11: the rescue

I think Caden was already driving for half an hour and we’re now inside a villa. It also looks like a villa for elites just like where Caden lives. The place was quiet and seems like we’re the only one around here.

“Are you nervous?” he asked out of the blue.

I didn’t answer. I just kept quiet and breathed deeply.

“That’s okay,” he blurted.

Who wouldn’t get nervous, right? We’re just going to sneak inside a yakuza’s house. What if there’s something bad happened to us? Not being negative or what but I just can’t help overthinking about what might happen to us after sneaking in. I’m still young and still have many dreams in life!

“We’re here,” Caden stated as he parked the car.

The nervousness that I’m feeling got worse. Oh, my heavens! He gets off from the car first, then I followed.

“That’s his house,” he said then pointed that mansion in front of us with a tall, sturdy metal gate.

“How can we enter there?” I asked.

He looked at me and smirked. “What do you think was the purpose of our disguise?”

Resty’s house was an enormous traditional Japanese-style mansion.

“His house was majestic, not gonna lie,” I commented.

Caden’s lips twitched. “Huh, our house was a lot better than that.”

I just gave him a blank stare from what he had said.

“So, let’s go?” I blurted.

“Wait,” he said then grabbed my arm and pulled me.

Then he stuck something under my nose.

“What is this?” I asked while widening my eyes at him.

“Isn’t it obvious? A fake mustache,” he answered.

I quickly looked at myself at the car’s side mirror.

“I don’t want this, Caden! It looks like I have a toothbrush under my nose!” I complained.

He laughed a bit. “That’s okay. You don’t look like a man convincingly. So, I put a fake mustache on you.”

I glared at him. “Wait, are you making fun of me?”

Caden grabbed my arm. “Let’s go.” Then we proceeded to walk.

“I said I don’t like this!”

As we reached the gate and rang the doorbell, there were two yakuza members opened the gate and greeted us.

“Who are you?” one guy asked us immediately with a deep, trembling voice. He was a skin-head baldie with narrow, fierce eyes and have a muscular body.

“We are those new butlers that we’re sent by the agency,” Caden calmly answered.

The two gangsters looked at each other and being suspicious to us.

“I’m not sure if our boss told us something about this,” the other one commented. He was also tall and muscular but has long hair and beard.

A few moments, another one came.

“What’s happening here?” he asked. He has a muscular body too who looks like a typical antagonist in an 80s action movie.

“Boss, they’re claiming that they are sent by the agency who hires butlers. Can you confirm this matter to our master?” baldie asked.

That one they called ‘boss’ looked at us intently. And it made me nervous as hell.

“Yes. I know that Master asked an agency to send some butlers for him. Come in,” the boss confirmed.

When we got inside the mansion, I saw that it was more majestic here. How vast the land was insane and the mansion was also wide and large. It can be compared to a noble Japanese residence.

“What are your names, by the way?” the boss asked.

“I’m Ren Baltazar. And he’s Rome Buendia,” Caden answered.

I was a bit impressed of how prepared he was to answer. Is he a Boy Scout before?

We are walking down the hallway of their traditional Japanese-style mansion and forcing myself to hide the fear that I’m feeling right now. There are gangsters in every corner of this house and they look scary as hell.

“Where are we heading to?” Caden queried.

“To our master,” the boss answered.

I breathed deeply as I heard it. This is the moment where we’re going to face that Restituto.

After a few moments, we stopped at the front of a tall, big door. Then one of the gangsters held the knob and opened it. It’s like time went slow as they open that door and I hear nothing but my heartbeat.

I glanced at Caden and I wondered why he looks so calm all the time?

“Come in,” the baldie commanded.

We followed what he said so after we entered the room, the gangsters closed the door. I noticed that the room was just an almost empty vast space. Then we saw someone siting on the floor like he’s meditating.

“Master,” the boss approached then bowed his head.

“The butlers that you requested from the agency was here,” he reported.

Resty stood up slowly then he turned around to face us. He’s wearing a black kimono and white socks. He’s tall, has a bit muscular built, narrow and fierce-looking eyes, and his hair was thick and a bit reddish. And I just realized that he has a quite resemblance to Sakuragi of Slam Dunk!

“State your names,” he commanded with his deep, spine-chilling voice.

“I’m Ren Baltazar.”

“R-Rome Buendia.”

My heart jumped when Resty stepped forward. He stared intently at Caden first like he was examining his face.

“Hmm, you look familiar,” he commented.

“Really? Well, a lot of people tell me that I looked like someone who was a Korean drama actor. I’m just not sure of his name,” he replied.

Then Resty shifted his dead serious stare at me. I felt a sudden jolt of chill under my skin and spine with his stares.

“Hmm, are you really a man?” he asked.

I went a bit panic. “Y-Yes, of course.”

I’m doing my best to hide the fear that I’m feeling and closing my fists tightly while Resty was staring at my face intently.

A ringing of a phone broke the awkward silence that fills the room. I felt a bit relieved when Resty went away from me to get the phone and answer it.

“Hello? Yes, this is Yamamura. What is it?” Resty said on his phone.

