Chapter 23: CHAPTER 22 - Akihiko's friend (1)
Since he had been accompanying Akihiko during grocery shopping and Akihiko had been footing the bill every time, Ichiro had forgotten just how expensive everything was for him.
"Excuse me, ca-can…" Ichiro stammered.
Before he could finish his sentence, a card suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Scan it," a voice commanded.
Ichiro immediately recognized the voice and was taken aback. "Akihiko-san?"
"Hmm," Akihiko replied, saying nothing more. As he was preparing to purchase some food himself, he noticed Ichiro already waiting in line at the checkout counter. Akihiko was curious about why Ichiro was buying ingredients so far from his own home. Then it dawned on him that Ichiro must have been buying the ingredients for him. "Let's go."
"Yes, sir," Ichiro replied, feeling overwhelmed by Akihiko's imposing presence.
"Why are you being followed?" Akihiko inquired as they left the store.
"Ah, about that…" Ichiro hesitated, unsure of the reason and what to say. He wondered why his family had started having people watch him.
"Do you want me to get rid of them?" Akihiko asked with an eerie and menacing smile.
"What? No-no, you can't just…" Ichiro began, concerned for Akihiko's well-being. Then he noticed Akihiko staring at him strangely. "Please, don't do anything that could tarnish your reputation because of me."
"If you say so."
Ichiro sighed in relief. If Akihiko did take action and eliminate the people following him, no one would question it, and his family wouldn't bother investigating what had happened. After all, Akihiko was known for his hot temper, and it wouldn't be surprising if he decided to deal with annoying individuals one day.
Simultaneously, the people tailing Ichiro were in disbelief at what they were witnessing. They couldn't fathom that he was acquainted with someone from such a powerful family.
"We need to report this to the master right away," one of them whispered anxiously.
The other one hesitated, glancing at Ichiro and Akihiko. Fear gripped them as they imagined the consequences of continuing to follow the pair.
"We could be killed if we keep following them," the second person cautioned.
Both of them locked eyes, sharing a mutual understanding that the situation had taken an unexpected and dangerous turn. They instinctively touched their necks, as if sensing an invisible blade threatening their throats.
"Can you feel that?" one of them shivered.
Nodding in agreement, they decided it was best to abandon their pursuit.
"Let's go."
Both of them hurried back to the mansion as quickly as possible, their hearts pounding as if they had narrowly escaped a knife pointed at their throats.
Akihiko turned briefly to check behind them, a satisfied smile playing on his lips when he saw the unease in the faces of the two men who had been following them. He had been discreet in his actions, not wanting to raise Ichiro's concerns.
"Is something wrong?" Ichiro inquired, noticing Akihiko's backward glance, though he couldn't spot anyone following them. "Is he somehow bothered by the people following us?" Ichiro wondered, sighing in frustration, as he couldn't simply get rid of them as he wished.
"Don't worry," Akihiko reassured him as they continued toward his residence.
Upon their arrival, Akihiko's expression darkened as he spotted a luxurious car parked in front of the building. He instantly knew who had come to visit him.
"What terrible timing," he muttered with irritation, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Just stay quiet."
"Uh?" Ichiro was perplexed, following Akihiko with a sense of unease. He wondered if he had been annoying or talkative, but when he thought about it, he realized he hadn't spoken much at all. The words he had uttered during their outing could easily be counted on one hand.
Akihiko proceeded impatiently to his residence, where a tall and handsome man with blonde hair was waiting for him outside.
"Finally, where did you go?" the man waiting for Akihiko demanded.
"Out," Akihiko replied curtly, not bothering to offer a greeting.
"Aren't you coming home? It's your sister's birthday soon," the man pressed.
Akihiko paused for a moment, realizing that it had been quite some time since he had last seen his sister, and her birthday was approaching. He glanced at the man who bore a striking resemblance to him. Aside from their hair, everything about them was eerily similar. "If you don't have anything else important to say, you can leave."
