Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart-Chapter 119

The ride home was eerily silent. Not the comfortable silence they usually shared, but a suffocating one that pressed in on Hiro from all sides. He stared out the window, dejected. Raiden always held his hand when they drove. Always. Not holding hands made him feel somewhat empty.

Apart from that, Raiden would ask about his day, or share a story from work, or just make some small gesture to remind Hiro that he was there and that he liked him but now, there was nothing. The space between them felt like an ocean and although Hiro was angry, he didn’t like it. He felt like a bunch of cotton was stuffed down his airway, making it hard for him to breathe.

He clenched his jaw, trying to fight off the feeling. This wasn’t his fault at all. It was Raiden’s. Raiden had lied to him. Raiden had kept secrets.

But then, why did he feel so guilty? Why did he feel like he was the one hiding things?

His eyes flicked to Raiden, who gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. Raiden’s jaw was set, his expression unreadable, yet the anger radiated off of him in waves.

Hiro bit his lip, wanting to say something but he couldn’t bring himself to speak for he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know where to start.

When they arrived home, Raiden parked the car in the garage. As Hiro moved to open his door, Raiden’s voice cut through the silence.

“Wait.”

Hiro froze, his hand retracting from the door handle immediately. He watched as Raiden unbuckled his seatbelt, stepped out of the car, and circled around to his side.

With a soft click, Raiden opened the door, leaning in to unbuckle Hiro’s seatbelt. His movements were gentle, and he was so close that Hiro could smell his clean scent mixed with the earthy scent of cedar. His body leaned closer to Raiden’s unconsciously, as if wanting to be hugged but Raiden pulled away after unbuckling the seatbelt then Raiden extended his hand, wordlessly offering it to Hiro.

Hiro hesitated, his eyes flicking from Raiden’s outstretched hand to his face. Why was Raiden treating him the way he usually did when it was obvious that he was angry? He wanted to refuse Raiden’s help but the look in Raiden’s eyes warned him otherwise. Reluctantly, he placed his hand in Raiden’s, feeling the strength of Raiden’s grip as he helped him out of the car.

Still holding his hand, Raiden led him inside the house, through the hallway, and into their bedroom. Once inside the bedroom, Raiden released his hand and guided him to sit on the bed.

“Explain yourself,” he commanded, his voice cold and stern.

Hiro blinked, stunned. Explain himself? Why? What had he done wrong? If anyone had explaining to do, it was Raiden. His chest tightened as confusion and anger. "W-What do you mean?” he stammered, unable to meet Raiden’s piercing gaze.

“You disappeared under Han’s watch today,” Raiden said, his voice dark. “Not only that, you refused to pick up my calls. In fact, you hung up each time I called. Explain.”

Raiden’s voice was frighteningly deep. It made his heart race, his palms sweaty as he sat there, trapped in the intensity of Raiden’s presence. He could tell that Raiden was extremely angry but Hiro hated confrontation. He was the type to suffer silently. Even if he was right, he’d never have the courage to speak out, no matter how much it bothered him. He had spent the past four years learning to be bolder, to speak up—but right now, he felt like the same scared boy who used to shrink away from difficult situations.

Raiden’s eyes never left him, waiting for an answer. Hiro swallowed thickly but couldn’t find the words. Raiden then proceeded to remove his suit jacket and tie, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt. He unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, then leaned over Hiro, placing his arms on either side of him, caging him in. Raiden’s face was dangerously close now, and his voice was low and deep, like the rumbling of a volcano. “I asked you a question, Hiro. I expect you to answer.”

Hiro’s body tensed, his heart pounding in his ears. His vision blurred with tears as he lowered his head, unable to withstand Raiden’s dominating presence any longer. “D-Do you even like me, Raiden?” he sniffled, his voice barely above a whisper.

The question took Raiden by surprise. He frowned, reaching out to pinch Hiro’s cheek gently, lifting his face so their eyes met. Seeing the tears streaming down Hiro’s cheeks, Raiden’s expression softened, the harshness in his features instantly melting away.

He cursed inwardly. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten Hiro’s nature. Hiro was sensitive, easily overwhelmed by strong emotions. His anger, his coldness—it must have frightened him.

"Oh, baby,” Raiden murmured, his thumb brushing away a tear. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

But that wasn’t what Hiro wanted to hear. “You didn’t answer the question,” he whispered, pushing Raiden’s hand away, his lip trembling as he spoke.

“Of course I like you,” Raiden said softly, his brows furrowing in confusion. “More than you can ever imagine.” Why would Hiro even doubt that?

"Then why did you lie to me?” Hiro sobbed, his voice breaking. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, but the tears kept falling. The betrayal and pain he felt was too much to hold back any longer. “Why did you lie to me, Raiden?”

Raiden blinked, clearly stunned. “Lie to you? When did I lie to you?”

“You lied!” Hiro cried, his voice rising with frustration. He pushed at Raiden’s chest, but Raiden didn’t budge, his body solid as a wall. It only made Hiro’s anger flare even more. “You lied to me! You told me you were in America, but you never left! You lied!”

“Baby, calm down,” Raiden urged, his voice soft, trying to soothe him. “I didn’t lie to you. I really went to America. You dropped me off at the airport, remember? You watched me go in.”

“Y-You could’ve gotten off the plane!” he yelled. “You could’ve done anything! Maybe you left, but you came back the next day! You have the money to do that, Raiden. Catching a flight the next day means nothing to you!”

Raiden’s face was filled with confusion. He was furious that Hiro had disappeared and refused to answer his calls. But now, he was utterly lost, unsure of what Hiro was talking about. “Hold on,” he said, bewildered. “Just what on earth are you talking about?”"

“I saw you!” Hiro burst out, his body trembling with a mixture of hurt and anger. “I saw you with my own eyes! You were in that warehouse in my old neighborhood with Ginro, and I saw you take my brother’s bag from him. You planned all this, didn’t you? You don’t like me at all. You never did! You just wanted to take revenge on me for not accepting you in high school!”

Tears streamed down Hiro’s face as his voice cracked. “How could you, Raiden? Revenge is one thing, but why did you have to toy with my sister’s life? Why?!"

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