He wrinkled his forehead. “What do you mean? There are two here who just came in.”

After a few moments, he hung up the phone.

“You said that the agency sent you here, right?” he queried.

“Yes, sir,” Caden answered.

Resty made a smirk. “Did you know who called me just a while ago? It’s the agency and they told me that all applicants have backed out after they’ve known that yakuza will be their employer!”

Anger was raging like a flame in his eyes and his jaw was clenching. His vibe became scarier like he was some devil. The tension in this room became heavier and it made me breathe heavily.

“Run, Cassandra,” Caden suddenly whispered.

“Catch these peasants!” Resty commanded.

“Run! Quick!” Caden yelled.

I followed what Caden said in my panic. He faced those gangsters right before I ran outside the door. Even if I don’t want to leave him alone there, I must do it and find Kiara as quick as possible. I just ran along the mansion and opened all the doors of the rooms that I have passed by to check if Kiara was inside.

Even I was scared and nervous, all that I’m thinking was to find and save Kiara so I can get back to Caden and help him.

After opening many doors, I finally found Kiara in the room that I just opened. I saw her lying on the bed while her hands and feet were tied and her mouth was covered with cloth.

I checked the area first before going in. Then I closed the door and quickly approached Kiara. I tapped her shoulder and she looked at me. She looked so terrified while shaking her head like she’s begging me not to hurt her.

“Sshh. I’m not a bad guy. I’m here to save you. I’m with Caden,” I stated while untying her hands and feet.

“Rendel was here?” Kiara asked in surprised after I removed the cloth on her mouth. I know this is out of the blue but I realized that she’s prettier up close.

“Yes, we came here to save you. Let’s get outta here. Quick.”

I am guiding Kiara while she’s getting off the bed when I noticed something different.

“Kiara, are you okay?” I asked.

“I feel drowsy and a bit dizzy. They forced me to intake something lately,” she stated.

How can I do this? I need to guide her until we make it outside the mansion, but how can I do this quick if she’s not feeling well?

We got shocked when there were people who suddenly barged in.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!” one gangster yelled. He was with other four with him!

They have cornered me already. I had no choice now. I need to fight back!

One tried to catch me but I managed to dodge and punched him in the face. After he fell on the floor, another guy attacked me but I kicked him at the stomach so he stumbled on the floor and curled himself in pain. I grabbed the vase beside me and hit it on the other guy’s head.

Then the other one grabbed me at my arms and I kicked his manhood. So, he quickly let me go and groaned in pain.

I looked at the window when I suddenly heard a knock from there.

“Caden!” then he gave me a signal that we can just get out from the window.

I quickly opened the window where Caden was and I let Kiara went off first. Caden held and guided her until her feet stepped on the ground. Then, I went off next after that.

We’re just a few meters away from the gate and we quickly ran towards it while there are still nobody around. Caden was carrying Kiara like a princess until we passed through the gate and reached his car. I quickly opened the backseat and Caden put Kiara there and I rode afterwards. Then Caden quickly get in the driver’s seat and drove the car fast.

“Are we safe now? How about Kiara? Do you know why is she like that?” I queried.

“Those jerks. They kidnapped Kiara because Resty was head-over-heels for her. He was so obsessed with her so he forced Kiara to take some drugs because that animal was planning to do a vile and unforgivable thing with her,” Caden answered and I can sense a rage of anger on him.

“Hello. . .”

I suddenly looked at her when she woke up. “Kiara, you okay?”

She still looked so high and not yet with her senses.

I was startled when she touched my face. “You’re my knight in shining armor. . .” she uttered.

I felt a bit awkward while she’s looking at me with those sleepy eyes. I guess I still look like a guy in her gaze.

After was she did bring a massive shock to me. She just kissed me on my lips all of a sudden!

It was just a quick one because she fell asleep quickly afterwards. But I was left shocked and felt like my soul left my body.

“T-That was my first kiss. . .” I muttered, feeling weak.

Then everything went blank.

--

“Cassandra. Cassandra, wake up!”

I slowly opened my eyes and Caden’s face was the first one that I saw.

“We’re home,” he said.

I rubbed my eyes then I went off the car. I saw that we’re already here at the front of their house. We leaned at his car while feeling the calmness and silence of the night.

“What happened? Where’s Kiara?” I queried.

“I already sent her home. Good thing, it was their maid that opened the door for me. Because if it was her parents, they will just get worried and interrogate me,” Caden explained.

“Okay. Thank goodness.”

“How does it feel?” he asked all of a sudden.

I looked at him and wrinkled my forehead.

“Her kiss?” he said.

I widened my eyes. “That was my first kiss, bro! Even I was like this, I’m still a girl,” I complained.

“I’m jealous, you know.”

“No way,” I commented then I slapped his arm and he just laughed.

I removed my fake mustache and took off my wig, then the cool fresh wind blew my straight waist-length hair. The night was serene and we’re just the only people here. I looked up the sky and smiled when I saw the sparkling stars above.

“You love stars, don’t you, Cassandra?” Caden asked all of a sudden.

I just smiled and nodded while still staring up the sky.

“Roma. Just call me Roma,” I said.

“Okay, Roma.”