Chapter 18

"I really need your help," he said, pushing down his fear. He walked closer to Raiden, trying to look as confident as possible. "I'm not telling you to just give me the money. I want you to lend it to me. I'll work hard and pay you back. I promise."

"How, Hiro?" Raiden asked, raising a perfectly arched brow. "By cleaning toilets all day? You won't be able to finish paying even in your next life."

"I'll find another job!" Hiro insisted. "You know I always keep my promises. I will pay you back. Even if I have to work for you for the rest of my life."

"As appealing as that sounds, I don't want to spend an eternity waiting for you to pay me back," Raiden replied. "I'm a businessman, Hiro. Make me an offer I can't refuse."

Hiro raked his head, desperately trying to come up with something that didn't involve giving himself but he couldn't think of anything. What could he possibly offer him? He was dirt poor meanwhile Raiden could have anything he wanted in the world.

"Nothing?" Raiden asked, amused when Hiro remained silent for a while. "Just as I thought. I have to get back to work Hiro. If there's nothing else, please leave."

How the roles had reversed. Hiro used to be the one rejecting Raiden over and over again. He used to be the one telling him to leave, to get out but now, Hiro was the one being sent away. How erratic life could be.

But Hiro couldn't leave. Not until Raiden agreed to help his sister. He knew Raiden could do it. It would just be like removing a grain of sand from his mountain of wealth. Why didn't he want to help then? Could it be that the feelings were no longer there? Had Raiden gotten over him so quickly?

Even so, couldn't Raiden help him out of the kindness of his heart?

Michi had said that it was impossible to erase years' worth of feelings. Deep down, under all that cold veneer, the Raiden that used to hover around him all the time, trying to cater to his every need, was there. He just needed to bring him out.

At first, Hiro was feeling guilty of trying to use Raiden's feelings for him as a means to save his sister but after being ruthlessly rejected like that, all guilt flew out the window.

There was only one way left to get what he wanted. Mustering every single drop of courage in his body, he raised his hands and took off his shirt, throwing it on the floor.

Raiden's eyes darkened. "What are you doing?" he snarled, startling Hiro.

"I-Isn't this what you want?" Hiro asked. Although he was the one who took off his shirt, he was trembling with fear. He had never done something like this before. And then doing it with Raiden, a person who had once stalked him, terrified him. Still, he would do anything for his sister. "You can have me. I-I accept your offer."

Raiden suddenly began to laugh. It was low, cold and condescending, sending goosebumps all over Hiro's body. "Are you talking about the offer from 4 years ago?"

Hiro nodded. "I-I'm willing to marry you, Raiden. I'll stay with you for the rest of my life. Just please, help my sister."

"Oh Hiro," Raiden shaking his head. "You should have taken this offer when it was still on the table."

Hiro didn't think he heard right. "W-What?"

"You think I still want you?"

Raiden stood up, picked Hiro's shirt from the floor and threw it at him. "Wear your shirt and get the fuck out of my office," he said plainly, staring straight into Hiro's eyes. "That offer no longer stands. Nor does the one I made that night during dinner. I don't want you anymore Hiro. I mean, look at you. You're not even half as pretty as you used to be. Now I wonder what I ever saw in you in the first place. I must have been out of mind to want a person like you. You had your chance, Hiro and you blew it. I'm just going to do as you asked. You no longer exist to me. Now, leave."

Hiro felt like he had been slapped. He went red with embarrassment, quickly put on his shirt and fled. It wasn't until he entered the elevator that he let his tears fall. He felt so ashamed of himself that he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.

Did Raiden just reject him?

He wiped his tears but they just kept on falling. He was hurt. He was really hurt. He never knew this was what it felt like and it felt horrible. His chest felt constricted and he couldn't breathe properly.

When the elevator doors opened, he dashed out of the company and ran to a secluded area where he bawled his eyes out.

He kept replaying Raiden's words in his head and kept cursing himself for going there in the first place. Ever since Raiden started avoiding him, he should have known. He should have known that Raiden had taken him out of his heart.

Fuck he felt so stupid. He even took off his shirt and presented himself to Raiden like some whore only to get sent out. It was so embarrassing. He didn't think he could ever show his face in front of Raiden again.

********

"Damn, that was brutal, Raiden" Shoji said, stepping out of the bathroom. Hiro had arrived shortly after he went in to take a quick shower and when he heard what Hiro was talking about, he decided to just stay in until they were done. "You've just crushed his hopes and pride. I don't think he'll ever recover from that."

"That was nothing compared to how he made me feel in the past." Raiden scoffed, recalling the days he followed Hiro around like some love-sick puppy only to get rejected time and time again. He was standing by the window, staring at the crying figure running across the street. "He should know what rejection feels like."

Shoji sighed. "But this is different, Raiden. His sister is dying. If she doesn't undergo the surgery this week, she'll most likely die. I don't think it's right to use her condition to torture him like this. There are so many other ways to get your revenge."

"I know," Raiden said. He only took his eyes away when Hiro's figure could no longer be seen on the street. He stepped away from the window to the wine cabinet. He poured himself some wine and took a sip, remembering the way Hiro took off his shirt and presented himself to him. "But this is the easiest and fastest way. Besides, my heart is not made of stone, Shoji. I won't let anything bad happen to his sister."