found out where you were, I tried to call you but you were out. Your father said you had gone out with your fiancé. You can imagine the shock it gave me when I heard that. It seemed to me that I was too late.
I wish I could turn back the time, back to when you were still free. Maybe then I would have had a chance with you. Believe me when I say that I love you, and I would give anything just to be able to show you, but as fate would have it, things turned out differently.
Where I sit, writing this, I hear the silent echo of a poet’s mad hope - love will soon unburden me - and right now, hope is all that I have left. So if in time you have a change of heart, let me know, and I will come to you and never let you go.
I’m sorry it took me this long to find you.
Forever yours, Ryo
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shige sat silently in Massu’s car, wondering how he would face Ryo tonight He had made a huge mistake and he has no idea at all hoe to rectify it. Ryo does love him, has loved him from the start. And he had been a fool not to see that. He had been too caught up with his own emotions that he didn’t see how painful everything must have been for Ryo --- Yuri, his father, Jin and his own foolishness. He had not been able to believe it earlier when he had read those two letters. Ryo had talked to his father, and he had been lied to - a fact that his father chose to keep from him. No wonder Ryo disliked his father so much.
“What’s wrong Shige? You’ve been quiet since we left your shop.” Massu asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“Nothing, I guess I’m just tired.” Shige replied.
Massu threw him a glance and pulled over at one side of the road. He took out his phone and sent a message to Yuya.
“Why are we stopping?” Shige asked
Massu turned to him, looked at him for a few moments and smiled reassuringly. “Shige, you’re my friend, as well as Yuya’s and we both feel that you have a problem. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Your face is so transparent that it spells sadness all over. What’s wrong?”
Shige felt like crying, suddenly understanding what endeared Massu to Yuya. But he couldn’t talk to him about Ryo. It’s Ryo that he needs to talk to.
“Will it help if I tell you that I wouldn’t tell Ryo?” He smiled as Shige’s eyes widened at his remark. He looked at his watch to check the time. “Look, Yuya will definitely kill me if I take you home looking like that. We’ve got some time to kill before dinner so, if you don’t want to talk that’s fine. I’ll do the talking.” He gave Shige a reassuring smile and started telling his story.
“I have known for quite some time that Ryo’s in love with you Shige. Even before he saw you with Yuri, he had told me about you. I was up in his room, remember? He told me how he had fallen for a guy he had met in one of his travels. I also know that he was hurt very deeply when Yuri announced your engagement. You can imagine how shocked he was when he heard that. I don’t know if your father has told you about his letters but, ---------------“ He quirked an eyebrow as Shige nodded his head.
“I…..I just read them this morning. I didn’t know.” Shige explained, swallowing hard the lump that has suddenly formed in his throat.
“Well, that clears that part then, I guess.” Massu said and moved on. “There are still a lot of things you need to know but I guess I’ll leave those to Ryo. There’s just one thing I need to ask you.” He looked questioningly at Shige, and at Shige’s nod, he continued. “Have you ever been to his apartment?” Shige nodded again. “And how did you find it?” he smiled at Shige’s confused look.
Obviously Ryo hasn’t told him. He did not intend to tell Shige about the apartment, thinking that what he had told Shige may have already pushed him in the right direction but what the heck, Ryo will understand.
“Err, it’s quite disorganized, actually.” Shige replied, wondering where the conversation is going. “He told me he took it on approval, and I rather thought that with all his travels, he didn’t have time to unpack his stuff.”
“Yes, that’s quite right. He did take it on approval. I was with him when he took it. It was a week after Yuri’s funeral and a few days after he had signed that television contract. But the reason he hadn’t unpacked his things were not due to his travels. He was waiting for your approval, Shige. He had planned for you two to live there once you’re married, for starters anyway. But if you didn’t approve of the place, he was willing to let it go and find another. Ergo, the still packed stuffed you found there. I know you two are having problems right now, but just so you know, he still has the apartment. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Massu looked Shige in the eye and he smiled as Shige nodded.
Suddenly Shige leaned and pecked him on the cheek. “What was that for?” he asked, knowing smile on his face.
