Page 13

Visha

We enter a fancy French restaurant decorated in crystal chandeliers and red velvet curtains. It’s a gastronomical establishment, clearly for extremely wealthy people.

I figured Aoi has money, but for him to be that rich is a total shock. I look up at him to see his uncomfortable expression as he tries to pretend that he’s in his element. He clearly feels out of place in this luxurious environment, but he doesn’t fuss about it. Does he always hold back his true thoughts?

A waiter dressed up in a tuxedo comes up to us and welcomes us in, after Aoi tells him his last name. To be honest, the waiter looks like a stuck-up penguin, but I can’t say that out loud out of fear of offending him.

Aoi takes my hand in his as if I’m the uncomfortable one between us. I’m fine, really. It’s impressive how many golden details the decorated furniture possesses, but money is money. It doesn’t matter how much you have, only what you do with it.

The waiter leads us to a big, dashing table covered by a silk white cloth, and a set of gorgeously decorated crockery. A man with a shuddering presence sits in one of the red velvet armchairs. His attention is set on his phone in a charismatic and poised manner. He looks elegant and intimidating in his visibly custom-tailored grey suit, his blonde hair is perfectly coiffed, and his stance radiates with confidence to the point it’s unsettling.

Aoi and that man can’t look more different. Aoi’s a gentle man, his aura is soothing and mature whereas that man looks like a spoiled rich king, ready to conquer a neighboring kingdom.

Either way, I don’t like him. I don’t have to know much about him or even speak to him to be able to tell that everything about this man screams danger.

His eyes wander around the room until he finally finds us. More like he catches a glimpse of Aoi and thus he stands up with a subtle smile that sends shudders down my spine.

He dangerously slides his hand over Aoi’s lower back and kisses his cheek. What the hell . They’re close, that’s undoubtedly a fact but what kind of uncle basically gropes his nephew? Aoi smiles casually at him and seems to relax for a split second until the man’s hand leaves the hollow of his back.

“Aoi, you look ravishing as usual,” he purrs, a predator’s flicker in his hazel eyes.

His voice is a seductive treat for the ears but that makes him look further ominous. One glance at him and anyone can tell that he’s skilled with words. I look between them and warily observe Aoi’s face as he brushes the devilish man’s compliment away.

“No need for flattery Jason,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“Mind you, I’m simply telling the truth.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you.”

“Did you not sleep again? The fatigue is evident in your complexion. I told you to come see me if you couldn’t sleep.”

“Goodness, Jason, that’s not it. Please, just stop worrying for a second. I’m fine.”

“If you say so.” Suddenly, his gaze shifts from Aoi to me, and coldness creeps under that polite smile as he asks, “And who is this little one?”

He glares down at me, but his question is meant for the embodiment of kindness in human flesh standing next to me, our hands still intertwined. Jason’s gaze skims from my stone-faced expression to the thumb caressing the back of my hand.

Something akin to annoyance flashes through those hazel irises. His expression doesn’t shift from his polite smile, only his eyes convey such an uncanny bolt of emotion. Aoi motions for me to sit down so I obey.

He takes the seat next to me and says, “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh? Don’t tell me he’s yours,” he almost spits, plastering on a fake smile and narrowing his eyes at me in disdain.

“Of course not! When the hell would I have had time to plop out a child?”

“Right. I wouldn’t have missed such an important detail if it had been the case.” His voice is as lethal as venom and from that moment on, he disregards me completely.

I tug on Aoi’s sleeve, and he looks down at me. “Ah, yes. Visha, this is Jason, my uncle. Jason, this is Visha, a child I found last night.”

Jason’s lips halt before his wine glass when he scoffs. He scans me up and down with an arrogant and condescending hold that Aoi doesn’t seem to notice. If he has, he doesn’t let it on.

“Since when do you do charity?” Jason smirks, not bothering to hide his contempt.

“It’s not charity,” he replies sternly before exhaling loudly, regaining his composure. “It was all really unexpected, and I didn’t want to leave him out alone in the cold, so I took him home.”

I have no idea how I could possibly interact with that snake, better let Aoi do the talking. The restaurant is busy with chatting guests and harmonic classical music playing in the background. My attention momentarily fixates on the embroidery in the seats, and I almost reach to touch it.

“He slept at the apartment?” he asks as he lowers his wine glass down, setting it on the table.

“Yes,” Aoi retorts as he takes my napkin and spreads it out over my thighs, his focus on Jason.

“In your bed I presume?”

“Obviously.”

My benefactor ruffles my hair and at that a flex in Jason’s jaw snatches my attention away from Aoi. His gaze is unwavering and the consideration Aoi shows me right in front of him seems to put him on edge.

I glare at him.

What the hell is his problem?

