HARU

Uncle Jin took me into a room that I assumed was his office. It was a neat place, with a study desk and chair on one side and a sitting area on the other. There were even murals on the walls, too. One of them caught my eye—it was of a beautiful girl in layers of colorful kimonos and surrounding her were mystical creatures: a dragon, a fox, a snake, and a cat.

"That's beautiful, Uncle," I said, nodding toward the mural. "It looks like it's in the Heian era, the setting."

I noticed Uncle Jin smiling. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

I sat down and then said, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Uncle Jin leaned back against the seat and said, "I assume you know by now that Reo will be moving back here to Japan?"

I nodded. "After he graduates university."

There were a few knocks at the door, which were followed by Higa-san's voice saying, "I've brought them, sir."

"Good," Uncle Jin said.

The door opened, and I saw Aiden, Noah, Mason, Isaac, Reo, and even Connor entering the room.

What was going on? I had thought Uncle Jin wanted to talk to me in private.

Isaac came to sit next to me and said, "Haru, the food is awesome. Can't wait to have more."

I asked, "Why are you guys here?"

Sitting on the armchair, Noah said, "Higa-san told us to come with him, so we came."

Aiden took a seat on my other side while Mason and Connor stayed standing. Once Higa-san closed the door and left, Uncle Jin said, "Thank you for coming. As you all know, I've decided to hand over the company to Reo and Haru when I retire."

When some us of nodded, he went on, "Fortunately, Reo has agreed, but…" He turned to look at me. "I haven't yet officially asked Haru." He gave me a smile. "I know it's short notice, but will you return to Japan and run Lake Aoi Resort and Onsen with your brother, Haru?"

What type of pressure was this? Was Uncle Jin doing this on purpose? Putting me on the spot? How cunning of him.

I licked my lips, my heart racing. Shit, it was either now or never.

I cleared my throat and said, "I…I'll come back."

I heard sucking in of breaths, and I knew I had shocked everyone. Well, damn but it shocked me, too, this decision of mine.

Beside me, Isaac said, "Haru… You… Are you serious?"

With my gaze fixed on the coffee table in front of me, I nodded my head. "I'm serious. I'll return to Japan and inherit the company with Reo."

"Shit!" Noah said. "Haru, are you fucking kidding me right now?"

Mason said, "That's…unexpected. Have you thought this through, Haru? This is your future we're talking about here."

Uncle Jin said, "And it's a perfect future, if I say so myself."

Isaac said, "Haru, you're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding? Aiden, say something. Do something. Haru has been brainwashed. That's right, it must be the place and the food. It's just too awesome."

I said, "I haven't been brainwashed." I finally lifted my head, turning my gaze to Mason. I noticed he looked sick to his stomach. "I have been thinking it through. Uncle is right. It's a beautiful future. I mean we…don't really have much back in New York."

Noah tsked. His voice was dark and sarcastic as he said to me, "Are you fucking kidding me, you little brat? So, what? You have a millionaire for an uncle now and you decided to ditch us for the high life?"

I shook my head, my gaze on him. Fuck, but he looked pissed as hell.

"Aiden, say something for fuck's sake," Noah demanded. "Haru is planning to leave us."

Aiden said, very calmly, which surprised me, "I trust Haru. I trust his decision, his choice. Why don't we let him finish?"

The two brothers stared at each other for a moment, and then Noah took a deep breath and relaxed back on his seat.

I said, "I'll return, Uncle Jin, but on one condition."

"Oh?" Uncle Jin cocked his head to one side. "And what might that be?"

This was it.

I swallowed hard and then said, "That they all come with me, my stepbrothers. You give them positions, high ones, ones they'll excel at. If you do that, I'll come back."

I heard another set of sharp inhales, followed by Uncle Jin bursting out laughing. When he managed to calm down, he said, "I see you're a shrewd little thing, aren't you, Haru?" He sighed, looking, oddly enough, pleased. "I never thought I'd be bargaining with my own nephew because I want him to inherit my company."

I asked, tense, "Will you? Give them jobs? When the time comes? After I graduate?"

Uncle Jin leaned forward and said, "Before I answer that, first tell me, Haru, why are you going to such lengths?"

"Because they're my family," I said, as though it were obvious.

I thought that would satisfy him, but he shook his head. "No, Haru, family can still part ways. Once you grow up, you move away from your family because of a new job, getting married and having your own family, and some even move away to another country. That will eventually happen to your family, too, Haru."

I shook my head. "No, I…I don't want that to happen. I don't want any of my brothers to leave me, move away from me."

Shit, but thinking about it, talking about it, made my heart ache. What the fuck was wrong with me? I felt like I was about to have a panic attack or something.

"Why, Haru? Why don't you want your stepbrothers to leave you?" Uncle Jin insisted.

I said, "Because…because they're important to me. I feel like I won't be able to live if I don't have them with me. I…"

I had to tell Uncle Jin. I didn't care anymore.

"I love them," I said. "They're special to me, Uncle, so please understand."