“Now I know why Yuya loves you. Thank you Massu, for everything.” Shige said as Massu started the car.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Massu showed Shige into the sitting room where Ryo stood alone. After throwing Shige a reassuring smile, he rushed into the kitchen to see Yuya.
“Hello, Ryo,” Shige said huskily. He felt so nervous, despite Massu’s assurances in the car. He wanted to see Ryo badly after reading the letter, he needed to see him and talk to him privately but not under the circumstances. Not when they’re about to have dinner with Yuya and Massu. Ryo looked wary, obviously unsure of Shige’s reaction to being railroaded into coming to dinner as his fiancé, not when they haven’t seen each other for three weeks,
If Shige had found the last three weeks a strain to get through, Ryo looked as though he did not fare well either. He looked thinner, his face a little pale, much like Shige’s actually as Yuya and Massu have noted. There’s no humor in his eyes, very much unlike the Ryo of the past few months.
“Shige,” he greeted distantly, not a hint of limp in his movements. No crutches either.
“I see your ankle is better.” Shige said brightly, trying not to show the pain at his distance.
“Yes - thank you.” Ryo replied curtly, eyeing him warily. Neither of them made any move to sit down. “So, if you’re worried about me suing you for damages-----------“
“I’m not in the least worried about that, Ryo.” Shige protested.
There’s just so much he needs to say to him. Suddenly finding it difficult to take in the significance of the letters he found earlier that day. And can he really blame Ryo? First his father, and then himself -- both of them, at some stage, have told Ryo to get out of his life. And Ryo took the blow. How he must suffered.
He had been stunned, and afterwards elated after reading the letters earlier. He had in fact decided to bring them, keeping them in the inside pocket of his jacket, intending to talk to Ryo about them. But those letters have been written some time ago. Maybe Ryo feels differently now. And no matter how much Massu had assured him in the car, seeing Ryo as he is now, Shige thought that he probably just hadn’t gotten around to getting rid of his apartment.
Shige stared at him, his eyes searching, trying to read the emotions in the harsh severity of his face, in the cold unfathomable depth of his eyes. But all he could see was bleak bitterness, an emotion he had never seen in Ryo before now.
“Ryo -------------“
“Here we are.” Yuya announced as he came in with a tray of sushi, effectively putting an end to whatever Shige was going to say. “Massu is just bringing in the champagne, to toast your engagement!” He told them excitedly. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that the two of you are together at last - my favorite best friend and my favorite brother,” he added exaggeratingly.
Yuya can see that his friend and his brother hardly looked as an ecstatic couple. How can they? Massu has told him everything he and Shige had talked about in the car. One quick look at them told him all he needed to know. They do love each other - they’re just too foolish to see the truth. He smiled and raised his glass, winking at Massu and said, “To both of you!” He dutifully sipped his champagne. “I thought about inviting Mama tonight but I don’t see why she should ruin all the fun,” he added mischievously.
Despite all of his efforts though, the whole evening was an ordeal. Shige was too wary and Ryo barely talked, in fact he hardly looked at Shige’s direction, giving him a pretty good idea of the tension between them. He had suspected for some time that his brother was in love with his friend. He just never got around to asking him. When they came back from their honeymoon, Ryo told them about the bogus engagement and how things ended between them, and as Ryo told them the story his eyes showed it all - the love, the pain, the longing. The very same things he had seen in Shige’s eyes yesterday. But looking at them now, things may very fly out the window as neither one of them seemed to want to make a move. But Yuya, being Yuya, will not settle for settle for anything less, not when their love for each other clearly shows in their faces. All they need is a push in the right direction.
And he wanted to help Ryo for all that he’s done for him, notwithstanding the fact that Shige is his best friend of course. What could be wrong in helping the other two most important persons in his life? Which is why they’re having this dinner now -- on the pretext of celebrating their engagement -- to try and get them together. He smiled with amusement as he tried to think of a way. Well, the evening will definitely not pass without him thinking of something, he just needs the right timing. He got up and excused himself, pretending to go to the bathroom.