The man let out an exasperated sigh. He was accustomed to Akihiko's brusque manners but still cared for him deeply. "You..." He didn't finish his sentence but gave Akihiko a pointed look.
Akihiko turned to Ichiro, who had been standing awkwardly by the staircase, unsure of how to navigate this tense encounter. "What are you doing standing there? Hurry up."
Curious, the man inquired, "Who is he?"
"None of your business," Akihiko retorted as he used his key to unlock the door.
Ichiro, still unaccustomed to Akihiko's domineering aura and tone of speaking, responded with the deference of a servant and hurriedly followed him inside.
"My name is Yamato, his elder brother. May I know who you are?" The man asked politely and extended his hand toward Ichiro as he approached them.
Ichiro hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He was well aware of the strained relationship between Akihiko and this man. However, the genuine smile on Yamato's face gave him a sense that the man genuinely cared for Akihiko.
"I'm Takahashi Ichiro," he finally replied, deciding to offer his name and a tentative handshake.
"Takahashi? You mean Lady Takahashi's son?" Yamato was taken aback, surprised to discover that the boy standing before him was the famous child of the Takahashi family. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to meet him.
"Yeah, that's me," Ichiro replied somewhat dejectedly, realizing that being his mother's son was often the only identity he was known by.
Yamato's curiosity got the better of him. "Are you Akihiko's friend, or..." He didn't finish his sentence, instead letting the unspoken question hang in the air. Observing the groceries Akihiko was carrying and the fact that his brother had invited Ichiro into his apartment, he couldn't easily believe they were just friends.
"Shut up and leave!" Akihiko shouted, forcefully pulling Ichiro to his side. "Stop with your disgusting thoughts!"
"Hey, I didn't say anything," Yamato quickly responded, his tone defensive. He hadn't expected his brother to react so strongly to his innocent remark. "Takahashi-san, I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Ichiro replied awkwardly, his face paling at the thought that Yamato might have mistaken him for Akihiko's lover. He never imagined he would find himself in such a situation and regretted coming over. "Why did I even come here?" he thought to himself.
"Anyways, do visit your sister," Yamato said hurriedly as he made his exit. Before leaving, he handed his card to Ichiro, who looked dumbfounded by the gesture. "Please, come and attend our sister's birthday. She's just my half-sister, but Akihiko here is her real brother."
Ichiro glanced at Akihiko, who remained silent, watching the exchange with a deadly stare. He didn't really want to accept the invitation but felt it would be rude to decline. "Thank you."
"See you both then," Yamato left happily, confident that by inviting Ichiro, he had also secured his beloved brother's attendance. He skipped to his car, excited to head home and inform everyone of the surprising development—how their usually cold and aloof younger brother had made a friend.
When Yamato got into his car, he pondered for a moment and muttered to himself, "How come sister said nothing about this?" The fact that their sister was a teacher at their school should have made her aware of Akihiko's situation. "I better call her," Yamato decided as he drove away.
Ichiro continued to gaze at the card Yamato had given him.
"Hey, what are you staring at?" Akihiko asked, even though he had noticed the card in Ichiro's hand.
"This?" Ichiro replied, unsure of what to do with the invitation card.
"Why? Do you want to go?" Akihiko asked, curious about whether Ichiro was interested in attending such a social gathering.
"I've never attended a birthday party before, at least not that I can remember. So, I'm not sure what to do," Ichiro admitted, finding such events somewhat bothersome and awkward to be around.
"Then do you want to go?" Akihiko frowned as he inquired.
"Well, shouldn't you go? She's your little sister. Don't you miss her?" Ichiro wondered, wanting to understand the relationship between Akihiko and his sister.
"Who knows," Akihiko replied cryptically as he pushed open the door and headed inside.
Watching Akihiko disappear inside the building, Ichiro softly mumbled to himself, "I'm sure you do."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone