Chapter 326
Chapter 326
As usual, Kenji was up with the sun. He pulled on sweatpants and a white shirt before heading out of his room.
The smell of cigarette smoke greeted him before he even found the culprit.
Ice.
With unhurried footsteps, he walked into his living room to find Ice standing beside the opened balcony door, smoking leisurely.
He looked exactly like that first day at the Parisian beach.
White shorts, a white tank top, white wind-ruffled hair, and a sun-kissed, toned body that dared you to touch it and find out how it'd feel under your hands.
Kenji was rendered speechless for a second because before him was the exact image that had haunted him for months.
"Morning, Mr. Takumi," Ice said flatly, not turning to look at Kenji.
He could feel Kenji's gaze on him, and he was sure the organized billionaire was starting to rethink his decision.
He had woken up early, and he had chosen to smoke right in Kenji's white, organized living room; perhaps that would paint a different picture and Kenji would understand that he was no cute damsel in distress.
That forehead kiss last night was unwanted and disgusting, and he planned to dissuade Kenji from the notion that made him believe that he was some untamed cat waiting for its owner to tame it.
"Morning, Ice," Kenji replied in a murmur, striding slowly over to Ice.
Ice's hand paused mid-air when he felt Kenji's shadow fall over him. That's when he looked up and found Kenji staring at him with an unreadable gaze.
"Want some?" Ice asked, taking his cigarette toward Kenji's lips, expecting the principled man to reel back with a choke.
"I don't mind..." Kenji paused, locking eyes with Ice as he leaned in and took the cigarette between his lips.
Kenji took slow, deep drags from the cigarette.
The smoke curled between them in a thin silver ribbon.
Ice blinked.
For a second, he had fully expected Kenji to cough, grimace, or launch into some lecture about health and discipline.
Instead, the man inhaled calmly.
Like he'd done it a thousand times.
Kenji held the smoke for a moment before releasing it slowly into the cool morning air.
Ice frowned.
"…You smoke?"
Kenji handed the cigarette back to him.
"Occasionally."
Ice took it, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"That doesn't sound very 'Mr. Perfect CEO' of you."
Kenji stepped past him onto the balcony, resting his forearms lightly on the railing as he looked out over the city.
The sunrise painted Tokyo in soft gold.
"Neither does lying to your husband," he replied calmly.
Ice scoffed, taking another drag. "You're unbelievable."
Kenji glanced at him sideways. "You did lie to me last night..."
Ice rolled his eyes but didn't argue.
For a moment, they stood there in silence.
The wind stirred Ice's white hair, pushing a few strands across his face.
Kenji noticed.
He also noticed the faint edge of ink peeking from beneath the strap of Ice's loose white top.
Interesting.
Ice suddenly turned his head, catching Kenji staring.
"What?"
Kenji looked away.
"Nothing."
Ice didn't believe that for a second.
"Are you checking me out?"
Kenji's expression didn't change.
"No."
Ice snorted. "Liar."
He flicked ash over the balcony and leaned back against the railing.
"So," he said lazily, "what's the plan, Takumi? Are you going to chain me to a desk and make me obey?"
Kenji straightened.
"No." He turned, facing Ice. "I'm just going to persuade you..." He leaned in, a small smirk on his lips. "Until you agree I'm not boring, right under me," he murmured.
"You're such a jester." Ice rolled his eyes.
"I'm a gentleman. I'll take my time. Right now, we have to go see your mother, then mine. Dress up," Kenji's face turned serious as he spoke.
Ice groaned dramatically. "Fantastic."
Kenji was about to step back inside when Ice blocked his path.
He arched his brow, questioning Ice silently.
"I am in a tight corner... I can't let my family know this is fake," Ice explained quietly, looking worried. "But I also don't want them to think it's real. There's a bunch of people who would make problems out of either news."
Kenji studied Ice, seeing the real panic in his eyes, which had him reconsidering.
"Who is the most important person?" Kenji asked.
Ice bit his lip. "My mother."
Kenji nodded. "Then we only tell her the truth and let others believe we're real. Is that okay?"
Ice thought for a while, his brows furrowed.
Maybe Kenji was right; his parents were the only people whose opinions he cared about. They were the reason he'd pretended to be straight all his life. This way, his mother still believes he is straight and is only married to a man for business' sake, not because it was who he was.
Tar and others can believe Kenji and him were real. If Tar thought that his mother believed it was real, too, it saved the drama of Tar threatening to expose his true identity to his mother or digging up dirt on him.
"Okay... thanks," Ice murmured. "What are you doing?" He leaned back, staring at Kenji's close face.
"That's no way to thank your husband," Kenji smiled, holding Ice's gaze.
Ice scoffed, "What do you mean?" He blinked.
Kenji gently tapped his cheek, "A peck would suffice... for each good deed I do, thank me with a peck," he replied calmly.
Ice stared incredulously at Kenji. "You're joking... right?" he asked slowly.
Kenji shrugged, "Then, get dressed. We're telling your mother you're head over heels for me—"
"Fine," Ice caught Kenji's wrist, frowning.
Kenji leaned down, turning his cheek for Ice. "Waiting," he whispered.
Ice glanced around in hesitation, staring at Kenji's sharp jawline in utter jealousy of how defined it was.
Muttering under his breath, he leaned in and pressed his lips quickly on Kenji's cheek, withdrawing immediately.
"Wasn't so bad, was it?" Kenji asked, kissing Ice's forehead before walking away.
"Hurry, I've got a few things to handle, too," Kenji said on his way to the stairs.