“Obviously,” he repeats sarcastically after him, gritting his teeth and slowly shaking his head in disappointment. “And you need me for what exactly?”

A waiter interrupts the conversation and takes our orders. Jason, with his charismatic aura orders the chops whereas Aoi opts for the salmon. I can’t decipher the strange words on the menu, they just don’t sound like food names to me. The Keytons fed me canned food and often leftovers. Ordering in a restaurant is an entirely new experience for me.

Aoi notices my confusion and clear struggle and thus points out the spaghetti alle vongole on the menu, explaining that it tastes amazing. He then assures me that if I don’t like clams, I can just leave them aside and he’ll eat them instead.

I offer him a grateful smile. “If you say so, then I’ll trust your word.”

Aoi returns my smile and gives the waiter my order who soon after skedaddles back to the kitchen. “Don’t worry about any of this. I’m not used to these kinds of restaurants either. We’re in the same boat.”

“Good to know. The place we ate at earlier fits me more.”

“Why do you say that?”

I stare at him as if the answer is obvious. “I mean-”

“So, why do you need my help exactly? You know I don’t like wasting my time with troublesome business,” Jason impatiently interrupts me, and I have to force my fist to unclench under the table before I decide to throw a plate in his stupid face.

He crosses his arms over his muscular chest and observes Aoi as the latter starts, “Uhm, so basically, he lives in a foster home but not the kind you’d let a child stay in. They’re horrible. I really need your help and advice as a lawyer, to get him out of that hell hole.”

He twirls the red liquid in his glass in a circular motion, completely unfazed by Aoi’s words.

“You want to become his legal guardian?” he asks dumbfounded and grimaces as if the words leave a bitter aftertaste.

Jason looks like he couldn’t care less, or he really just doesn’t care.

“Well, no.”

“No?”

My heart sinks. No? What does he mean by that? He doesn’t want to become my guardian, but he said he’d let me stay with him! Contrary to me, Jason revels in his nephew’s categorical refusal.

A strange, surprised gasp escapes my lips, and I slap my hand over my mouth. “I- sorry.”

Aoi picks up on that slipup and turns to face me. “Visha, I can’t become your legal guardian. If I were older and in a different position, I would’ve said yes without hesitation but…I’m in my twenties. I have still so much to do and I’m not delusional enough to adopt a child.”

I slump in my seat but force myself to nod in acknowledgment. Aoi’s eyes flutter shut for a moment, sighing heavily. “Jason.”

“Yes, dear?”

“You’ve always been there for me, whenever I needed you, you were there,” he breathes, gazing deeply into his eyes.

“You’re teasing my curiosity. Go on, say it,” he taunts, flicking an arrogant smirk in my direction.

I want to disappear into thin air.

“Help me find him a good family and I’ll repay you with anything you want. I promise.”

“Anything?” Jason smirks, enjoying seeing him so desperate for help.

He clicks his tongue and leans forward, gesturing at Aoi to come closer. Aoi lifts himself off his seat and leans over the table as instructed. Jason then whispers something in his ear that makes Aoi’s ocean eyes widen in clear shock. He plops back in his seat and glances at me with a conflicted expression.

“It’s not an unreasonable request now, is it?”

“No but-”

“Don’t forget who is asking whom a favor, Aoi.”

“You’re right. I was just surprised that out of the millions of requests you could’ve made, you chose that .”

“So, do we have a deal?” The blonde devil asks cockily as he drowns his wine in one final gulp.

He doesn’t care at all about Aoi’s feelings, does he? I don’t know what their deal is about, but it definitely sounds like something Aoi doesn’t want. He shouldn’t do anything he dislikes just for my sake. I’m not worth it.

However, to my surprise he glints at me then rips his gaze away from me and with the most resolute tone he says, “Deal.”

***

After paying the bill, Aoi escorts me back to his car. He tells me to wait as he finishes conversing with Jason. I gaze at them through the car window, but I can’t hear them. Their words are engulfed by Aoi’s laughter.

Jason. That fucker. I hate that man. He looks empty inside. A shell, a mask, an empty jar never to be filled. Aoi’s eyes reflected that void when watching his uncle. It’s subconscious I’m sure, but when it happened, it felt like I was plummeting in an endless abyss.

Aoi’s kind, he spills with kindness and the only way that’s possible is if he’s been torn to shreds by sorrow. Jason is a demon. No one could tell me that he didn’t crawl out of the pits of hell to tear apart my angel. I mean, Aoi, not my angel. I don’t own him, but he’d still be happier around me than with that snake.

I hate this strange sensation in the depth of my stomach. It’s akin to a rumbling volcano threatening to erupt at the mere sight of Aoi’s hidden sorrow.

I wonder how much violence it took to make someone as gentle and caring as him.