Chapter 25

"Thank you, doctor," Raiden said as he neatly folded the paper and slipped it into his breast pocket. He then bowed respectfully. "I would see you out but I do not want to leave his side."

Dr Tanaka paused, pleasantly surprised as he thought back to a conversation they once had years ago. He turned to Raiden. "Is he...."

Raiden stood upright and nodded. "He is."

Dr Tanaka shook his head, laughing. "You never give up, do you?" He had known Raiden since he was a little boy. He always made sure to accomplish whatever he set his heart on.

"You know me, Doctor." Raiden shrugged. "He's the only one."

"Then, take care of him okay? Do not let him or his family suffer anymore." The doctor admonished. He had heard a lot of things about the Watanabe family and how they had fallen from grace. He didn't think they deserved any of it.

Raiden nodded. They wouldn't have suffered in any way if Hiro hadn't been so stubborn. Still, it wasn't too late. All Hiro had to do was accept his condition.

"Okay. I'll leave now." Dr Tanaka said then left, closing the door behind him.

"S-Sir, is he okay? Has he woken up?" He heard the worried secretary ask as he passed by.

He chuckled, waving a hand. "He's fine. Don't worry."

After all, the person with him was Yamato Raiden.

********

Hiro woke up with a throbbing headache. He felt like his head was being repeatedly struck with a stick. He put his hand to his temples, groaning in pain. It hurt so much.

"Hey, are you okay?" He heard someone ask. The person sounded anxious.

He cracked open his eyes a bit and was surprised to find a blonde woman looking down at him in concern. He recognised her as Raiden's secretary. He wondered why he was seeing Raiden's secretary. Wasn't he supposed to be looking for 5 million? His sister's life was at stake and his brother....his brother....

The captions; 'Newest Pornstar' and his brother's name flashed in his mind. He recalled leaving Michi at the hospital with his sister and then running all the way to Raiden's company. He then gasped.

Raiden!

He quickly sat up but hissed as a pang of pain seared through his head.

"Be careful." the secretary urged as she helped him sit up, putting a pillow behind him so he could be more comfortable. "You hit your head pretty hard when you fainted. How do you feel?"

Hit his head? Fainted? It was then that Hiro recalled how dizzy he felt earlier while waiting for Raiden.

Seeing as Hiro did not reply, the secretary continued to speak. "Can you talk? Apart from your head, do you feel pain elsewhere?"

Hiro didn't care about any of that. He reached out and held her hand. "R-Raiden, where is he? I need to speak with him."

The secretary was stupefied. The boy didn't even care about what had happened to him. All he wanted was to see Raiden. She turned to her boss who was sitting on the couch, nonchalantly sipping tea, as if he wasn't aware that Hiro was awake.

If she hadn't witnessed how concerned her boss was for the boy in bed, she could have sworn that her boss cared nothing for him.

"Sir," She called out. "He's awake."

Raiden grunted in acknowledgement but neither said nor did anything more. He just kept sipping his tea.

Following the secretary's line of sight, Hiro saw Raiden sitting on the couch and he instantly scrambled out of bed.

"H-Hey you shouldn't be out of bed!" She exclaimed, trying to push him back but she was no match for Hiro's determination which fuelled his strength.

"Raiden!" he called as he pushed the secretary aside and scurried to Raiden's side, ignoring his headache. He went on his knees and hugged Raiden's leg, bursting into tears. "Raiden, Raiden..."

"Leave us," Raiden ordered, flashing the secretary an icy glare.

The lady scrambled to her feet and dashed out faster than a person could blink.

Hiro wasn't concerned about any of that. His entire attention was on Raiden. "Raiden please, don't turn me away. I need your help. I really do."

Raiden sighed, placing his half-empty teacup on its saucer. He leaned back on the couch and gazed down at Hiro, looking irritated.

"Don't turn me away Raiden. I beg of you," Hiro sobbed, clutching his black suit pants. "You're the only one who can help me. You're the only one who can save my sister. Please Raiden, please."

"There's some food on the table." Raiden finally spoke. "Get up and eat."

"B-But Raiden I-"

"Get up and eat," Raiden ordered, cutting him off. "Or I won't listen to you."

Despite the ultimatum, Hiro was unsure of what to do. It was at that moment he perceived the delicious aroma wafting from the dishes. He glanced at the food on the coffee table and then glanced at Raiden. On one hand, seeing the mouthwatering dishes made his stomach growl but on the other, he was scared that Raiden would not listen to him. He figured that Raiden didn't care about him so why would he urge him to eat?

"A-Are you speaking the truth, Raiden?" He stuttered, wide-eyed, staring at Raiden with uncertainty and hope. "Y-You'll listen to me?"

"Do not test my patience, Hiro," Raiden responded, pinning him a warning glare. "Get up and eat."

Hiro stared at Raiden for a while then figured that Raiden had no reason to deceive him so he stood up and sat on the couch.

The dishes on the table consisted of a medium-sized bowl of rice porridge, some vegetables by the side with small pieces of chicken and a small bottle of water. There were also two painkillers set in a little spoon by the side. Hiro was grateful that the food wasn't heavy for he didn't think he'd be able to stomach heavy food at the moment.

He said his thanks and started to eat. With every spoonful, he glanced at Raiden, just to make sure Raiden wouldn't run away. Hiro seemed to forget that the office belonged to Raiden.

Again, he marvelled at how much Raiden had changed. In high school, Raiden was exceptionally tall and lanky. He could remember well because Raiden used to tower over him and it scared him back then. Now, Raiden was still tall but muscular which made him look scarier than before. His dark hair had streaks of red in them, tied into a low ponytail with a few stray strands framing his face which made him look devilishly charming and then those smokey grey eyes that could strike fear into a person's heart.