A few seconds later, Massu’s phone rang. He smiled as he read Yuya’s message. Keep the glasses filled, but don’t drink too much.
And the right timing presented itself when the time to leave has come. “Let us know when the wedding will be, you two. Yuya and I will obviously fly home.” Massu said as Ryo got up.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Yuya said excitedly, but as Ryo headed for the door, Yuya went over to Shige’s side and called out to his brother. “Ryo, would you mind terribly if I ask you stay for the night? I think Shige has had too much to drink and I don’t want him staying home alone. I would feel much better if he stays here. And I know it was stupid of me but I told him not to bring his car as Massu suggested to pick him up, and I totally forgot about the drive back.” He continued before Ryo could protest. “It would be silly if you leave your fiancé here alone, you know. There’s a spare guest bedroom and you two can stay there.”
Ryo, his eyes suspicious and Shige, eyes confused, spoke in unison.
“There’s more than one guest bedroom ----------“
“Don’t worry about me ------------------“
“Nonsense,” Yuya said, dismissing Shige’s protest. Then he said to Ryo, “Err, the other rooms are full of our stuff, luggages and the wedding presents. It would be too much of a bother to move them, since we’re leaving tomorrow anyway.” And before either one of them could protest, Yuya led Shige along the hallway and into the guest room, Massu and Ryo lagged behind.
“What are you two doing?” Ryo asked his friend.
“Your brother has decided to play cupid.” Massu shrugged. “Give it a chance, Ryo, for all you know, you just might end up thanking us.”
Ryo didn’t say anything and started walking.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Standing inside the room, Shige could not even look at Ryo. He seemed totally unapproachable, very much unlike the man he knew.
“I’m sorry about all that out there.” Ryo finally broke his silence. “I’m surprised you didn’t protest too much.”
Shige glanced at him and noticed that his expressions are unreadable. “I needed to talk to you so I figured I’d take the opportunity.” He shrugged, thankful for the champagne as they calmed his raw nerves. He reached for the letters inside his jacket and handed them to Ryo. “I believe they belong to you. I found them inside my father’s drawers.”
Ryo glanced at the envelopes, obviously recognizing them as his mouth tightened. “I don’t think so,” he dismissed ruefully, making no effort to take them. “Letters belong to whom they were given to, not to the one who wrote them.” He continued to ignore the letters, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets.
Shige’s hands dropped down to his sides, the letters falling on the carpeted floor. “Ryo…..,” he moistened his suddenly dry lips. “I had no idea ……... father didn’t tell me ………..” he swallowed hard. “I didn’t know you tried to find me.”
Ryo shrugged, sighing heavily. “It doesn’t matter now.”
Of course it mattered, Shige thought. One of the things that had always troubled him was the fact that Ryo didn’t try to find him, which is why he thought he didn’t care after all.
“It does matter, Ryo,” Shige said heatedly. “My father told you I was engaged to someone else when you called the house that day.”
Ryo shrugged again. “I half expected it. You told me there was someone in your life.”
Shige explained, a little shakily, “You scared me out of my wits. I have never met anyone like you before and ---------------.”
“Or I you,” Ryo said
Shige felt the heat rushing in his cheeks. “You were right about one thing, though. I did allow a part of myself to be attracted to you.” He said rather awkwardly. “But, I wasn’t engaged to someone else.”
“Three weeks later, you were,” Ryo reminded him grimly. “You got engaged to my friend! God, how your father must have laughed at the irony of that. When I challenged him on the lie he told me, on the day I told you about Yuri’s death, he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not good enough for you, that I can’t give you the happiness you deserve. He wanted something better for his only son and he saw that something better in Yuri.” he added grimly.
Shige’s insides are panicking now. His father had deliberately kept them apart all this time, and if he didn’t get through to Ryo now, and by the looks of him, he probably wouldn’t, he will die a thousand deaths.
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*sighs* as much as I would like this story to be longer, it can’t, it has to end somewhere - but to make up for all the angst and anger in the previous chapter I promise you a good ending . . . . .i hope it doesn’t disappoint you …. ..
[ click here for the final chapter]