–pairing:devil!ran haitani x f!reader, 17th century new england au, inspired by ‘the witch (2016)’ and the salem witch trials folklore
–content:dark content, corruption, loss of virginity, ritual sex, erotic horror,monster-fucking, breeding, oral (f!receiving), fingering, overstim, mentions of assault/abuse, archaic dialogue
–note:my shot at erotic horror featuring ran haitani for @semisgroupie’sheaven&hell collab bc i watched the witch and thought ran would make a good human!black phillip, dark content ahead so minors can f*ck off! feel free to rb, send me an ask, or leave a comment <3
You fled from the only home you knew since crossing the tempestuous waters of the sea after the demise of your parents, running as fast as your legs would carry. The events that led to your expulsion happened so quickly, you left with only the clothes on your back as your aunt chased you out of her home.
The resounding hammering of your heart was almost loud enough to overpower the cruel clamor of the villagers from behind the settlement’s walls. Their insults were all ones you’d heard before from the lips of the only family you had left–your paternal aunt. She had uttered them in passing as you dutifully worked on your morning chores while your uncle ogled at you, hissed them into your ear as she pulled you away from her husband’s wandering hands, and finally screeched them early that morning when she found the very same man hovering over you as he tore your bodice and pushed up your skirts.
“Whore. Slut. Witch.”
You were none of those things. Your virtue remained intact despite the attack in the barn moments prior. Your fingers had not breached your mound even when the sounds of your aunt and uncle’s couplings snaked into your ears and all of the warmth within your body pooled between your legs. Instead of falling prey to your innate sinful desires, you turned to prayer–to your faith–to dispel those corrupt thoughts. After losing your parents and your homeland, your love of God had been what kept you going. It gave you the courage to board a ship and sail to the New Land to reunite with the only family you had left, gave you the strength to work from sunrise to sunset completing household chores, and it would give you the will to press forward in hopes of finding a village or a family in need of an extra set of hands.
Hopes that wore thin after a day and a half of walking without the smallest sign of civilization. No matter how far you traveled along the edge of the dark, ominous forest, there was only a clearing of grassy rolling hills as far as the eye could see.
Throughout your journey, venturing into the wood had never been an option. Nothing good ever came from places shrouded in darkness where the lord’s light could not shine through. Darkness was what propagated all sorts of sin. That was the reason you fell asleep watching undulating flames dancing in the fireplace.
Night crept upon you, and you woke up to the sound of rustling grass and snapping twigs. Exhausted beyond anything you had ever experienced, you mindlessly followed the noises and collapsed next to a brook near the wood to quench your thirst. You cupped your hands and desperately drank your fill of freshwater until your belly cramped from the sudden intake. You were splashing water over your face when, suddenly, the faint smell of smoke wafted up your nose.
Despite the pulsating ache in your feet and calves, you leapt to your feet and staggered to the source of the scent only to find hot ashes over a bed of dead grass. It was the first sign of human life you had seen since leaving the settlement, and you could not help the breathless laugh that left your lips at the hopeful sign. Just as you wondered where the person behind the fire could have gone, you heard more rustling grass and snapping twigs and looked up to see movement in the tall grass and weeds leading to the wood.
It seemed to almost beckon you to enter it; a ray of light shining down just at the entrance before darkness engulfed the rest of the wood. Weary, hungry, and desperate, you clutched at your soiled skirts and stared at your adversary–the primeval forest–debating whether to enter or not.
In the end, you took the light as a sign from God and entered the wood, knowing that it would either lead to your salvation or perdition.
As you clumsily made your way through the forest, the little daylight that did squeeze through the thick towering treetops waned as another day in the wilderness came to an end, and your renewed hope with it.
Panic bubbled in your chest and your breathing become labored as you struggled onward. The deeper into the wood you traveled, the thicker the foliage became, until you were squeezing through vines, piercing yourself on thorned stems, running into wayward branches, and stumbling on the jutting tree roots that littered your path.
One nasty tumble, in particular, was what pushed you over the edge and had you sobbing, face down on the cold earth as hot tears spilled from your tired eyes. With your faith stripped, you were left vulnerable for sinful thoughts to cross your mind and you pleaded for death to the ground below.
But instead of death, you received another sign of life–the smell of chimney smoke–just ahead and only growing stronger. And like the survivor you were, you slowly rose to your feet and wiped your tears with dirty hands before trudging toward the miraculous smoke you weren’t so sure was a blessing from God anymore.
The difficult path eventually gave way to a clearing of dead grass where a cabin stood directly in the middle. It was a striking but strange structure of black wood panels, a steeply pitched roof, and glass-paned windows that emitted a blood orange glow from within. An intricate dwelling that was out of place yet matched the ominousness of the wood.
It wasn’t until the door creaked open that you stopped in your tracks and realized that the wood had been engulfed in uncanny silence except for the grass crackling beneath your feet. A shudder ran down your spine as you watched a tall silhouette appear from behind the door amidst the strangely tinged light.
The figure quirked its head to the side as if considering you, and blood pulsated in your ears as every fiber of your being told you to flee. But before you could take more than a step back, the figure took a step forward, and you found yourself unable to move or speak as the most handsome man you had ever seen approached you.
His appearance was unlike any other and that only added to his allure. His cropped short hair was dyed like a fine, patterned cloth and combed to the sides. His white chemise was without ruffles or puffed sleeves. His black clothing was long and form-fitting with little to no adornments save for golden buttons down the length of his waistcoat and coat and a flat and narrow red silken cravat. His black leather boots were also strange in that they stopped at the hem of his breeches instead of traveling up his calves.
It was not until you caught yourself admiring his pale skin, thin pink lips, high cheekbones, and lidded-lilac eyes that you realized you felt no shame in your libertine actions, and he too was not offended by them. On the contrary, his lips curled upward into a beguiling smile as he towered over you, his eyes catching the light as they too drank their fill of you in a way that made you feel naked.
“Thou art alone.“ It was not a question, but you were too enthralled by the melodic quality of his voice to notice. “Thou art weary, lost, and in need of shelter.”
He reached out for you, his long slender fingers picking out a dry leaf from your hair. Your breath caught in your throat as his warm fingers trailed down the side of your face to gingerly cup your cheek. Deprived of affection for far too long, you readily leaned into the strange man’s touch with a whimper, closing your eyes and pretending it was your father’s hand.
“Come unto me, Little Lamb, and thou shalt have everything thy heart desires.” He murmured, slipping his other hand behind your head and drawing you closer until his warm breath fanned over your face.
You opened your eyes and swirling orbs of lilac peered down at you, haunting and inviting all at once.
“W-what dost thou require of me?” You shivered under the intensity of his gaze, pressing your legs together as heat pooled between them.
“What canst thou give?” His head cocked to the side, and his eyes lowered to your torn bodice and further to your filthy skirt.
“I’ve only myself,” you whispered. A maddening flush spread from your cheeks up to your ears and down to your neck and chest. It pricked your skin and caused that familiar pulsating ache to build until wetness seeped past your quim.
His smile took on a sinister edge, but you had long since gone past the point of no return. “‘Tis all I ask, Little Lamb.”
He pulled you to him and his mouth pressed against yours in a fervent kiss. It was unlike what you had ever expected. It was violent and bruising, hot and wet. It overpowered you and forced you into submission. It tasted of sweet sin and set your skin aflame. It was everything you had been deprived of and you soon returned it with just as much ardor, snaking your arms around his neck and tangling your fingers in his hair.
If there was still any doubt that the stranger before you was the Devil himself, it vanished the moment your surroundings transformed into a bedroom with a crackling fireplace, dim blood orange light, and black luxurious furnishings.
The Devil’s hands slithered behind your back and ripped up your bodice and chemise until they fell onto the ground in ribbons. He did the same with the rest of your clothing until you were trembling and bare. His mouth moved down your neck and sucked on the flesh there, leaving a trail of marks in its wake. You gasped and squirmed but his hands grasped your arse and held you in place. His mouth journeyed further until he took a nipple into his wet warm mouth and suckled on it like a babe before giving the other the same attention.
Jolts of pleasure coursed through you and a throaty whine escaped your lips as the room shifted once more and you found yourself arching off silken sheets with the Devil naked and looming over you, lidded eyes aflame, swollen lips parted, and pale skin covered in a sheen of sweat. He was bewitchingly beautiful and all you could do was watch in awe as he settled between your legs and put his mouth on your dripping quim.
It was a dirty sinful act, but you cared not and reveled in your sin. His long forked tongue parted your folds and lapped at your slick. It traveled up to the throbbing nub atop your mound and flicked at it before drawing it between his lips and sucking until you were writhing underneath his hold. As his mouth and tongue worked your sensitive nub, A finger pushed between your folds, past the ring of tight flesh, and into your most sacred place. It thrust in and out of you with deliberate strokes that pressed against one fleshy spot in particular. One finger became two and then three and before you knew it, waves of molten pleasure built up and bubbled over, a wail ripping from your throat and blinding light clouding your vision.
You halfway expected the flames of hell to engulf you and send you to the deepest depths of Hell, but instead of death by hellfire, you were proven to be very much alive when the Devil pierced you with his cock and claimed your virtue.
He wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you up onto his lap. “I have accepted thy gift, Little Lamb. Thou will want for nothing. I shall provide everything thou desires. I shall be thy lord, master, father, and husband.”
The blacks of his eyes expanded until they covered the entirety of his eyeballs and a set of ridged horns protruded from his scalp. He was a monster but you cared not for he had promised everything you had ever wanted.
“Ride my cock,” he growled into your ear before gripping your hips.
“Take my seed into thy womb,” he continued, picking you up and slamming you back down onto his length.
“And seal thy fate with mine!”
You kissed the Devil and did your new master’s bidding. Your hands gripped his horns and you met each thrust of his hips with your own, sobbing out in pleasure every time he hit the nerves near your womb that had you seeing stars.
“Yes, right there!” you cried, throwing your head back in ecstasy, “there, there, there!”
He rutted into you like the beast he was, stretching you out and working you toward another peak more intense than the first one. You turned into a babbling mindless mess with each forceful thrust, your walls contracted around the Devil’s pulsating cock. An animalistic growl ripped from his throat, and he bit into your shoulder, his sharp teeth drawing out blood and long tongue lapping it up.
Pain and pleasure–that was what drove you to completion and the Devil shortly afterward. Your spend gushed out of you and coated your conjoined bodies while the Devil’s shot his inside of your womb, filling you up until your belly swelled and cramped.
You squirmed underneath him and whined in pain, but the Devil paid you no mind, pinning you down on what was now the cold rumbling earth.
Back in his human form, he pulled out of your spent quim and pressed a kiss against your sweaty brow.
“‘Tis done,” he declared with a horrifying smile. “You are mine.”
At his declaration, his seed turned molten and burned your insides. You writhed and screamed as the Devil laughed above you, lilac eyes shining, and just when you were sure the mercy of death would befall you, the ground split open beneath you, and you fell to the depths of Hell with the Devil holding you for what would be all eternity.
changed a bit my usual format? hope you’ll like it!
warnings: nsfw, minors DNI! fem bodied reader but no specific pronouns used, well duh breeding kink, creampie, mention of lactation kink, boob play, cockwarming
-> the breeders
• is the one who brought up this kink, like you were fucking and he asked you if you’ll let him breed you and well… you didn’t refuse.
• probably has imagined you all cute and pregnant before, like your tits and tummy getting bigger. even just the thought of helping his pregnant partner do daily things turns him on, he’s obsessed with you.
• cums multiple times in you, literally can go multiple rounds just to have the satisfaction of filling you up with his seed and watch it drip down your folds and onto his heavy breeder balls.
• he might also have a lactation kink. just expect him to play around with your boobs and nipples a lot.
• during aftercare, he likes to hold your tummy, imagining how cute it would be with your child. he likes to keep his cock inside you too to make sure not a single drop of his cum is wasted.
• obviously respects your choices if you are not actually ready for a kid yet!!!
• it’s not necessarily a kink he loves but he does think it’s kind of hot. so if you’re into it, he’ll be into it too.
• he likes the general idea of both of you giving yourselves to each other. cumming inside is very intimate since it requires a lot of trust with your partner first, so he would like that aspect of the breeding kink. he definitely likes creampies and doing it raw, so a little bit of dirty talking on how he’s going to knock you up is in his cords.
• wouldn’t want kids right now though, he would prefer to wait until you’re both older and stable. but he can still imagine a future with you and your kid(s).
• that man does NOT want kids. at least not until a very long time.
• would like to do it raw because it feels better but only if you’re both safe and if there’s no risk of you getting pregnant.
• dirty talk about him filling you up and giving you his seed is fine, but if you mention anything about making him a daddy or knocking you up, it’s an instant turn-off and he won’t even be able to finish.
• that’s how BAD he doesn’t want kids rip.
• probably isn’t the type to settle down and marry someone too.
• but if you are long-term partners, he might warm up to the idea, at least warm up to the kink itself since it can be just a fantasy.
cw || nonconsensual filing, voyeurism, alluding to potential blackmailing,
pairing || uh, ran is engaging in intercourse with reader, but rindou is watching and it’s from his pov
wc || 1.4k
Rindou drummed his fingers in the air as he leaned back in his chair, chin pointed at the ceiling as he hummed a made up tune. He was only fifteen minutes into his shift at the movie theatre, and he was already counting the minutes until he clocked out. It’s not that he hated working here, but he had been banished to the security room his first five minutes on the clock, because apparently it was bad business to chat up every girl that walked up to the counter to buy a ticket.
Sitting up with a groan, Rindou rolled his chair over to the control panel and hit a button, the screen full of monitors lighting up. He cycled through each camera, intending to watch along to whatever movie was playing that caught his attention and pass his time that way. “No, no, no, no, no—oh.” His eyes narrowed as he clicked on the next rooms live footage, a familiar head of black and blonde hair grabbing his attention. “Skinny piece of shit.” Ran was supposedto be working the snack counter tonight, but instead he was lounging in the back of theatre seven with—son of a bitch! What the fuck was he doing in an empty theatre with you of all people? Their snobby ass manager that had thrown him in this same room. “Bitch.”
pairings.hitto kakucho x fem!reader, haitani ran x fem!reader
cw.SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTEMPT, triggering language about sexual assault, blood, violence, suicide ideation, HEAVY ANGST, divorce, fingering, suggestive content, adultery, guns, injuries, flashbacks will be in italics, reader discretion is heavily advised
Ran looked up from his phone, streaks of blood from their previous kill still on his cheek. The white stick he had clamped between his teeth tasted bitter as the ashes that lined Rindou’s face when he departed such a dire warning.
“What?”
Gesturing at the device in his hand, Rindou had not missed how Ran was smirking to himself, and there could’ve been one cause for his smug happiness—you.
“Nii-san.” The last time Rindou called him that honorific was when he was in high school after telling his brother how a group of boys had beaten him to the ground and stolen his glasses. After promptly breaking their bones and making sure he was okay, Ran had firmly told him to never call him that again.
Call me ani, Rin. It’s not so formal as nii-san.
Ran’s attention was immediately on the younger Haitani. Gauging his expression carefully, Rindou uttered, “We have a code—a code not to fuck with another man’s wife.”
A scowl settled on his handsome features and Ran scoffed.
Not this again.
Putting out the lit end of the cigarette, he fixed Rindou with an unfathomable look. “There is no code for a woman who cannot even recall her husband.”
“Nii-san, listen,” Rindou urged, somnolent eyes growing slightly wider at his brother’s stubbornness. “Y/N will regain her memories back—you’ve heard what the doctors said. And when she does, how do you think she will perceive you?” As if those thoughts and worries for his brother weighed heavily in his mind, Rindou took in a deep breath, locking his shoulders. “Our code clearly states that we do not touch anyone’s wife or children.”
The so-called “code” that Rindou was referring to was nothing but a bunch of arbitrary rules some old geezer put in place to control his rowdy gang. Mikey had adopted it because Kokonoi had urged him that an organization needed a set of guidelines. Ran Haitani was pretty sure that if given the chance, the head of Bonten would break those rules for the right person, too.
“It’s fine,” he dismissed Rindou’s concern with a wave of his hand. Smiling, he lifted the phone, gesturing to the screen. “Y/N and her mother invited me over for lunch on Wednesday at her favorite cafe. Should I wear the YSL or Louis Vuitton?”
Rindou’s shoulders slumped, and he hoped that his brother would listen to reason just this once, but Ran was always stubborn—in fact, that was where Rindou got his bad habit of never heeding anyone else’s words. Fire could not tame fire—it would only make it glow brighter, and Rindou sensed he would be the last person who should talk rationalism into his besotted brother.
Even he had to admit it. Ran was happier with you. He walked with a pep in his step, executed traitors with a flourish, and didn’t complain when Takeomi walked in and set down twenty binders on his desk with a firm fix your damn mess, can’t even read your shitty reports. His brother was in love, and who was he to rain on his parade?
Taking one more look at that poor fucker’s face and how over the moon he seemed to just hear from the woman who went on a supposed second honeymoon with her strained husband made Rindou sigh inwardly; hoping for the best. That being he wouldn’t find Ran with a bullet in his head and drowning in a pool of his own blood.
Kakucho would never hurt a fellow comrade unless by order, but as saintly as Bonten’s number 3 was, he had a feral side that was waiting to be unleashed.
Rindou could only stand by and pray he would be lucky enough to protect his brother from the scarred man’s wrath—if it ever came to that.
“The YSL,” he muttered, gut tightening at Ran’s lovesick grin. “Fits you better.”
Waterlogged and bleary-eyed, Kakucho’s ass was starting to hurt from sitting too long on the cold marble floor.
An expensive pair of Bottega sandals shuffled back and forth from his line of vision; Kokonoi wearing holes from his pacing. Beside him, hip against the vanity counter, Takeomi broke the hotel’s no-smoke rule by blazing through his second cigarette, barely a sound in the bathroom beyond the water dripping from the ends of his raven locks, pooling around his feet.
Starkly reminding him of what he had just done.
The pacing stopped right in front of him. He looked up into Kokonoi’s pinched expression. The front of his red suit was stained with water from where the shorter man had plunged his whole upper body into the tub to drag his limp body out from the depths. According to Takeomi, Kokonoi had to perform CPR on him while the older Akashi yelled for help.
With the aid of two in-house nurses and money passed under the table to ensure no stray ears would ever hear of this situation, they had managed to save his life.
And Kakucho resented them for it.
“This is absurd.”
Lifting those dual-colored eyes onto snake-like ones, Kakucho had to admit—it was hilarious to see Kokonoi playing the shoulder to cry on. That role was usually relegated to him. From pregnancy scares to overdoses, Kakucho had been the one to protect his fellow comrades from succumbing to their devices. And this time, it was Koko’s turn to take the helm.
A part he was sorely unprepared for.
“What were you thinking?”
Kakucho hung his head, tracing the irregular puddles of water with tired eyes. The towel they had thrown onto him could scarcely hide his modesty, but after what they both had seen tonight, his dignity was the last thing that should be preserved. What was he thinking?
Your face flashed in his mind and he exhaled brokenly, his lungs and nose still burning.
Right. He wasn’t thinking.
Instead of reassuring his comrades that he was fine and that he didn’t need their help, Kakucho clenched his jaw and forced himself to his feet. The towel slipped down his broad shoulders and he caught it in time to wrap around his bare waist. Two pairs of eyes watched him fastidiously as he leaned into the tub and reached for the golden band at the bottom, holding it in his palm from view before they could see and judge him further for his lapse of sanity.
“I need to get out of Tokyo.” Seven words that were stated in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat and forced his bleary eyes to latch onto Koko’s flashing sharp ones. “Whatever mission you have on hand. However long it takes—the longer the better. I want to leave.”
Koko and Takeomi shared a look. Eventually, it was the veteran gangster who put out his cigarette by flicking it into the tub still filled with water, fixing the youngest of them all with a frown.
“Shanghai. Ground mission going undercover to scope out an IT gambling empire and bringing down the leader. You up for—”
“Perfect,” Kakucho bit out, expression hard. He was starting to shiver from the AC blowing on his pruny skin. In a tone that brokered no argument, he looked Koko dead in the eye. “Set me up for that. I leave at the soonest convenience.”
Despite looking like he wanted to argue, Koko wasn’t in a position to do that. He may be the treasurer and one-ninth of a powerful echelon of executives, but Kakucho was Bonten’s number 3. He held superiority and seniority over Hajime, and to go against his words would be a death wish. But, he could still raise his concerns without sounding like a pecking mother hen.
“It’s completely off-radar,” he grunted. “Mikey may need you at the base.”
“Tell Sanzu to fill in for me and… Ran to take my place.”
Both men internally winced at the flash of pain on Kakucho’s face when he said their other comrade’s name. The atmosphere thickened with tension that rolled off their broad shoulders.
Kokonoi sensed it would be useless to try and change his mind. Kakucho may have a more genial and serious disposition than the rest of Bonten, but he could also be unyielding when he wanted. In the end, all he could do was nod and hope that Mikey wouldn’t tear him a new one for allowing his most loyal executive to venture out on a mission that was guaranteed to get him killed. But if the head himself had a problem, there would be a way for him to retain Bonten’s number 3—only if he wanted to, of course.
Unable to comfort him the way how Kakucho would comfort his other comrades when they were in need, Takeomi and Koko shared another look and slipped out of the bathroom without another word. Leaving the tall and scarred man alone.
He heard the door closed and when it did, his shoulders loosened and his jaw grew slack. Tears misted in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Your wedding band in his hand was cold and he set it on the vanity, unable to look at it, knowing for a fact that if he ruminated on it for a second longer, he would hop right back in that tub and finish what he started.
Or, place the nozzle of his gun on his tongue—tasting the rough metal texture and the bitterness of the powder before he pulled the trigger. What would Mikey say then? Kakucho mirthlessly wondered, walking over to and unplugging the tub, watching Takeomi’s cigarette guzzle down the drain in a whirlpool of ash and dirty water.
Kakucho straightened and looked into the mirror, nearly flinching at the sight before him. Both his eyes were red-rimmed, and his nose was leaking, mouth swollen and pale. Strands of raven locks were plastered to his forehead and his fingers were numb when he ran it down his chest; past the indents that would form bruises on his pale skin from Koko’s exertion to expel the water out of his lungs.
Blinking the remnants of the water and tears from his eyes, Kakucho stumbled back to the room. A thin line of pink was on the horizon, signaling a new dawn as if the nightmares that he endured a few hours ago were washed away and the world spun on without him. Life truly was the cruelest mistress.
Even if he had succumbed to the water stuck in his throat and lungs; even if he had pulled the trigger and splattered his brains all over the cream white walls—the world would still continue turning.
Bees would still buzz. The breeze would still blow. Night would fall in a few hours and the sun would rise again in an equal amount of lapsing time.
Everything would be as it was. Time would flow; life would go on.
And Kakucho does not know what is sadder—the fact that his death would have little impact in a world that had no need of scum like him in the first place…
… or the fact that if he died right this very second, it wouldn’t be of any torment or concern to a woman he once dearly called his wife.
The numbness spread from his chest down his arms, plaguing him like a cold fog to keep him rooted to the spot, rerunning those words that broke him over and over again as if his mind was little more than an insidious record player.
Because I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love youBecause I don’t love you.
BecauseI don’t love you.
He closed his eyes and lifted his wet face to greet the first warming rays of a brand new day.
It took all of Kakucho’s strength to return back to the house he once called home with you.
After the disastrous holiday at Okinawa, the space was worse for wear; flies lazily hovering over heaps of rotting trash, grimy floors and a messy bed greeted him back with echoing hollowness. His phone remained empty of your name, and what little shred of hope he harbored that you would change your mind even after what you told him on that deck was slowly dwindling away.
Kokonoi hadn’t returned back with news of his mission to Shanghai. Since he was still on extended leave from Mikey’s graces, he had plenty of time to whittle away—time which he found himself spending by getting out of the suffocating apartment as much as he could. He would dawdle down the familiar streets, passing by places that bore the mark of his memories together with you.
In the distance, your favorite cafe loomed; packed to the brim with patrons who were taking advantage of the last days of summer before winter arrived; cold and foreboding.
A silhouette caught his attention and he noticed it was your mother. Further to her left, his heart constricted. You were seated next to her, radiant and smiling, a sundress adorning your figure that Kakucho thought he was dreaming. There was a sparkle in your eye that was unmissable; a healthy glow to your cheeks, unlike his haunted expression, mused hair, and empty eyes. Looking like an angel who stole the sun’s rays completely on her while he was a complete wreck. He mumbled your name, instinct taking over and propelling him to walk towards you.
But, at the sight of a mop of lilac hair appearing from inside the cafe with a tray full of coffee and desserts, he halted dead in his tracks.
“How did he get that nasty scar?”
Kakucho knew in the deepest pit of his gut that it was wrong to be eavesdropping. But, he couldn’t help it. All throughout dinner, your parents kept on sharing minute glances at each other; a silent question to who exactly was this dangerous-looking young man their precious daughter was entangled with.
He didn’t blame them. If it wasn’t for his unconventional appearance, it would be the milky scars littering his body—one the long-sleeved dress shirt and as many disarming smiles he shared with them could not quite hide.
You tittered and he could just picture your strained expression. “That’s not my story to tell.”
“Don’t you think he looks a little… odd?”
Kakucho held his breath. He wouldn’t know what to do if you agreed to your mother’s prodding. It was one thing to be told that he was ugly and deformed for his whole life—a cripple who did not deserve to live. But, it was an entirely different ball game when it was confirmation coming from the one person in the world whose opinion mattered to him.
A plate was set down onto the marble counter with a sharp click.
“No. No, he does not.” Both your mother and he were stunned into silence at the intensity in your wavering voice. “He is kind and loving and the gentlest person I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting in this life. I don’t care if you think he looks dangerous or if you think he’s not the right one for me. I love him. As my mom, I think that is the only thing you should concern yourself with.”
The quiet that resounded could have echoed a pin dropping to the floor. Kakucho dared not breathe.
“I see.” Your mother’s voice was laced with disappointment. “So you both are serious, then?”
“I don’t know about him, but I’m serious,” you mumbled. Kakucho swore his heart ballooned to twice its size when you said, “I’m serious about loving him.”
Foolish. It was foolish to stand here and think of the past memories when the present held no similarities. He was an idiot for pushing away the one bright spot of sunshine he had left in his tainted world. How it ached and tore into him like metal claws when he saw you laugh with your mother who was obviously charmed by Ran. The older Haitani was grinning smugly, plush lips moving as he regaled the two women with another well-timed joke, every bit the perfect man of your dreams. He was attentive to you; passing you a tissue when you accidentally spilled some coffee on the table, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to pull you closer to him when you laughed a little too hard. And it looked like you weren’t the only one besotted with the handsome executive.
From the flutter of her eyelashes, and the wide smile of the older woman whose face was so much like yours, it was clear who your mother favored more, and Kakucho could not help but think that this accident was a blessing in disguise for the L/N family who had always disapproved of their only daughter’s marriage.
They never wanted you to marry him; as wary as they were that he would only bring you pain and suffering in your life.
And they were right.
As if sensing a pressing stare, you lifted your head and caught his eye, a look of surprise melting into recognition. Admittedly, your heart sank when you noticed the hollows of his dark circles; the tight frown pulling the corners of his lips down. The night you left him echoed emptily in your mind, and while guilt pervaded your chest, it was nothing compared to the fresh laceration of white-hot pain that exploded in his chest when he saw how your face fell.
Not with regret. But, with mortification.
He swallowed back the sand in his throat and bowed his head low, turning around to walk away.
“Kakucho!”
Your sweet voice nearly stopped him and he wanted to sprint—to run and get away from here—to get away from you if it meant you would never see the tears in his eyes. He sped up, taking long strides, and hurried down the bustling street, grunting apologies whenever he swerved too close to an unsuspecting civilian.
“Kakucho!”
A street corner loomed in the distance and he ducked under an awning, letting it hide his bigger build as he pressed himself against the wall. Your footsteps scattered past his hiding spot and he held his breath, no different from the man he was back in your dining room when he heard your rebellious confession in the darkness.
“Where did he go?” Ran’s deep voice encroached in on the silence.
“I don’t know.” He hated how saddened you sounded. It nearly made him want to jump from his hiding spot and claim you by his side; to wipe the tears from your cheeks and coo at you that everything would be fine. That he would protect you from all harm. But, he knew it would be impossible. Fate would not allow him to do this. You were in love with Ran Haitani and he would be nothing but a muddy face in your past you could not quite conjure in the waters of your memory.
“Does he hate me?”
“It’s not… easy… being in his position.”
He could almost see your crestfallen expression in his mind’s eye. “I’m trying,” you exhaled shakily. “I’m trying so hard to remember him but nothing’s coming back Ran.”
“Ssh. It’s okay, princess.” Kakucho’s gut turned when he heard the sound of a soft kiss being pressed onto your skin. “He’ll come around to us. I know he would. ‘Sides—“ there was a grin in Ran’s rebuke. “—I love you just as much. I hope you know that.”
“I know,” you murmured.
Kakucho wanted to scream; to yell up at the sky loud enough to reach the ears of the callous deities who cursed him with the worst of curses. To be in love with a woman who didn’t even remember him. To watch her fall in love with someone else while he had to bite his tongue and just let it all unfurl.
You’ve already had your chance, Ran sneered in his head. And you blew it.
He did. He had the woman of his dreams in his life and what did he do? Make everything a priority but her. Like a goddamn fool.
Kakucho did not waste any time, hurrying back to the apartment, suddenly aching to escape from the unending hot stare of the sun on the back of his neck. He practically lunged past the door, staggering down the hallway, needing to press his back to the walls to hold him up. Every single neuron in his mind was numbly on hold, playing a single loop of the sound of Ran’s lips touching your skin.
That sickening smack of another man’s mouth on his wife’s flesh.
Kakucho wanted to hurl.
His knees jarred onto the hard, cold tiled floors, and he spewed out his dinner from yesterday into the porcelain toilet bowl which left his stomach even more achingly empty than it was a few hours ago; back when he had to force himself to consume at least two mouthfuls of food before he couldn’t keep it down without gagging.
A shell of a man stared back at him from the mirror. It was no wonder you had looked at him in utter horror; if the definition of ‘haunted’ could have a face, he would be the poster child for its bleak campaign. His eyes—already an oddity—were lined with dark circles so deep they seemed etched into his face. The frown that had marred his mouth for the past few weeks was set in stone and he had a perpetual look of exhaustion about him. His already defined cheekbones made even gaunter from the lack of appetite.
Kakucho wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A wave of exhaustion so potent it almost made him stagger to the floor crashed into him, and he went into the bedroom for the first time since your accident. It had remained untouched since your voluntary eviction from his home, and the scarred man did not have the strength to pry open the door, fearing that if he did, it would be the manifestations of all his nightmares coming true.
That you were well and truly gone from his life.
But, he was not in control of his limbs when he stretched out a trembling hand and grabbed the brass knob; turn it around and let the ivory door fall open.
The scent of your perfume was the first thing to hit him in the face. Citruses and peonies, he inhaled the fragrance like a starving man, closing his eyes and imagining with stunning clarity that you were here. Like walking through a museum of memories, he threaded into the room with a hesitant gait. The bed was empty save for your slinky nightie haphazardly thrown on your side. He recalled you had changed out of that and into your Saint Laurent dress just a few hours before the car crash that completely wiped his existence out of your mind.
“Kakucho, please have some dinner,” your soft voice burst through his mind like cold water. He staggered awake, wiping the slight drool from his cheek that had seeped out from his parted lips. What time was it?
He checked the clock and his cheeks paled. “Sorry,” he mumbled just loud enough to reach you at the other end of the room. “Go ahead without me—I was supposed to submit this an hour ago.” Fuck.
Mikey would have his head.
Kakucho was busy scanning the clauses for a new weapon’s deal that he failed to hear you move away from your perch at the threshold. He was only aware of movement when you came in with a plate of warmed food and set it down by his elbow. Shooting you a quick, grateful quirk of his lips, he went back into his work, oblivious to how you shifted from foot to foot beside him.
“Kaku?”
Not even sparing you a glance, he mumbled, “yes, love?”
“Can I have a kiss?”
He set his pen down and took in your flushed cheeks with a small smile. “‘Course,” your husband replied and you smothered your senseless excitement, leaning in close to peck his lips. You both were married. Kisses should’ve been a given. But, it felt like heaven to receive them all the same. He briefly inhaled in your sweet perfume and brushed one more soft kiss to the curl of your lower lip.
You deepened it, taking liberties to nudge yourself closer and straddle his lap, catching him off guard. Melting yourself into his embrace, you twined your fingers in his hair, rocking your core against the growing bulge of his pants. Kakucho wanted to indulge you—he really did—but the mounting workload that was calling out his name could not be easily ignored.
Like swimming in the deepest trenches of the ocean and trying not to drown, he eased himself away from you. He forced himself not to feel too guilty at the disappointment in your face. This was what he was doing for your family. It was his duty as your husband—as the father to your future children—to make sure the accounts were fully padded, ready to provide at the drop of a hat.
“Kaku—“
“I’m sorry, love, but I have to finish this or else the meeting at Omi’s bar tomorrow night is going to be awkward as hell,” he attempted to lessen the blow by gently kissing your temple. “I’ll be coming back to the bedroom in a bit, so go ahead and wait for me there, ‘kay? I’ll be with you in fifteen minutes.”
Your bright smile eased some of the discomfort stirring in his soul as you hopped off his lap and giddily made your way back to the shared room; eagerly awaiting for your husband with no idea how disappointed you would be.
Fifteen minutes turned into thirty. Then an hour passed. Two hours. Your eyes were heavy, the slinky lingerie piece you wore for your husband feeling more and more like a clown’s suit the longer you lounged in it. Thumbing the black silk and lace, you closed your eyes, inhaling deeply. Tonight was just not going to happen.
A pair of footsteps shuffled back into the bedroom and you perked up. Kakucho entered, completely exhausted but growing sharper when he noticed you. And what you had worn for him.
That spark of excitement turned into panic and he made a strangled sound in the back of his throat. “My love, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot,” he rushed to make amends, quickly moving to your side to clasp your hands in his shaky ones. “Please, forgive me. It completely slipped my mind.”
You forced a smile with the patience of a saint as you shook your head. “It’s fine,” you uttered softly, reaching out to pull him into your embrace. “You’re worth the wait, my love.”
You let him take you that night amidst the disappointment, cock pistoning in and out of you with languid intensity. You did your best to please him as a wife did; moaning out your pleasure, squeezing down on his length, panting out his name. But, after it was all done, you couldn’t find it in your heart to hold onto him. While Kakucho slept on peacefully, you were locked in your inner world of torment.
Quietly, you picked up your strip of morning afters and swallowed one pill, washing down the heavy feeling in your chest with a quick gulp of water. Kakucho grunted brows pinched as he reached out to you in his sleep, finding your waist and pulling your back flush to his chest.
Despite nothing but a layer of sweat separating the both of you, you felt like you were a million miles away from your husband. You thought he wouldn’t hear, wouldn’t feel the vibrations of your chest as you cried yourself to sleep. But, he did. If there was one thing he was good at, it would be lying stock still, pretending to be dead to the world as it fell apart all around him.
Kakucho was wide awake when he heard your hitched breaths; felt the slight shudder of your shoulders. Every part of him burned with the pain of bringing you to this state. All he could do was tighten his grip on you and nuzzle his face into your neck, praying that you would still be patient with him. Your breathing stuttered and you laced your fingers above his ones splayed across your waist, your wedding band digging into the back of his hand.
A silent promise of a forever.
Kakucho came back from that memory, holding the lace nightie you wore on that night of the many different nights your disappointment in him began to fester. He pressed it to his face, catching hints of your favorite vanilla body wash from the material. The only physical sign that you had been in this room and that the very last night he had with you was not an illusion.
Perhaps, Ran was right.
Kakucho was never meant for you.
He had tried to give you a sliver of happiness but it always backfired. He had you for three years and all you could remember of that weighty commitment of a forever in your altered state was… nothing.
While you had been given a second chance to fall in love, he had to contend with the demons of a failed marriage that would not stop haunting him. That would not stop raking their teeth through his throbbing flesh.
Every oozing pore screamed disappointment loud and clear in the red rivulets of his bleeding heart.
A low hum against your throat made you whimper.
Slim fingers gently lifted the hem of your sundress, curling slowly up your inner thigh where your pussy throbbed in anticipation. His other hand was busy fondling and twisting your nipples through the thin material, and you bit back on a moan when he traced the outline of your lips through your thong.
“Having fun?” Ran’s husky voice caressed your earlobe. One second, he was teasingly running the tip of his finger up and down your clothed seam, and the next, his fingers slipped into your heat with no warning at the same moment his other palm clasped around your mouth to muffle your gasp of shock.
You melted against his broad chest, head lolling back as your hips undulated; trying to gain more friction. He nipped your jaw and teasingly warned, “Don’t scream—you wouldn’t want mama to come running upstairs only to find her precious baby girl like this, wouldn’t you?”
Barely able to nod, your whole body tensed when he dropped his hand from your mouth to play with your nipples again. His cock was a hard steel rod against your lower back and you ached for him to fuck you. Ran was adamant about not claiming your pussy yet, always giving the excuse that you were still tied to Kakucho to deflect your pressing questions.
Such a tease. You bit on your lower lip when you felt his thumb running tight circles on your clit; his index and middle finger scissoring you open till you were seeing stars. Hitting your sweet spot with deadly accuracy, you could now see why Ran was the second-best shot in Bonten after your husband.
At the thought of Kakucho, your chest tightened and you stilled his wrist by wrapping your fingers around it. Halting his movements.
Ran hooked his chin on your shoulder, his curious stare burning into your cheek; you couldn’t even look at him, all too consumed by the rotting stench of your regret at the memory of Kakucho’s wounded expression. How the hand that Ran was holding now seemed infinitely lighter without a wedding band adorning your ring finger.
“I don’t think I can do this.” Ran retracted his fingers from the seat of your panties and gently squeezed your thigh, a wordless apology.
“Thinking about him?”
The other man doesn’t have to wait long for your reply; it was implicitly woven in your silence. How the guilt of hurting someone else was eating into your soul. His sigh stirred up the loose strands of hair around your face and he pressed the softest of kisses on your cheek, quietly aching at the fact that you were hurting from something that was completely out of your control. He didn’t know what compelled him to blurt out his next words; only cognizant of the weight of them once they slipped past his careless lips.
“Marry me.”
You blinked. Turning your gaze to him, you were floored at the sincerity in them; how those lilac orbs were glossed over with both fondness and trepidation. Your tongue darted out to wet your lips and you tried to find your voice but sorely failed.
Watching you malfunction in real-time, Ran lowered his eyes and expectations, preparing himself for your outright rejection. For his ego to be sore and bruised because what the hell was he thinking? Marriage was never in his cards; he was not one to stay long enough with a single woman to even consider it. So why was it incredibly easy to depart those dreaded two words to you?
You tottered on your too high heels, wobbling around and nearly falling flat onto the sticky ground when a hand shot out to grab you.
Half expecting it to be your husband, you were surprised to see that it was his colleague instead. Ran Haitani.
“Ran,” you slurred over your words, nearly tripping over your own toes in your haste to wrap your arm around his shoulder in a lame half-hug. “What’re you—“ a strong hiccup caught you off guard. “What’re you doing in the girl’s toilet?”
His thin lips were pulled in a line of amusement as he steadied you, one hand lightly around your wrist. “Careful there, Y/N. You could’ve gone tumbling down.”
You hiccuped again and returned his teasing with a scowl. “S’not like that. M’fine.”
Ran’s smirk melted into a look of concern when he noticed the bleeding emptiness in your eyes. He’d known for a while now that your marriage to Kakucho was slowly becoming strained. Where there was once gentle smiles and intimate glances, it was now replaced with perfunctory hand-holding and tight grins. The other executives could see it, too; how Kakucho left you alone with them as he mingled with the key figures of the night’s celebrations. How his underlings had to watch over you as he did deals in the dark, threatened men behind closed doors, and made promises he struggled to keep through whiskey-soaked lips.
All in the name of Bonten. While you—his wife—waited patiently and loyally for him.
Like a damn puppy, he thought with pity. You would follow Kakucho to the ends of the earth. And the most tragic part was that the scarred man was too caught up in his own warring loyalty and tenacity for the organization’s success that he neglected the one person that anchored him back to reality.
“I’ll be back soon. G’na get you some water.” You nodded, barely hearing anything else above the low thump of a techno number vibrating through the thin walls. The room was spinning and you cursed yourself for drinking way too much. It couldn’t be helped—you were completely and utterly bored out of your wits, that when Koko offered you a glass of vodka, you had downed two more to make up for the burn in the back of your throat that mimicked the pulsing humiliation at being left alone while your husband did god knows what.
You had wanted to stay home and watch a movie, but Kakucho had insisted you dress up and come with him to a dingy club where almost every executive had a whore languishing on his lap and a drink in his ring-clad hand. It thrilled you that your husband pulled you onto the seat of his broad thighs, but that spark of giddiness was replaced by dull disappointment when he nudged you aside in favor of pulling an hour-long disappearing act.
Wouldn’t it be ironic that he’s with another woman? Your lips curled sardonically at the thought. You had long held a growing suspicion that Kakucho was seeing someone else and you had kept extra vigilant tonight for an errant stare; a careless glance from another woman that would solidify the sickening pit in your gut that told you your husband was not faithful.
It never did come—mainly because you hadn’t seen Kakucho for the past one hour and you were steadily growing exasperated at his demeanor.
The door to the bathroom opened again, and you lifted your head, expecting to find Ran but it was a tattooed underling who had an ink teardrop etched on his right cheek. His name did not come to you. Yamoto? Yoshino? You blinked and straightened, ice shooting through your veins at the sight of his pervy leer. The door closed behind his large build and his lips moved, but you could barely make out the words from the fear completely rooting you to the spot.
“… pretty ass mouth… staring at you the whole night… you look lonely… come here.”
He dragged you into his arms, pushing your body against the cold wall and tugging the hem of your dress up. The large bulk of his body settled in between your thighs and you could scarcely move; the sight of his gun glinting from the band of his pants filled you with complete dread. Nailing you firmly to the wall like a frozen portrait.
“Don’t scream or else I’ll gut you,” his breath was hot and putrid on your neck.
You whimpered when he squeezed your thighs hard enough to leave a mark and screwed your eyes shut, the world spinning out of control when something hot and wet licked up the side of your cheek.
One second, a suffocating weight was pressed against you, and the next, Ran’s bloody fist was all you could see; pummeling the cretin over and over again until you had to gasp out for him to stop—impulsively reaching out to grab his wrist and holding him back. Ran turned to you, nostrils flaring and eyes pinpricked with adrenaline, a far cry from the smirking, callous executive you had come to know.
“Stop,” you forced your tongue to move. “S-stop. Enough.”
“He tried to rape—”
You cringed and shook your head, streaks of tears leaving tracks in your foundation; smudging your mascara around your eyes. “Enough.”
Ran reluctantly let that asshole go and he stumbled out of the cramped bathroom with a low groan, holding the bridge of his broken nose to avoid more pools of blood from staining the floor. You hadn’t noticed you were shaking until a thick jacket wrapped around your shoulders, engulfing you in his comforting scent of coffee and warmth.
Gentle hands took yours, squeezing them as if they would break from the slightest pressure. “Are you alright?” you hated to admit it, but Ran’s low baritone was soothing. It helped you fight the tears back, at least for a little while as your heart slowed down. You felt cold all over, your vision narrowing to his large hands clasped around yours.
Before you could fathom what you were doing, your head pitched forward, and Ran caught you, allowing your tears to stain the front of his suit. He rubbed your bare shoulders, shushing you, and you didn’t give a single damn about how this looked like to an outsider. You were scared and confused; unable to regulate your emotions long enough to remember that the man you should be seeking comfort from was not the one currently right in front of you.
“Do you want to tell Kaku?”
You shook your head and Ran stifled a sigh. “He has to know. We have rules to not touch another man’s wife.”
“I-I don’t want to cause a scene,” you mumbled, internally wincing at the idea of how this could potentially drive a wedge between you and Kakucho. Your relationship with his job scope was already as precarious as it was, and you didn’t need another added layer of stress. Or to force him to choose between his job and you.
“That’s fucking stupid,” Ran scoffed. “He would want to know. He’s your husband, Y/N. He needs to know.”
“No,” your voice wavered and he sensed that it was useless to fight you. “I don’t want him to think I’m being fussy.”
“You were almost raped—“
“Please,” you whispered, manicured hands fisting the front of his pristine suit vest. “Just… let me tell him when the time is right.”
Ran could never say ‘no’ to you. His heart was far too soft as it was for a woman who belonged to his superior. Just the sight of your wet eyes and swollen lips alone could make his breathing pick up, and he yearned for nothing more than to lean forward and plant his mouth on yours. To finally claim you as his own—to wash the bitter taste of losing you to a man who did not even deserve your devotion.
He remembered the news of when your marriage broke to the rest of Bonten. How he was the only one who had no heart to congratulate the dark-haired, scarred bastard who unfairly claimed you as his own. How he had returned to his empty penthouse, too exhausted to even call one of his whores on beck and call to relieve his stress. The empty whiskey glasses lined his bar as he drank himself to a stupified, heartbroken sleep on a far too luxurious couch in the middle of an achingly empty apartment.
If only he hadn’t been stupidly generous on that night for Kakucho to make the first move.
If only he gave in to his impulses to steal you away from him before it was too late.
Ran had many chances to sweep you off your feet, but he never took it. How could he when that damn asshole was the happiest he had ever seen him since the day Izana died?
When the roots of this once flourishing marriage started to sour, that was when the lilac-haired man absolutely regretted his inaction. How he had not followed his heart and took you as his wife when it was clear you deserved an ocean of devotion. Not drops or crumbs that your husband gave you. Kakcuho was so busy chasing the ghost of his past that he made himself a specter to his own living loved ones.
You didn’t deserve this. Ran would never treat you this way.
Your honeyed smile gave him hope. His uncertainty melted away when you turned around to straddle his lap, cupping his face in your palms like he was something precious to be admired. To be loved by the likes of you. You—a goddess far too enamoring for her own good; a bright ray of sunshine that could enliven even the darkest corners of a man’s broken soul. Someone far too good for a man as tormented and abhorred as him.
“Yes,” you pressed a soft kiss to his parted mouth, a smile growing in between the kiss. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
The divorce papers in his mail hit him like a slap to the face.
Kakucho had never thought that you would go through with your callous words on the deck; never would’ve thought that the reality of this marriage dissolving would ever see the light.
But there it was on his dining table, like a beacon that spelled out in red letters how he had failed this marriage. How it was too late to see you and change your mind because the next thing he knew, his phone was blowing up with texts from Koko, Omi, and strangely enough, Rindou.
It was not enough that the younger Haitani had sent him a string of messages, but he had also called Kakucho a few times in a span of five minutes. On the third call, he picked up the phone, only to hear Rindou’s exhausted, “Hello?”
“Haitani?”
“I tried to stop him.”
The papers forgotten, Kakucho shot to his feet, no longer a heartbroken husband but a keenly aware Bonten executive. “Who? What happened? Is it anyone we know?”
Silence echoed on the other side. Rindou asked him a strange question.
“You don’t know?”
Kakucho wracked his brain for an inkling of what the other man was trying to say, but unfortunately, nothing came to his mind. “Don’t know, what?” He didn’t mean to sound frustrated, but his emotions were at an all-time high from the nasty surprise in his mailbox and the impending realization that everything in his life was completely turning upside down. It could’ve made even the sanest person want to end it all.
“I’m sorry,” Rindou whispered. Arrogant, cruel, and callous, the Haitani brothers were not exactly known to be considerate or even diplomatic. Ever. What else could one expect from the iron-fisted rulers of Roppongi? Certainly not an apology—never.
Kakucho was getting increasingly worried. “Rindou, what the fuck is going on? Is someone dead? Who is it?”
Another beat of silence. And then, the one reveal that made his entire soul shatter into pieces.
“I just found out that my brother has proposed to Y/N… and she accepted.” He could just picture Rindou’s furrowed brow and a deep frown. “I’m sorry.”
Kakucho froze, his stomach plummeting completely down to his feet. The phone slipped from his hand and clattered to the table. It was stiflingly quiet in the apartment that he could hear his own labored breathing; Rindou’s confused voice on the other end asking if he was alright. His blood roared through his ears.
No.
No.
This was impossible.
Ran would never…
But, he would.
Hedid.
Didn’t he? Didn’t he say that his wife would be his? That he would do whatever it takes to make sure she belonged to him?
That wasn’t a threat. It had been a promise all along.
Kakucho’s fingers twitched and in the distance, Rindou’s voice melted away into a dial tone.
He had known all along that he was undeserving of love; that for all his life, an impenetrable fog of loss hovered over him and brought death to anyone he dared to touch. In that sense, he understood now why gods were lonely. Why the tallest trees often stood alone in the middle of the forest. To these great beings, love was something unattainable.
In succumbing to love, they would have to give up their dignity. Their vitality.
Kakucho had long thought both dark power and love could co-exist side by side. But, he was starting to see now that it never could.
He wasn’t merely just Kakucho the husband, or Kakucho the lover. He was Kakucho the Bonten executive; the third most notorious, dangerous and sought-after man in all of Japan and possibly the world. Where Mikey might’ve been Zeus with his almighty potency, and Sanzu the vengeful, vacillating second deity most fitting of Poseidon himself, Kakucho was, by contrast, the quiet God of Death.
Alone in his penthouse, he watched the world sway in life and brightness while he would never be allowed to partake in their livery. To always be shrouded in darkness and be known for his frightening abilities to execute a man from where he stood. A good enough shot that a bullet will always find purchase to end a life. Even his childhood was tainted by death, and as if summoned, the phantom pain he battled with for half of his life throbbed in his left eye, echoing the dull pangs of the lacerated skin that ran down his forehead and stopped just at the milky, visually impaired orb.
An oddity.
An outlier.
Never to be loved.
Always to be seen as a monster.
There was once when he thought he had found his Persephone, but the one thing that separated him from Hades was that at least the Greek God of Death cherished his wife. He would never think to let her be upset in his domain. He would bring the sun and flowers to her on bended knee if she so much as whispered that she missed the world above.
Unlike him. He never brought you flowers or the sun or happiness. All he did was take, take and take. Leaving you a husk of the woman you once were.
So, he would sign the papers. He would let you leave the Underworld and in doing so, maybe you will find it in your heart to forgive him once you stepped back into the sunshine. Into the life you were meant to live with a man who wouldn’t have to steep you in darkness in order to show his devotion.
To finally be free of him.
Kakucho touched his face, surprised to find his cheeks wet. But, his heart had long gone cold and numb. The ache was bearable, or perhaps he had gotten used to it. Memories of you filling the penthouse with your warm presence, your smiles, prancing around in nothing but his t-shirt. Every inch held a memory of the life you both once shared. The kitchen where you almost burned your hair making his favorite dish, the worn-out couch upholstery that was tattooed with the divots of your bodies pressed together whether in the ecstasy of love-making or lazy Sunday afternoons where you both just held onto the other.
Like a ghost, he wandered the apartment, delaying the inevitable.
Pulling out the remainder of your clothes in a sorry excuse of your closet, only to place them in a pile. Running the expensive silks and soft cotton through his roughened palms. Bringing them to his nose to hungrily catch a whiff of your sweet perfume that was growing fainter with each passing day.
Once he had his fill of replaying the memories that suddenly came back with astounding clarity, he staggered back to the kitchen. To the dining table where those heartbreaking papers stood like a sentinel; waiting to bring him to his inevitable fate towards the gallows as he watched the last of his hopes get snuffed out.
Where he would have to finally accept that he had lost you.
True love is selfless. And it is prepared to sacrifice.
Izana taught him that fact a long time ago. You had taught him that true love cared for no one but the other person for close to four years.
Now, he has to put these lessons to good use.
These lessons on learning how to put someone else’s happiness before his own. Like how you once did. Like how you would continue to do if you were still here today with him. The lessons on letting go.
It wouldn’t be fair to you, and so, he had to release you. For you to be happy with someone who could give you what he couldn’t. Kakucho loved you far too much to even think of causing you pain any longer. It was a done deal, it was over. He would let you go.
And so, with a heavy heart and trembling hand, he picked up the ridiculously expensive fountain pen you had gifted him for your second wedding anniversary and signed his name on the dotted line.
Finally granting you the happiness he knew with every fiber of his soul you deserved.
“It’s all happening too fast.”
Your mother looked up from styling your hair, a frown tugging on the corners of her lips that were so similar to yours. The weeks seemed to have flown past like a bullet train. At first, you had been relieved that the divorce papers arrived back in a pristine condition, crisply signed with no resistance from the scarred, dark-haired man you hadn’t seen since that fateful day on the deck.
But, when the preparations began, something felt off.
It was in the air; the awkward gait of his fellow executives and the forced smiles on your parent’s faces. The palpable relief when you showed them the divorce letters. Your future husband, in contrast, was all smiles and soothing kisses that distracted you from what was hovering worryingly in your mind. Always with a quip to calm your nerves.
You knew what his answer to your soft question would be.
It’s just the right speed when I’m with you, baby.
Apparently, your mother seemed to echo his sentiments. “It’s because you’re in love, my dear. And you can’t wait to spend your life with Ran.”
That’s not it, you wanted to say but couldn’t find it in yourself to ruin the glint of happiness in her eye. She was smiling softly, lovingly smoothing down the stray loose locks of hair and placing a soft kiss on the top of your head. You always had a gentle heart and hated to disappoint anyone. It was your people-pleasing ways that made you hold onto your tongue all for the sake of keeping the peace—while you suffered the repercussions of that smothered silence.
But, you had no idea exactly what you would be losing out on in this instance when marrying Ran. You had no idea of the hushed whispers his colleagues would depart when your back was turned; or how throughout this entire wedding preparation, the unfamiliarly familiar mop of dark hair and dual-tone eyes could not be found amidst the party of stony-faced men.
You had asked Ran if you should invite him, to which your fiance replied that he had already extended an invitation, but Kakucho had declined. Neither of you wanted to rub it in his face and make things even more awkward—taking the signed divorce papers as his white flag of him wishing you both well, but not conceding to attend the wedding.
It wasn’t exactly a loss, but you felt disconcerted all the same.
Without warning, you stood up, and your mother took a step back. You met her eyes through the mirror and shot her a tight smile. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Not sensing that anything was amiss, your mother nodded. You departed for your next destination, the thick door blocking out the raucous noises of the engagement party.
Where you had no idea of the conversation that took place just a few feet away in the other room.
He drew the hoodie closer to his frame, keeping his hands fisted in his pockets as he wandered down the decked-out hallways.
Ran had gone all out with the budget; vines of real roses hung from the ceiling, accents of gold from the gilded chairs and tables. Even the napkins were embossed with gold and both of your names together, a stark reminder that he was not welcomed at this party despite the older Haitani’s good faith in extending him an invitation.
At first, Kakucho had almost burned it, but he reined in his anger, keeping the offensive piece of paper locked in the bedside table of his hotel room until he calmed down long enough to pull it back out.
All this for an engagement party? It seemed as if the real wedding was happening today, and a part of him would not be surprised. Ran loved theatrics, and he had no doubt if given free permission, he would hold the wedding right here and now. The only variable he could foresee that would cause a hiccup in his plans was your reluctance and careful behavior.
In some ways, you were just like him when it came to the matters of the heart, where arduous expressions of love had to be regarded with suspicion.
Kakucho was so steeped in his thoughts that he turned the knob of the first door he encountered. Only to find your mother staring back at him with wide eyes in a room filled with dresses, shoes, and makeup.
Recognizing what this must look like to the older woman, Kakucho took a step back. “Okasan. I—”
“What are you doing here?” her sharp question hit him like a whip, and he almost flinched. “How did you get past security?”
Regaining his wits, he mumbled, “I’m here to find Ran.” As to her other question, he gave her a reticent look. “The guards let me through. I rank higher than Haitani and have a right to enter any premise of Bonten that I want.” He did not mean to gloat, but damn if the stricken look on her face did not strike him with satisfaction.
She cleared her throat and gestured down the hall. “He’s in the groom’s room with Rindou-chan.” Her sharp look was back and Kakucho wondered if you had ever gazed at him like this—no, you hadn’t. Once upon a time, he was your everything and there was no one else in the world that you would hold a soft spot for quite as you did for him.
“Let her go, son.”
Whatever he expected his former mother-in-law to say, it was not this. Kakucho hung his head forward, unable to meet her eyes. Those eyes that looked so much like yours it sent an ache straight to his soul.
“I am,” he finally said after a beat of silence. “I am letting her go.” Masking his pain, he stood straighter, removing his hands from the pockets to assume his executive gait—proud and unbowing. “The alimony money has kicked in and Y/N should receive a payment of ¥400,000 every single month as per our nuptials.”
At least your mother had the gall to look sheepish. She nodded, lowering her eyes. Neither party knew what to say to the other, and Kakucho thought this would be it—his first and only marriage ending not with old age as he wanted to believe, but with a whisper of defeat. He shouldn’t have let the tears cloud his eyes, but he was hopeless to stop them. Your mother realized a second too late that he was crying and she cautiously walked over to him, pressing a hand to his shoulder.
“For what it is worth, I am grateful that you took care of my daughter for three years.” She dropped her hand when he nodded, regaining his composure back to give her a small smile, dashing at the tears running down his face with the heel of his palm. A gesture that was so unbecoming on his usual stoic countenance that he was sure his ex-mother-in-law was quietly stunned.
“And for what it is worth, thank you for accepting me into your family.” He bowed his head in humble gratitude. “Thank you for giving me something I’ve never known and for taking me in. I will forever cherish your kindness.”
Before she could retort, he left the room, closing the door and walking in the direction that he had been given. He stopped in front of the last door down the hallway and steeled himself, knocking on it once.
A low baritone asked, “Who is it?”
Kakucho cleared his throat softly. “It’s me.”
There was a pause, and for a second, he was sure they would not let him in. But then, the door slid open and a pair of lilac eyes bore into his.
Seeing Ran in his engagement tux solidified the sickening pit in his stomach. But, Kakucho promised to play nice for today. He would not torture himself by watching you walking down the aisle to marry the man he once saw as his adopted older brother; however, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t give his blessing in the background when the world expected him to burn down this union even before it began.
“I’m here to talk.”
Ran nodded towards Rindou who hesitated for a split second, as if by leaving his brother behind, he wouldn’t find him in one piece after this meeting with him. Eventually, the younger Haitani turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him to give the two men their privacy.
“You look like shit, Kaku-chan.”
He had enough bitterness in him to muster a laugh; the gall of a man who was going to marry his wife saying that he wasn’t as put together as he usually was. Only Ran Haitani could be this dense and insensitive. It was sheer luck that Kakucho did not bring his gun—he wouldn’t know what impending disaster would befall them both if he decided to bring his weapon with him today.
What he knew was that neither of them would leave this scuffle unharmed. And it would’ve been a great outcome if he couldn’t stop himself from picturing your horrified expression. How you would run to Ran first and not him—once more, he had to contend with the humiliation of his wife choosing another.
At his silence, the older man frowned, adjusting his tie and coat lapels while he waited impatiently for his comrade to speak. But, as the unbroken quiet stretched on, he wracked his mind for a way to break the terse atmosphere, settling on a prodding question instead.
“Kakucho, why’re you here—?”
“She always needs to sleep with a soft light,” he muttered, cutting him off.
Ran stopped fiddling with his cufflinks and fixed him with an unfathomable look. Kakucho was lost in his recollections, not sparing a glance at the older Haitani. Speaking to himself rather than the other man who would soon claim his wife as unfairly his.
“She loves to cuddle, especially during a thunderstorm. Lightning and thunder scare her so always make sure to hold onto her tight.” Kakucho’s deep voice, always sturdy and sure, was now barely above a whisper. “She has trouble falling asleep and will always smile when you bring her a cup of chamomile tea.”
The world he built with you—the woman he loved—flashed through his mind like a montage reel. Revealed to another man who would pick up where he left off to fulfill his failed duties.
“Always let her pick the Friday movie and even when she says she can handle the spice from the green curry at any Thai restaurant, don’t trust her and order another glass of ice water. Just in case.”
Ran could not find his voice. What could a man say to another man who had already conceded to the reality that they were going to marry their amnesiac wife?
The situation was unorthodox—scratch that, it was completely bizarre. Ran did not know how the younger man did it. If he was in Kakucho’s position, he would burn the whole world down to ashes at the thought of another man touching his wife. In fact, if any of the Bonten members so much as looked at you, he would break their necks. Kakucho included.
But, he had nothing to worry about when the younger man informed him of his next move. “I’m leaving for Shanghai in two days’ time. Thought I should let you know first before Mikey breaks it to you.”
Ran exhaled, almost in relief. “How long?”
His answer was a stony shrug. “Depends on who comes back in a body bag. The target or I.”
warnings/includes:angst, bonten! ran, cheating, toxic relationship, manipulation, slight gaslighting (?) just to be sure ehe, dilf! ran, milf! reader, ran is an asshole, rindou is a sweetheart, and reader is a girl boss
Rindou looks so awkward, sitting on the couch in your living room but he tries his best to lessen the tense atmosphere by playing with his nephew. He loves to gossip– gosh, he loves hearing the most ridiculous situations people put themselves in but if it’s about his brother and his ex sister-in-law, he’d like to be excluded in the narrative.
“We’re just gonna wait in the car. Don’t take too long, Ran.” Rindou has to leave the room and take his seven year-old nephew with him as soon as Ran opens his mouth to talk about the 6'3 foot man you were seen with last week. He knew it was going to be messy so he took the initiative to give you and his brother some privacy to talk about your… well, relationship?
“That’s really none of your business.” You answer him dismissively, still busy arranging the contents of your son’s bag for his weekend trip with his dad and his uncle.
There’s a scoff that Ran couldn’t help but let out while staring bullets through your head. “Yes, it is. What would Ren think if he sees his mother fucking another man that isn’t his dad?”
Pause. You need to release a heavy breath to calm yourself or else you’re going to lash out and possibly let your child hear you screaming at his father. “You sure do have a lot of nerve to say that after everything you did.”
“Christ, Y/N! That was– I don’t know! Two, three years ago?” Ran snaps back, his towering height in front of you now and completely devouring your figure with just his shadow.
“Whatever happened two or three years ago is the reason why we’re even here in the first place. Stop projecting, Haitani.” Your words are firm and strong, this time looking up at him through your lashes with eyes burning with so much annoyance and displeasure.
Truth be told, you’re sure that the love you have for this man will linger on until you’re gray and old but there’s only so much you can take. The damage in your relationship when he cheated on you is irreparable.
“What do you even mean by that?” Ran asks with a humorless chuckle, “You can’t tell me you haven’t fucked the man when you kept meeting up with him for the entire week. What do you take me for?”
A fool. That’s what you are, Ran Haitani! You want to tell him but you don’t want to give him the satisfaction of riling you up despite your blood boiling.You’ve always been good at keeping your composure so you do what you do best. Inhale. He’s not worth it. Exhale. You’re better than this. This time, you decided to put distance between him and yourself by standing up and strengthening the creases on your dress– or else his cheek will end up bruised with how much your hand is itching to land a harsh slap on his skin. “If you don’t have anything left to say, you can leave. Ren’s things are all in the bag now. Enjoy your trip, Haitani."
Ran is left speechless, his mouth gaping as his eyes follow your graceful body in opening the door, wordlessly asking him to go fuck himself and be on his damned way. This is one of the many reasons why he fell in love with you. You know how to put him in his place without having to put so much effort into it… but it’s also why he’s seething mad. Without as much of a thought, he walks over to the door– not to leave but so he can slam it shut.
"What is wrong with you?” You’re glaring at him and he can see the tiny cracks in your facade. You’re so close to breaking.
“I’m not leaving until we talk about this. Stop acting like a fucking child.” He growls, purple eyes scanning your scowling features as he traps you between him and the wall.
You don’t know where he gets the audacity to talk like you’re the one who did him wrong when it’s the other way around. “I’d rather we don’t. There are things that must be left alone so we can remain as cordial as possible in front of our child,” You’re looking at him with no trace of any emotion present in your face, “Truth be told, I don’t want to see you ever again but we’re bound together because of Ren so let’s just pretend like we’re on good terms or whatever.”
You see his fist clench, his jaw slackening as he stared you down, trying to intimidate you but you’re no longer the soft and submissive Mrs. Haitani. Thanks to him, you learned how to stand your ground. “Why do we have to pretend when we can fix things, Y/N? Why are you making a big fuss out of this? It’s been years.”
He’s right. It’s been years, he’s got so much time to fix things with you and your son before but he didn’t. He turned away and continued to be frivolous as if he wasn’t married and got a child waiting for him at home. He wasn’t even there when Ren’s baby tooth fell off nor was he present for Ren’s first day at kindergarten. He wasn’t there when Ren got so sick he had to be admitted to the hospital and you were breaking down in the arms of his brother, Rindou. Heck– you can’t even count how many times he stood you up on special occasions, telling you he’s got so much “shit” to do or because it slipped off his mind but seems to never forget his secretary’s birthday.
“You forgot? Of course you forgot. You seem to be forgetting a lot of things these days but then perk up at the reminder of your secretary’s birthday.”
“How can I forget? We’re always together.”
“And we’re not? Oh right. Yes, we’re not always together because when you’re supposed to be at home, you’re out with her on fancy dates, traveling to different places while I’m here with my son, worrying about you and wondering when you’re going to come home!”
“Can you stop, Y/N? I’m really not in the mood to argue with you.”
“You want me to stop? Okay. Then let’s end this marriage and get divorced. I’m sick of getting treated like a bed warmer and a fucking maid. I’m done.”
“You don’t mean that! I’m not going to let you–”
“I’m not asking for permission. I’m telling you what’s gonna happen. I’m taking Ren with me and you can go do whatever you want.”
That was the end of it. It was cruel to let go of him not because you feel bad for him or the love you still have for the father of your child remains above all things but because Ren didn’t deserve to have a broken family. You didn’t want him to grow up without a dad by his side and realize once he’s old enough that his dear mother got cheated on only because his father thought she wasn’t doing it for him anymore.
With a smile that doesn’t reach your eyes, you bring your hand up to his cheek in a caress– the familiar softness in them tearing your heart yet again. You miss him. You do but for the sake of your own sanity and the only hope left for Ren to grow up with a stable mother despite being away from his dad, from his mother’s first and greatest love– you accept that things can’t always go the way you want. No more self destruction, no more doubting yourself– just you and your son and the memories of what once a happy life you had with Ran Haitani.
“You’re the one who gave up on us and ruined what’s left of our family, Ran. I only gave you what you wanted.”
–pairing:devil!ran haitani x f!reader, 17th century new england au, inspired by ‘the witch (2016)’ and the salem witch trials folklore
–content:dark content, corruption, loss of virginity, ritual sex, erotic horror,monster-fucking, breeding, oral (f!receiving), fingering, overstim, mentions of assault/abuse, archaic dialogue
–note:my shot at erotic horror featuring ran haitani for @semisgroupie’sheaven&hell collab bc i watched the witch and thought ran would make a good human!black phillip, dark content ahead so minors can f*ck off! feel free to rb, send me an ask, or leave a comment <3
If you would like to be tagged in this series, do comment below or send an ask! For other works, please fill out my official taglist forms in my pinned post!
I GUESS THAT WAS GOODBYE. | ran haitani x gn! reader
contains. angst. hurt & comfort. fluff. gn! reader. bonten! ran. roponggi! ran. married dynamics. mentions of gang work (murder, prostitution, etc.) there’s also some inaccuracy when it comes to to signing papers but uh let’s ignore that :D
note. i honestly could’ve expanded on this more but eh here it is :> 3.4kwc hehehe
they say young love doesn’t last.
they say to be logical first before diving headfirst into recklessness without calculating the risks, but none of those warnings didn’t stop you from shyly handing a love letter to the infamous eldest haitani brother ruling your district. back then, it’s nothing but a silly thing to do while you giggled with your friends, laughing with warm cheeks as they encouraged you to take a step closer to his bike.
who would’ve known that years later, you’ll end up here in your cramped, rundown dorm with your now boyfriend, ran, looking up at you cheekily as you disinfected the cuts on his face?
request: [anon] hii !! just wanted to say that i absolutely L O V E your work !! and for the headcanon idea,, since i’ve been experiencing baby fever lately why not do tokrev daddies?
synopsis: put some babies in your life and take away the drama.
featuring: ran haitani, ryuguuji ken, shinichiro sano.
genre:fluff.
note: can you tell my daddy issues went hard when writing ran lol
—ran haitani
babies weren’t part of his plan.
yes he’s always been good at the raising part and somehow, babies were never exactly scared of him.
he didn’t know if it was because he looked like a doll with his braids when he was younger, but babies immediately liked him.
having one of his own when he joined bonten was life changing—same as when he met you and married you.
“careful ran, she just fell asleep.” your soft voice and the way you gently handed your husband your newborn baby girl was something ran would never be able to forget.
his hands were shaking, a lump in his throat that he tried to swallow ever since you went into labor. he tried to fight back the tears when he saw you begging him to stay next to you when you were pushing your precious baby girl, promised to pull himself together when he finally heard her small cry—but this way beyond him.
“hold her ran, she wants to meet you.” she does? a part of him felt like he wasn’t ready to meet her yet. what if she didn’t like him? what if she thought he looked scary with the tattoo on his neck?
all his anxieties disappeared the moment his arms cradled his baby girl to his chest like she was the most fragile and precious thing in the world, his tired eyes staring down at her with so much warmth you felt your own chest tickle at the sight.
ran was finally a dad.
“hey there,” you’ve never heard ran’s voice sound so hesitant, almost as if he was scared of talking to the baby girl he helped creating. the pad of his finger brushed her cheek, admiring the way her eyelashes, her nose that already resembled her fathers and her lips that were definitely yours.
the question comes from your curious eyes and love that spills all over him, “how would you kiss me on the day of our wedding?” what does he do?
ft. kakucho, ran, mitsuya, hanma, mikey
cw. fluff, fem!reader mostly, kisses and declarations of love, mitsuya owns a boutique in this
an.request! please i had to include kakucho in this T T c'mere bae @https-leoo also, likes and reblogs help a lot and are very much appreciated!
#
it’s pouring rain outside. the atmosphere feels chill and you’re wearing the fluffiest socks you own as you sip on hot cocoa from your favorite cup. your legs hang as you sit on the marbled kitchen countertop. kakucho is making a cup of coffee for him.
the silence that occupies the space between you two feels comfortable and there’s a soft smile on both your faces. “how’s the drink?” he asks, finally turning his attention your way. “it’s good!” you smile wide. and he returns the grin with a hum. your eyes are closed as he walks closer to you, your mind wondering only one thing.
it’s been stuck in your head since you saw that tiktok trend the other day and as your eyes settle on your boyfriend’s figure pouring his coffee onto a cup, you think this might be the perfect time. “kaku,” you call him. “how would you kiss me on the day of our wedding?”
he looks surprised for a moment, but you’re able to see the blush that dusts this pretty face. “our wedding?”
“you don’t wanna marry me?” you know his question is based on pure confusion and surprise but you still pout. so adorable, kakucho thinks as he cups the sides of your face with his large hands. “of course i do,” he chuckles and you can feel the love that pours out of his gaze. it showers on you so gently that you’re in awe.
“then kiss me!” your smile is so wide that for a moment kakucho wishes to treasure it forever. you get off the countertop to stand on your feet. “i’m the bride and you’re the groom!” you’re really unable to hide your little excitement when kakucho holds your waist with gentle hands.
“whatever you want, baby.” his words leave you gasping. your eyes widen for a moment when his lips clash so softly on yours. your hands immediately wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to you. his kisses remind you of the rain that’s pouring outside your windows. it’s soft, tender, and sublime.
after kakucho pulls away with a sweet smile, his thumbs draw soothing circles on your waist and you can feel your heart beating fast, so fast that you think you might be falling in love with him all over again.
“i wish to live with you forever,” he whispers against your lips before he’s leaning closer for another taste of your lips.
#
your eyes trail from your book to your boyfriend. ran just got out of the shower and he walks over to you with his purple locks still wet. he’s only wearing a big loose shirt and grey shorts. he’s so cute, you think. you’re staring at him and you only hopes that he doesn’t notice the wide lovesick smile on your face, but he does.
it makes him smile and he throws the slightly wet towel on your face. “hey!” you shout, though it is lighthearted. “you’re staring again, baby.” ran’s chuckles make your cheeks heat up, and you sit upright on the bed.
you watch as he goes to check his phone but your eyes refuse to leave him, especially his plump pink lips that look even more kissable with him so close to you. it’s a pull, and you swear ran haitani attracts you like a bee to a flower.
“ran,” you call for him as you remember something, it’s a question that has left you giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush before. and tonight, you decide to ask, “can you kiss me like on the day of our wedding?”
his eyes widen, pupils dilating and he swears, you have him all wrapped around your pretty fingers. “kiss you?” he gasps as his hands cup your face gently, his thumb stroking your cheeks. you nod approvingly and ran feels the sweet tug of cupid’s arrow in his heart.
“but there’s a little problem,” he smiles. “i won’t be able to stop myself once i start kissing you.” as your eyes meet his lavender orbs, you chuckle lightly.
“i want you to kiss me with all, every bit of love you have for me in your heart,” you say with your palm flat against his heart. you can feel his heart beating rapidly, so unevenly yet in sync with yours. he leans closer, eyes gradually closing as he feels the softness of your lips on his.
his kiss reminds you of spring when every flower blooms at the soft beaming of the sun. your heart melts when he pulls away with a smile. “i love you so much,” his voice comes low, not above a whisper and you hold onto him a little longer.
“kiss me again.”
#
you look at yourself through the mirror. you’re dressed in white, the beautiful gown resembling the wedding gown of your dreams with beautiful embellishments of white pearls and satin ribbons. it hugs your body to adorn your most prominent features. you smile, so wrapped in love.
you hear the curtains of the trail room inside your boyfriend’s boutique sliding. mitsuya walks over to you with an astonished face. “how’s does the dress feel?” he asks finally as he turns to meet your gaze. “it’s amazing. i feel comfortable in this.”
mitsuya stares at you with so much love and you wonder if he ever has plans to marry you someday. but as if your thoughts were answered, he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you a little closer but still keeping a little distance to not ruin the gown.
“i’m going to marry you someday. i made this dress for you actually.” his words leave you gasping and you wonder how lucky you are to have someone like him in your life. “takashi,” you gasp as little beads of tears pool in the corners of your eyes.
“hey,” he smiles as he wipes away your tears that spill of happiness and gratitude. “you look stunning.”
“thank you.” you don’t realize the time moving as your hands trail from his chest to his shoulders, and finally wrap around his neck. “can you kiss me like you’d do on our wedding day?” you beam.
he chuckles, eyes glinting in adoration. “yeah.” his words sink as his lips connect with yours. it feels like heaven on earth and it’s just you both. his kisses remind you of eternity and lavender fields. so peaceful and it’s a love that’s promised forever.
there’s no space for you to utter i love yous as he grabs your face and kisses you again and again — till there’s nothing but his sweet taste on your lips.
#
the blanket of stars fills the night sky as you walk hand in hand with your boyfriend. hanma’s large hands grip yours tightly and you turn to gaze at him with a sweet smile on your face. “why did you drag me outside?” you ask as you remember seeing him outside your windows just a few minutes ago.
it made you close the door and go on a night stroll around the neighborhood with him. “i just wanted to see you,” his voice is low, but the smile on his face stays. “i missed you too.” it feels so peaceful and you feel the butterflies trying to fly out of your stomach.
no matter how many times you’ve talked to him, no matter how many years its been since you two started dating, he still manages to make you nervous. but you don’t realise the bashful pink hues that spread across hanma’s face every time he sees you smile.
your feet takes you to a small park. it’s empty with only the crescent waning moon blessing you with its glow. “shuji! c’mere!” you giggle as you drag him to the middle of the park. “what are you—” he gasps as you step closer to him, so close that he feels the warmth that emits from your body.
“kiss me underneath the moonlight… just like you’d do on the day of our wedding,” you whisper as if it’s a sacred secret shared only among lovers. “yeah? right now?” he smiles, his hands caressing your face as his thumb strokes your cheekbones. “yeah.”
love feels young and you feel the stars cooing in awe as his lips sink on yours. your hands rest on his sturdy shoulders and you feel his muscles flexing as he pulls you closer to his body. hanma truly believes that roses are jealous of your lips — its rosy hues and softness that can never be compared to a flower petal makes him crazy.
he pulls away after a short while with a fond smile. you close your eyes feeling his thumb stroking your lower lip softly. so beautiful, he thinks. and as his eyes meet yours again, you feel breathless and so in love. “i don’t think i did it right,” he leans in once more. “let’s kiss again.”
#
there’s a soft summer breeze that brushes your hair as you sit next to mikey on the balcony of your house. it’s filled with flowery plants that you just finished watering. the view in front of you is much more peaceful, which is filled with greenery, and beautiful butterflies that flutter their wings.
the birds coo a melodic song as they fly away from one branch to another and it all has mikey mesmerized. you’re awestruck at the adorning smile that bleeds on his lips. you sigh content as you lay your head on his shoulder.
he hums as you gaze at him and mikey swears, you’ve taken all the breath around him as his eyes are fixed on your smile. at that moment, you look like an ethereal angel with a divine smile. “your smile is beautiful,” he whispers and it only makes you smile wider.
the eye contact you both share is intense as you lose yourself in the maze that is his eyes. “manjiro,” your voice comes low as your eyes avert from his eyes to his lips that long for warmth. “could you kiss me like you would on our wedding day?”
you lean into his touch as he brushes a hair strand behind your ears lovingly. “you want to marry me?” he chuckles, but he feels the erratic beating of his heart, losing all its rhythm and he wonders how you still manage to make him flustered.
“of course i do. you’re everything i’ve ever hoped for.” you think it’s a simple answer, yet mikey finds him thanking all the gods and the universe for an angel that is you. “you don’t realize what you do to me, do you?” you hum at his words.
as you close your eyes, you feel the warmth of his lips on yours, and so tenderly it moves in sync with yours. mikey lets his emotions spill into the kiss and it always makes your heart fill with his love. “i love you, manjiro,” you whisper as he pulls away only to place a sweet kiss on your forehead.
Since I have nothing to do, I’m gonna try recreating the haitanis room/house in sims 4!! But b4 that, I’m not that good with interior designing so can anyone give me their hc or idea on what you think the color of their walls are? Do you think they have any painting on their walls? And what not. Thank you very much
pairings.hitto kakucho x fem!reader, haitani ran x fem!reader
cw.SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTEMPT, triggering language about sexual assault, blood, violence, suicide ideation, HEAVY ANGST, divorce, fingering, suggestive content, adultery, guns, injuries, flashbacks will be in italics, reader discretion is heavily advised
Ran looked up from his phone, streaks of blood from their previous kill still on his cheek. The white stick he had clamped between his teeth tasted bitter as the ashes that lined Rindou’s face when he departed such a dire warning.
“What?”
Gesturing at the device in his hand, Rindou had not missed how Ran was smirking to himself, and there could’ve been one cause for his smug happiness—you.
“Nii-san.” The last time Rindou called him that honorific was when he was in high school after telling his brother how a group of boys had beaten him to the ground and stolen his glasses. After promptly breaking their bones and making sure he was okay, Ran had firmly told him to never call him that again.
Call me ani, Rin. It’s not so formal as nii-san.
Ran’s attention was immediately on the younger Haitani. Gauging his expression carefully, Rindou uttered, “We have a code—a code not to fuck with another man’s wife.”
A scowl settled on his handsome features and Ran scoffed.
Your best friend is singing along to the current song playing on the speakers, attention on the road. They’re so giddy you think they’re even more excited for you than you are that you’re about to meet some of your favorite celebrities. You are excited; you are, you’ve been a fan of Haji since he debuted, and you were there when Nari and Sylvie took him in as one of their own. Yet why was your chest filled with anxiety instead of excitement? Sure, you knew some of it was because you were about to meet actual celebrities, but the rest of it was not. You’re biting your bottom lip nervously, fingers tapping on your knee, so it’s no surprise your best friend notices how quiet you are.
“YN? What’s wrong?”
You laugh nervously, “Okay, so… I can’t stop thinking about what Baji told me.”
“What part?” They glance at you, keeping their eyes ahead but giving you enough attention, so you know they’re listening.
“The thing about the private investigator. I’m not gonna lie; it left me uneasy. What if it’s true?”
“That’s a pretty big accusation, too,” Bestie announces, making you sigh. “If it was something that serious, why did he wait until now to tell you?”
“Yeah… I know…but-”
“But what?”
“There was that one time a bit ago when I felt I was being watched… It was the day Shin had my bike, and you stayed after class, so I called Ran to pick me up. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now???” You groan, fighting the urge to rub your face in frustration due to the makeup you have on, “But what if he just spat that out to try to get me to forgive him? And the fact that he says it’s all because of my mother, who I’ve never even met myself. How am I supposed to believe that?”
“Shit, man, I don’t know….”
“I’m lost. I don’t know what to do bestie….” You look down at your hands in distraught.
You feel a hand rest on your shoulder to calm you down, “Hey… Let’s forget about that for now, yeah? Enjoy your time with Haji and the girls for now. We’ll worry about this whole thing after, okay?” They move their hand back to the steering wheel, “Maybe you should talk to your dad. If what Baji said is true, your dad can confirm if it is your mother or not, y’know?”
You’re hesitant about bringing in your dad, especially his new girlfriend, whom you would hate to be involved in family drama already, but your best friend is right. Your dad is the only one who can confirm it or not. “You’re right… I’ll bring it up to him on Monday when he helps me move Hoshi out of the Haitani’s apartment.”
Bestie hums in acknowledgment before throwing you a smile, “Good. Now, enjoy your time today, ‘kay?”
“Yeah yeah,” You pout before your lips turn into a smirk, “Good luck with Rin. I hope he begs on his knees.”
Bestie snorts, “Please. That would be a sight to see.”
─────────
Meeting Hajime, Nari, and Sylvie face to face went better than you thought it would. When you arrived at the restaurant Haji told you he had a reservation; you didn’t expect it to be a fancy beachside restaurant with outside seating, yachts, and fancy cars. Immediately you felt underdressed, but your bestie had said you looked great, so you could only hope. You had arrived early, your nerves not wanting you to be late nor wanting your bestie to be late to their meetup with Rin, but apparently, you weren’t the only one.
When the host walks up to you for your name, they give you a pearly smile before leading you to the second floor of the building. When she opens the door for you, your eyes widen at the glass wall facing the ocean, a beautiful view of the people sitting outside or enjoying the beach. You hadn’t even noticed the three people sitting at the table in the middle of the private room. Thanks to that though, you didn’t faint when the three people walked up to greet you with grins on their gorgeous faces. You had been too stunned by the view for reality to kick in. It kicked in when you finally sat down with Haji next to you, and you swore your head was about to explode like they do in cartoons with how uncharismatically shy you got.
The food was delicious, and despite saying you didn’t want dessert, the girls insisted. Still, instead of eating something from the restaurant, they ordered ice cream nearby, who did delivery. While you all waited for your ice cream, the four of you were relaxing on the balcony connected to your private room. Nari sits on the railing while Sylvie sits on the chair next to you. Haji leaned on the railing with his elbows, looking down at the beach.
“So YN~” Nari sings your name, and you look at her curiously.
“Hm?”
A sly grin starts forming on her face, and the look in her eyes is one you know all too well due to your devious friends, “Enjoying the double date so far?”
Your eyebrows go from furrowed to raised as your eyes widen, your cheeks ablaze, “H-Huh?!”
“Nari-!” Haji calls out, and his cheeks dust with red as he glares at his friend, Sylvie, who snickers beside you.
“I take it he didn’t tell you today was supposed to be a double date?” The blonde shakes her head playfully, “Who knew you were such a coward, Buttercup.”
Haji facepalms, mumbling something under his breath as he turns to face the three of you, leaning back on the railing, “I didn’t coward out. It just didn’t feel right.”
“W-Wait, wait,” You interject, swallowing nervously as you look between the three friends. “This was supposed to be a double d-date?”
Haji avoids your eyes before nodding, looking back at you. “It was… but after what we talked over the phone a couple of days ago, I didn’t want to overwhelm you. Thought it was best to just… meet as friends first.”
Oh, now you feel horrible. You practically vented that night to Haji about how you felt betrayed not only by your friends but also by your ex and another possible other love interest. “Oh my god—” Bestie would kill you when you told them about this. You blocked yourself from a date with theIwaizumi Hajime because… wait. Because he felt sorry for you?
Haji laughs, shaking his head, “YN, it’s fine. You have a lot on your plate, and I didn’t want to add to it. It doesn’t change that I still want us to be friends.” Your look of doubt makes him roll his eyes. “I’m serious. I think… I think you need to settle whatever you have going on with your friends before I even think about properly asking you out sometime– that is, if you don’t makeup with your ex or that other guy you were telling me about.”
Your face breaks out into another blush, and the girls coo at your expression.
“Oh~ YN has some tea in her life, doesn’t she?” Nari teases, but when Haji shakes his head, she frowns, “…Not all good, huh?”
You look down at your hands, unsure what to say, “It’s complicated….”
“Well, just remember what I said, sweetheart,” Haji says, making the three of you look at him, “You have a right to be upset, and no one can tell you otherwise. How you deal with your feelings right now is all up to you. If ignoring your friends right now makes you feel better, cool. You’re not doing it out of spite; you’re doing it because you’re hurt. They hurt you, whether they meant to or not.”
You look down at your hands, eyes tearing up yet again. “I k-know but… they’re my friends… t-they’re all I have… I know I’m going to end up forgiving them, but I just-”
“Well, I don’t know the full story, but,” Sylvie scoots her seat closer to you, wrapping an arm around you and making you rest your head on their shoulder, “Haji’s right. Sure, your friends hurt you, and you’re ignoring them because of it, but you’re valid. If you’re such good friends, they’ll understand you just need time right now.” She smiles, “You think us three never fight?”
“W-Well…”
Nari laughs, nudging her shoulder with Haji’s, “We’re not always the indestructible Powerpuffs, you know? We get into arguments and shit just like everyone else. It all just depends on how you all work it out. Right guys?”
“Right!”
“So just take some time away from them. Your best friend already told them you need some time, right? So hopefully, they’ll understand and won’t pressure you,” Haji chimes in, giving you a warm smile. It’s so contrasting against his rough and edgy exterior, but boy, it makes your heart soar. You can’t help but to look away shyly.
“Hey, YN, hey,” Nari says as she pokes your forehead, making your eyebrows furrow, “Next time we hang out, invite your best friend too!” She grins, “I wanna meet your partner in crime!”
You can’t help but laugh, nodding, “Alright. I’m sure they’d be ecstatic to meet you guys too.”
─────────
“I hope you know I’m only here because I told YN I would,” Bestie goes right out with the cold hard truth. They’re only standing in this empty park because they promised to try. It’s evident from the heated glare Rindou is receiving.
“I know…” Rindou gulps, rubbing the back of his neck. He also knows he won’t be able to hide what he’s hiding behind his back for too much longer either. So he takes a deep breath and reveals the gift with his arm extended to bestie, cheekbones stained red. His face is turned to the side, jaw clenching and unclenching as he contemplates what to say and do, but he knows it’s now or never. “I’m sorry.”
Bestie blinks at him, arms relaxing a bit as they move to rest by their side instead.
“What I did was shitty, and it wasn’t a nice thing to do as a friend, but-” Looking right in front of him, he looks bestie in the eye, “It was an even worse thing to do to someone I was genuinely interested in.”
Bestie has yet to say anything, and the silence is killing him. Is this how people felt when he gave them the silent treatment? His arm is already getting unusually tired from holding up the cute duck plushie, which bestie has yet to acknowledge.
Oh god. This is going bad, isn’t it? Rindou thinks, feeling a bead of sweat on his temple.
“Was?” That is all he hears as he feels the plush being taken from his hand. When he looks up, he sees bestie with a sly grin on their face.
Shit- “Am! I am interested in!” He quickly corrects himself, flushing even more as bestie laughs, squishing the red cheeks of the plush before focusing their attention on Rindou. “I really am… sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing, listening to your friends and all.”
“Mhm,” Bestie hums, “You learn from that now?”
“Most definitely.”
Bestie steps closer, a gentle hand on Rin’s forearm, “Gonna be stupid on your own instead of following in other’s footsteps?”
Rindou is quiet at this, a slight pout forming on his lips. Now that was harder to promise as he and Ran and Izana were almost up to no good. “Well…”
Bestie rolls their eyes, closing the distance between them even more, arms resting loosely on Rindou’s shoulders, the plush hanging by their hand. “Well?”
Rin licks his lips nervously, not expecting bestie to have been so forward, but who was he to complain? His hands come up to cup bestie’s face, “Go out with me.” It’s not a question; it’s a demand, making bestie raise a brow.
“Maybe.”
“M-Maybe?”Aw man, Ran wouldn’t let me live if he saw how flustered they’re making me. Bestie doesn’t say anything, only rolling their eyes yet again before pointing to their lips. Oh. The realization in Rin’s eyes makes bestie chuckle at how cute and confused the supposed feared, and stoic Haitani Rindou was being.
Not waiting for another second, Rindou closes the space between them, lips on lips, as one hand moves down to pull bestie closer by the waist. The kiss is messy, teeth clashing and tongues hungry for more. It was clear the two had some unspoken tension that was finally being relieved, somewhat at least. Bestie pulls away first, leaving Rin slightly panting as his hand grips their waist. Like the little devil they are, bestie kisses Rin from his jawline, lips so soft he barely feels them. Then there’s a slight breeze on his ear, making him shiver, a hand on the side of his neck as bestie whispers the following words.
“Now beg.”
Two words that make him know he’s in for a dangerous ride, but it’s a good thing Rindou likes dangerous rides.
─────────
“Uh, are you sure it was okay leaving the two back there?” You ask, looking back at the little boutique shop Nari and Sylvie were currently occupied with.
“Yup,” Haji adjusts the sunglasses resting on his nose, walking with his hands in his pockets, walking on the side of the road just like a true gentleman, “They’ll call me once they realize we left them.” He laughs, the sound making butterflies flutter in your stomach. “Besides,” He grins over at you, “Gives us some alone time now~.”
The simple comment has you hitting his shoulder playfully, only making him laugh, “Oh, shut up….”
He focuses his attention upfront, but you keep looking at him, not understanding how this happened. If your current self told you you would meet a favorite musician, you would say you were stupid and delusional. Here you were, walking side by side as if you had been friends for a while. You asked them if it was okay to walk out and about with no security, to which they said it was fine.
Apparently, they had guards on speed dial if anything did happen, but usually, people left them alone. That wasn’t too shocking, especially with Haji’s not only appearance but experience as well. Since you three had left the restaurant, only a handful of people had stopped them for autographs or pictures. You didn’t fail to hear one fan squeal and take photos from a distance when she spotted Haji, yet didn’t come up to him. You couldn’t blame her. You’re sure you would’ve done the same thing weeks ago.
How you had this model and known musician walking beside you, you’d never understand how, but man… you were going to eat it all up. Haji’s shoulder-length hair was tied in a small bun revealing his undercut and multiple piercings in his ears. Tattoos peeking underneath the collar of his shirt, and phew, the tattoos on his arms were a whole other story. You’re so distracted admiring his appearance that you fail to see Haji’s eyes sharpen into a glare, jaw tight with annoyance.
“YN?” He looks at you with a small smile, “I have to make a call real quick. Mind staying here while I make it?”
You see you’re stopped at a small outdoor cafe with some small shops on both sides of it, “Of course. I’ll be right here then. You have my number, if anything.”
He chuckles, nodding, “Right. I’ll be quick.” Before he walks off, he tucks a stray strand of your hair behind your ear, smirking as he sees your eyes widen and cheeks flushing. He leaves with a wink, walking off as he immediately pulls out his phone to talk.
“Alright then…” You shake your head, deciding to go into one of the shops first and see if anything catches your eye for possible gifts.
─────────
“So,” Rindou hums with an arm around bestie’s waist, “YN’s out with that guy today?”
“Mhm~” Bestie grins, “Haji and the girls.”
“The two model friends?”
“Well,technically,they’re all models, but yes,” Rin rolls his eyes at this, only making bestie laugh, “She hasn’t texted me since I dropped her off, so I can assume she’s enjoying herself.”
“Yeah… Hey, a question for you.”
“What’s up?”
“Is she serious about moving Hoshi out of our place? When I told Ran, it devastated him. It’s like they’re breaking up despite not being together. He sees it as her being done with him.
“Please,” Bestie huffs, “You need to tell him to stop seeing it like that. She needs a break Rin. From all of you until she says otherwise. For all I know, maybe she just needs a week or something, I don’t know. I think it’s fair, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right… Do you think she’s gonna continue ignoring me too? I need to thank her.”
“For what?”
“Basically told me to stop being an idiot and ask you out,” Rin mumbles, “and beg you for forgiveness….”
“And that you did, my little Rin-Rin~ Got it all on video too~” Bestie laughs despite Rindou’s reddened cheeks, “Now you can’t make fun of your brother cause you got punished with exactly the same thing.”
“Whatever…” He huffs, pulling bestie close to his side, completely unaware of the woman practically stomping up to them.
─────────
“YN!” You turn around to see both Nari and Sylvie jogging up to you, Sylvie pouting as Nari glares at you. Nari being the one who yelled at you from afar, “How could you just leave us like that?!”
You laugh, “Not like you noticed we left anyway.”
“Hey…” Sylvie looks around, “Where’s Haji?”
“Said he had a call to make?” You shrug, setting your shopping bags down so you can put your hair in a messy bun, “It’s been like fifteen minutes though. I hope everything is alright.”
The two look at each other, wondering what call was so important to leave YN alone, but their question is soon answered.
“Haji?” YN answers her ringing phone, brows furrowed, “Is everything alright?”
“YN, I need you to meet me at a location I’m about to send you.”
“H-Huh? I mean, okay, but-”
“Now.” His voice is calm yet deadly serious. He doesn’t even give you the chance to tell him Nari and Sylvie were with you before he hangs up.
“I, uhm,” You pick up your bags off the ground, “He said to meet up with him at, uh-” You pause just to see a location ping on your phone, “Here. He sounded kind of upset… I hope I didn’t do anything wrong….”
“Aww, YN…” Nari wraps an arm around you, giving you a reassuring smile, “Give him more credit, yeah? I’m sure whatever it is, has nothing to do with you.”
“Yeah!” Sylvie assures you as she takes your phone, starting the GPS to the location, which is only a six-minute walk. “Besides, he sounds grumpy on the phone half the time.”
“Yeah… okay,” You nod, swallowing nervously as you hope for the best.
When you get to the location, you’re unsure if you’re supposed to head into one of the stores or if Haji possibly sent you somewhere wrong. Just as Nari takes out her phone to call her friend herself, Haji steps out from a store to the right, practically slamming the door shut behind him.
“Uh, hey,” Nari waves at him, worry filling her face, “Everything alright?”
“Not really,” He takes a deep breath, trying to neutralize his facial expression, but failing as his eyebrow twitches and mouth twitches down into a frown, “YN….”
“Y-Yeah?” Your heart is beating rapidly in your chest as he looks at you.
“Remember when you told me your ex said something about a private investigator?” You nod your head as your blood runs cold. “Well…” He clicks his tongue in annoyance, worry swimming in his eyes. “I’m pretty sure it’s this fucker I saw following us.”
And just like that, your oh-so-great day suddenly took a turn for the worst.
─────────
SLAP!
Rindou’s head snapped to the side, a nice red handprint on his left cheek leaving bestie standing there with their mouth agape, eyes wide. Rindou only stood there, blinking as the reality of what just happened slowly sank in.
“What the hell is your problem?!” Now out of their stupor, Bestie yelled a scowl on their lips, ready to jump this woman themselves.
But Rindou quickly grabbed hold of their wrist, rubbing his cheek with his hand before his eyes trained on the woman in front of him, violet eyes glaring daggers. “You have exactly five minutes to explain what the hell that was for before I call the police.” A lie. The first call would be to his mother, who would no doubt cry to her husband, who would handle it from there. But first, he needed to find out who this woman was.
“How dare you?!” The woman yelled, pointing a manicured finger to Rindou’s face, “And to think you were good for my daughter! And here you are with this… this-” Her face scrunched up in disgust as she looked over at bestie, eyes trailing their form in pure judgment.
Bestie’s eye twitches in annoyance, but before they can say anything, Rindou pulls them behind him, glowering down at the shorter woman, speaking behind grit teeth. “This what? Finish your fucking sentence.”
“This whore!” And Rindou snaps. His calm demeanor was no more.
When bestie sees Rindou’s hand twitch, they reach out, barely holding Rindou back.
“Who even are you, you crazy bitch?!” He growls, taking a step forward only to get pulled back by bestie once more. “You have the fucking audacity to come up to us, slap me, and call my partner a whore?! Do you have any idea who I am?!”
“I don’t need to!” The woman seethes, hands clenched into fists. “Just wait until I reveal to the public how the son of such a prestigious lawyer is nothing but an adulterous piece of shit!”
And that only makes Rindou’s blood boil more. Rindou and his brother were never one to ‘live up’ to their step-father’s name. Hell, even after their mother remarried, they refused to change their last names or even add it with a hyphen. This of course annoyed their stepfather, especially as he was very well known and wanted the family to be ‘complete’ in a way. They knew this man made their mother happy, which was more than enough reason to behave somewhat, but that didn’t mean they still fully trusted him. At least enough to take in his last name.
After a long talk with her husband, their mother approved of her boys keeping her maiden name. She knew it was hard for them to trust any man after their birth father walked out on them, leaving her struggling with two young boys, with a life filled with more downs than ups growing up. Their life didn’t even start getting better until the brothers were teenagers, their mother finally meeting their later-to-be stepfather, who happily took in not only the woman he fell in love with but the two troublesome boys that came with her.
Sure, there were still bumps in the road, and maybe the brothers caused their stepfather trouble on purpose just to see him tick, but never anything too wrong to actually give him a bad rep. They would never do that. Giving a bad rep to him would give a bad rep to their mother, and like hell, they would do that. Their mother worked too damn hard to be taken down by their idiocy.
“Excuse me?!” Rindou’s body moved before his brain could even process it, his arm quickly rising to either grab or hit this woman in front of him.
“RINDOU, STOP IT!” Bestie quickly grabs Rindou’s arm, thankful for the quick reflexes they’ve developed thanks to being good friends to such rambunctious people. They are trying their damn hardest to keep their boyfriend back, but he is taller and stronger, not to mention full of rage. As much as this woman was pissing them off too, they didn’t want Rindou to get in trouble for hitting a person in public of all places! That would be bad, especially as the park was no longer empty, some staring and whispering at the scene. Oh, if only bestie knew who this woman was…
The woman is now standing there, eyes wide, “R-Rindou?”
Before Rindou can say anything, bestie practically growls, glaring at the woman, “What?”
“H-His name–” She nervously swallows, “His name is Ran, isn’t it?” She quickly takes out her phone, confirming the photos she saved, matching them up with the man in front of her, so then why was his name Rindou?
“His name is Rindou, you bitch,” Bestie sneers, “Now, who the fuck are you?!”
“And why are you looking for my brother?” Rin’s voice is low and menacing; eyes narrowed into a glare.
“I–” She doesn’t know what to say, but instead of answering their questions, she tries calling her private investigator, Mr. Choi, with no success. It keeps going right to voicemail, and it’s making her sweat. There was only one thing she could do, and that was to leave.
But just as she takes a step backward, both Rindou and bestie grab a wrist, each making the woman wince.
Rindou has a sinister grin on his face while bestie scowls.
“Give us your fucking name if you know what’s good for you,” Bestie threatens, only tightening the grip on her wrist when she tries to pull away.
“I-Ikeda Akari…” The woman mumbles, bestie furrowing their brows in confusion at the information.
Rindou on the other hand, curses under his breath, eyes only darkening as they keep an eye on Akari. “Babe.”
Bestie looks over, head tilted, “Yeah?”
“Do me a favor and call Ran.”
“Uh, alright…” Bestie lets go of Akira’s wrist as Rindou keeps hold of one, “Who is she?”
Rindou takes out his phone with his free hand, quickly finding his stepfather’s number and dialing just as they look over at their partner, “It’s YN’s mother.”
─────────
It had been fifteen minutes since Haji broke the news to you, and in that time, this man has said nothing since Haji brought him into the shop. With a little bit of charm, Haji had made the shop employees step out, giving the small building to the seven of you. The seven being this man following you, Haji, Nari, Sylvie, you, and two private bodyguards who were apparently on call around you three the whole day. You were shocked to say the least when the bodyguards came in, but Haji explained he always has some around when in public just in case, especially for the girls. They had been nearby, ready for anything, but far enough so they wouldn’t be noticeable. Apparently, one had stayed near Nari and Sylvie while the other went after Haji to help after he walked off.
The two bodyguards stood behind the unknown man while Haji stood in front, arms crossed and greatly aggravated. The police had already been called, but Haji wanted to get some answers out of him beforehand. He couldn’t believe your ex was telling the truth. You really were being followed around, and for what? Your mother’s selfish needs?
When he glances at you, he sees the worry on your face and hates it. Though he’s surprised you haven’t called anyone yet, even your father. Maybe you wanted answers yourself too.
Haji takes a deep breath, eyes set into a stern glare, “Tell us who hired you. I don’t give a shit if it’s a private contract. You already committed a crime by stalking YN, who has done nothing to deserve this.”
The man stays silent.
“Tch,” Haji shakes his head, a little laugh of disbelief leaving his lips, “You know you won’t win, right?”
The man stays silent again, but his eyebrows furrow slightly, and the musician knows he has him now.
“Do you not know who I am?” Haji asks before motioning to his best friends, “Who theyare?” He laughs, “Have you not questioned yourself why I had two bodyguards at the ready?” The man doesn’t move, but his eyes show his curiosity. “Wow… You’re horrible at your occupation then. Isn’t it your job to know everything and anything of those who you’re hired to investigate?” By now Haji’s voice has dropped a tone, each word like venom, “Stay silent then, but just know, my lawyers are going to have a field day with you.”
This comment seems to make the man finally react, “What?”
“I can be nice and tell them to make a deal with you, but you can kiss your job and any other possible opportunities goodbye unless you give me some information now. No one likes a fucking stalker, especially to women.”
“Y-You can’t!” And he finally breaks, “You’re just spewing bullshit!”
“Am I now?” Haji huffs, nodding his head to the guard on the left. “Show him.” The guard takes out his phone, typing quickly before he practically shoves the screen in front of the man’s face.
“What is this?”
“Read it.”
Not having no other choice, the man reads what’s on the screen and goes pale. “Y-You’re a celebrity…?” Haji nods as the guard moves his phone away, “Why- what? This doesn’t make sense! This girl is just a college student isn’t she?! Why is she even with you?!”
Nari steps up, face red with frustration, “Because she’s our friend! Our friend who has done nothing wrong to deserve this!”
“Nari-” Sylvie tries to pull her back, but Nari only shakes off her hand.
“So what’s it to you if we’re famous and she’s not?! Why does that even matter?!” The man stutters but can’t get a word out. “And now you fucked with the wrong people. I’ll call my lawyers too because this is unacceptable. Sometimes, private investigators are needed for case-sensitive cases, but this? Whatever your reasoning, my lawyers, along with Hajime’s, will make sure you never work again.”
“Wait!” The man sighs, shaking his head, “Alright fine….”
Haji tries again, “One last chance. Who hired you?”
“Her name is Ikeda Akira.”
“And what is she to YN?”
The man goes silent, looking down at the floor, “… Her mother.”
You can feel when your three friends turn to look at you, but you don’t say anything. You simply walk up to stand next to Haji as your phone already dials someone.
“YN?” Your dad’s voice rings through the speakerphone, “Sunshine? I thought you were out with those famous friends of yours today?”
“I am.”
Your cold voice immediately lets him know you’re not alright. “What’s going on? Did something happen? Do you want me to pick you up?”
“Dad,” You cut in.
“Yeah?”
“What’s my mother’s name again?”
“I-” There’s a rustling sound, almost as if he was about to drop his phone, “What? Why?”
“Dad, please…”
The line is quiet before he sighs, “Ikeda Akira.” And you see red. “What’s going on, YN? You never ask about your mother unless you absolutely need to.”
“One sec Dad,” You hand your phone to Haji, who looks at you in confusion, but before he can even get one word out, your fist connects to the man’s nose sending him to his ass with a bleeding nose. Haji whistles at the sight while one of the guards stifles a laugh, the other not bothering to hide his laughter. Nari and Sylvie are looking at you like fish out of water.
“LN YN?! Did you just hit someone?!”
You laugh as you take back your phone, shaking your right hand. It had been a while since you punched someone, that hard at least, but it still felt as good as it always did.
“YN! This is no laughing matter! You know you can’t do reckless shit with-”
“Dad,” You let out a shaky sigh, the call now off speaker, “Hajime and his two guards just found a private investigator following me.”
“…What?”
“Hired and sent by this Akira herself.”
You didn’t have to see your dad’s expression to know he was upset, angry. His voice said it all. “I’ll call you right back, Sunshine.”
➥ EXTRAS:
- word count: 5.4k
- And the bitch has finally been spotted!! o:
- This chapter ended up being longer than I originally thought but hey
- Hehe, hope you like that ending though.
- As always, feel free to tell me what you think in the comments or in my ask box ♡
➥ author’s note: After a good minute, I was finally able to finish this chapter <3 Ah, apologies for my even more sporadic uploading times but work and classes are killing me lol.
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