Ice stood frozen, still feeling the warm, tingling sensation of Kenji's lips on his forehead.
'For the second time! Why does he do that!' he thought, balling his fists.
Seems he needed a more intense tactic to get Kenji to stop these little, tricky advances. That man was lethal, and Ice knew exactly what he was doing. Indirect flirting usually yields faster results than full-time, hard-on flirting.
But Kenji was in for a surprise. Ice was no baby girl; he needed to do more than just forehead kisses and pecks if he wanted a result.
Scoffing, Ice left the balcony to go prepare for their visit.
After a few minutes, Kenji was standing beside his car, watching Ice walk out of the house.
He was transformed: no tattoos visible, hair tamed and gelled backward smoothly, buttons done neatly, and even his demeanor had changed.
The wild cat had gone to take a nap, leaving behind the tamed, obedient one.
"How long have you lived this way?" Kenji asked, pulling the front door open for Ice.
Ice pushed the door shut and opened it for himself, then he slid in without replying to Kenji.
Kenji easily walked around and got in the car. "It must be tiring. Am I right?" he asked, starting the car.
Ice still ignored him, busying himself with his phone as the car drove off.
Kenji sighed. "If you ever need help coming out to your parents, call me... even if we're not together then."
"Can you just mind your business?" Ice snapped, glaring at Kenji.
"Everyone deserves to be happy. My friends... they're all happy with their partners," he continued like he hadn't heard Ice at all.
"Good for them," Ice bit out, getting irritated by Kenji's meddling.
"I'd like to be that happy, too. But not with a bike gang leader, no." Kenji smirked. "It'll taint my reputation."
Ice burst out laughing, eyeing Kenji in disbelief. "Man, you should try comedy if business ever fails." He rolled his eyes.
"What makes you think my happiness would ever be with a boring, stoic, suit-wearing businessman?" Ice jadded.
Kenji's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly. "We'll see," Kenji murmured.
"Hell yes, we'll see how you'll fail woefully to get me in your bed for one whole year," Ice muttered angrily. "I'm not your toy, Kenji," he mumbled.
"I never said you were," Kenji said calmly.
The ride turned quiet, heavy with uncharted feelings.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital, and each left the car in silence.
"This way," Ice said, leading Kenji into the hospital lobby.
Kenji followed Ice inside the elevator, watching him closely. He noticed how Ice adjusted his clothes again and again, trying to look as presentable as possible.
"You look perfect already. Just relax," Kenji told him quietly, leaning against the wall.
Ice paused, glancing at Kenji for a while. "Just keep to your word," he said, walking out as the door hissed open.
Kenji sighed and followed Ice along the sterile hospital hallway.
Ice paused in front of a white door and took a deep breath before gently pushing the door open.
"Ice!"
Kenji was expecting some quiet and sober entrance, but he was suddenly moving forward to catch Ice, who was falling backward due to the sudden jump-hug from the short girl in a pink dress, who in his opinion was too loud and giggled too much, especially in a sick person's ward.
Ice managed to steady himself and the giggling girl in his arms, gently letting her down.
"Momo, what are you doing here?" Ice questioned, his eyes drifting to his motionless father lying behind Momo on the hospital bed.
Momo smiled brightly, pushing her pink-dyed hair behind her ears. "To see Otousan, I took the first flight back to Tokyo. I can't let you be alone." She touched Ice's cheeks.
Ice sighed, feeling Kenji's quiet gaze behind him. He cleared his throat, ignoring the way Momo addressed his father as Otousan instead of Oji-san.
He walked forward, standing close to his father's bedside.
The man looked like he was sleeping, but the sunken eyes and paling skin reminded him that his father was fading away.
"He will be fine. Trust me." Momo walked up behind Ice, placing her hand on his shoulder.
Ice sighed, "I know..." He looked away from his father's face. "Where's my mother?" he asked, glancing toward the door.
To his surprise, Kenji was no longer standing there.
"Oh? I thought I saw a man there just now?" Momo blinked in confusion, lacing her fingers with Ice's.
Ice tried to move forward, but she held him back. "Stay, Ice. Mother says you've been busy trying to save the company and haven't visited Father. Stay," she spoke softly.
Ice furrowed his brows, wondering if Kenji was being petty, too.
Did Kenji really leave because he saw Ice interacting with a girl? He gritted his teeth; he believed Kenji was starting to take things a little too seriously.
He had just turned back to look at his sick father when he heard footsteps approaching. He spun around immediately, waiting to see if it was his mother or his petty fake husband.
It was both.
Kenji was carrying a basket of fruits and a dozen sealed bottled waters in his other hand, his mother walking by his side with a white flower vase.
She looked beautiful as always in her white dress, her blue eyes and long, white hair a striking resemblance to Ice's.
"Mother," Ice went over and hugged her, taking the vase from her. "You should call me for groceries," he murmured, glancing over at Kenji, who was setting the fruit basket and water down on the table at the corner.
"You've already done enough. Mr. Takumi told me everything..." Mrs. Arisaka gently caressed Ice's cheek. "I'm proud of you... your father, too. Thank you, Ice." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, smirking softly at Ice.
Ice glanced at Kenji, who had his hands pushed into his pockets.
"Uhm, yes. He is kind enough to help us out—"
"Mother, who is he?" Momo questioned, stepping closer to hug Mrs. Arisaka's arm.
"Momo, he is Mr. Takumi, Ice's husband—"
"Husband?" Momo gasped, staring at Ice with widened eyes.
"So you really married him?" Tar walked into the room, hand in his pocket as he fixed Ice with a suspicious look.