"You must have waited for a while," Haruki recognized their presence before sitting as Hiroshi stood up from his seat with a respectful bow.
"No, we did not," Hiroshi spoke mechanically before Miyoko could respond.
Haruki moved his gaze from Miyoko with a bit of irritation in his eyes, he met Hiroshi's gaze. Hiroshi has never been someone to look away from Haruki regardless of his effort to look intimidating.
No fear or intimidation as he held Haruki's gaze rather the only person who did not notice the longing in his light-colored eyes was Miyoko.
"We just arrived," Miyoko spoke. She continued when Haruki moved his gaze to her, "Meet my boyfriend, his name is Hiroshi although I did not think that is necessary since he works for you."
"Yes, and so did his father and grandfather before him."
Miyoko nodded. There was no way she would have not noticed the coldness in his voice that was different from the gentleman he had tried to be.
Haruki forced a smile to cover up the chill of his tone. "Are you hungry, we can order now, right?" he asked her.
"Yes, we can," Miyoko's voice came a bit intimidated with a mixture of confusion.
The waiter signaled by his assistant approached them and they ordered their meal. It looked all lovey-dovey when Miyoko asked Hiroshi to place her order since according to her, he knew what she would love.
It screamed happy loving couple while Haruki held back to urge to ask Hiroshi if he was really in a relationship with the lady.
"When did you two meet?" Haruki asked the basic question as they awaited their food.
"We met months ago at your birthday party. He caught my attention and since it seemed like I also caught his attention, we began a conversation naturally and we have been seeing each other since then."
"Hm? Really? I brought you two together, isn't that cute?" Haruki asked, a slight smile that did not reach his eyes lifting the corners of his lips.
"I should have appreciated that earlier," Miyoko blushed and responded.
"You seem like a really cute couple, it would be a shame if I stepped in to pull you apart, wouldn't it be?" Haruki asked.
Miyoko reached for Hiroshi's hand showing a sign of possessiveness and Hiroshi placed his hand over hers and rubbed it affectionately. So much love in the air it could give someone diabetes.
Haruki smiled, "I guess I have a good reason to back down. I have worked with Hiroshi and I am sure he will take care of you more than anyone outside."
The seriousness in Haruki's voice went beyond the surface, it was so deep, and he felt bloodthirsty. How could that man lay a hand on him when he was already in a relationship? So many things went through his mind and all of them ended with the man across the table lying dead at his feet.
Haruki closed his eyes and for a few seconds, he was able to rein in his emotions but that did not prevent the feeling of nausea growing fast from the pit of his stomach.
As someone who took hygiene seriously, he could not think of how Hiroshi must have kissed his girlfriend only to act as though he desired him.
There was none of his lovers who dared to consider that an option especially when they are left with no energy every time they meet him. Perhaps it was all because he gave the man the chance to make him drained.
He had given the man more than just a chance. He had let the man make sex more than a way to let go of the monster he could not unleash on anyone he did not want to kill.
It was easier to let go of it by subduing someone until they could not rise from the bed preferably a man since there was a lesser chance of him dying than a woman.
It was something he had not thought of, not even bothered to think of while he was with the doctor, he had let the man's softness and consideration get to him perhaps because it had become a habit of him to ignore the existence of that monster as long he gets a way to vent it.
Sex became a pleasure, it began more than the release. It began with how handsome the man was, how the man's voice was soothing, and how the man met his gaze without trembling like many others. It began more than he had thought of or would ever think of.
He scoffed instinctively at the thought of how he had let a straight man top him while in a relationship with someone else. If it was the other way round, perhaps the self-hate that caused the food served to feel tasteless despite its warmth and aroma, would not be as intense.
Perhaps he would not feel this much humiliation. He was a side lover, a mistress . . .? What a joke and that's on him. He raised his head to meet the gaze of his assistant standing across the room as a guard.
He could notice his assistant freeze most likely sensing his desire to see a fountain of blood. Haruki felt if he continued sitting across these oblivious beings, it wouldn't be long before the chopsticks he held got planted in someone's skull.
Without hesitation, his assistant hurried towards him. He stopped and bowed before Haruki signaled that he could come forward. He leaned so close to Haruki and whispered, "Do we leave now?"
"Yes." Without hesitation Haruki rose, rather he looked a bit in a hurry. "I have a business to attend to. Eat to your fill, I own this restaurant, you don't have to pay."
Hiroshi stood up mechanically once again. Haruki watched the elegant lady beside Haruki reach to hold Hiroshi's hand as she rose too.
"Thank you for understanding," Miyoko appreciated. The disdain she had on their first blind date was gone replaced by pure joy.
Haruki felt another second in their presence would make him stain the floor of his restaurant with blood. He turned and walked out of the place without a response.
More than ten years ago, he would have never imagined he would be a bloodthirsty human with so much bottled-up hate for more than half of humanity ready to explode with minute stimulation.
He imagined he would be a gentleman respectfully. He might be poor but he would have good friends and most definitely a girlfriend by his side through it all.
His hands might not be as soaked in blood as his grandfather's at his age but that did not make him innocent. He was someone of power and it did not happen in a day, he had many tests to pass before he could gain the personality worthy of controlling so many clan leaders and subordinates.
He had let himself loose during the training and won the position he had, he loved the power he wielded and loved seeing people tremble before the new version of the bullied boy he once was.
The bloodlust, and rage that caused his hands to tremble with a strong desire to either destroy someone's life or bury into someone's skull, was a free gift that came along with the power he gained as chairman.
"I have had someone brought to the penthouse," Kiyoshi, Haruki's assistant announced the presence of what he knew could be a source of release to Haruki's rage without directly spilling blood.
Haruki swallowed and closed his eyes without responding. His calmness was only a film layer covering the molten magma underneath.
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