(BL) Mafia Love; He who falls the hardest loses-Chapter 151: A familiar stranger

The invitation was passed out in a short time yet everyone who was invited attended the meeting. Everyone stepped into the ballroom dressed neatly.

Everyone in the room who had bowed to Haruki was prestigiously wealthy, powerful or both. Those just as powerful or as wealthy as he was got a small bow from Haruki in return.

A simple charity auction meant more than just that. It was a reminder to everyone that Haruki had not lost even a bit of his power after what happened.

It was a show of power. A meeting that required enemies to smile at each other without any obvious show of hostility. A meeting that made law enforcers and government officials share the same table with leaders of the underworld hiding under the aliases of businessmen.

They were not oblivious of the power, the work they did or their relationships with Haruki but they all pretended to be nice people, pretending to be friends.

Glass clicked, whispers exchanged when the charity auction ended. If most of them had met in a different setting, they would probably have pointed guns at each other but this was Haruki’s domain, which meant everyone had to hold a truce.

Haruki was not the only one seriously respected in the room, perhaps although he feared, most of them still feared Ren just as much. Some feared Haruki because he was in control of Ren.

Ren stood behind Haruki his head slightly lowered showing respect to the man he served as his boss. Greetings and clicking of glasses before sips of champagne continued between Haruki and his guests while the others he wasn’t with waited patiently, silently.

Nothing was done out of the ordinary. This was the same behaviour they showed last year. Haruki could feel a sense of calm growing from within as he walked among his guests.

His heart raced as he met someone’s gaze while talking to someone else. He felt an urge to glance at Ren but he swept his gaze over the man nonchalantly before turning and clicking his glass with the man after they exchanged a few light words.

The man was next. He was dressed in a black suit neat and a perfect fit on his tall broad frame. The man smiled when Haruki’s gaze met his again and lifted his glass towards Haruki.

Haruki swallowed and held back from sighing. He went to the next guest as usual. The man was bold enough to try talking about his beloved daughter, whom he wanted Haruki to meet once.

Haruki would have cancelled such a statement not giving the person the chance to smile anymore but mind had gotten busy after noticing that guest. Ren stepped closer and tapped Haruki’s shoulder and whispered, "Boss."

That was enough to pull him out of his thoughts. He could not remember seeing the man during the auction. He could not believe that the man was present at the after-party.

It felt so strange and he could sense danger from the man even despite the smile that had not left the man’s face all this time.

When they finally got to the man, his smile only broadened. He spread his hands towards Haruki for a hug. Haruki narrowed his eyes before he calmly smiled and spread his hands to hug the man.

They were meeting for the first time in three years. The last time the man had attended any event Haruki planned was three years ago even despite all the perfunctory invitations sent.

The man was the only person with the guts to ignore Haruki’s invitation and he always made a show of gifts to replace his presence.

Haruki intended to have a light hug with a pat on the man’s shoulder but the man had other ideas. Haruki was hugged tightly by the man his waist enveloped by the man’s arms. Haruki felt a strong urge to push the man away from him but he wondered what sight that would create among those present.

The man pressed his nose against Haruki’s neck and inhaled noisily. "Still as sweet as always," the man whispered loud enough for only Haruki to hear.

Haruki was finally released from the tight and overly intimate hug. He suppressed the feeling of nausea it caused as his stomach knotted painfully from that contact.

Rejecting the hug without caring about the thoughts it might cause would have just been the perfect thing for him to do when the man stretched his hands towards him.

He had not hated the man the last time they met but he hated the man now and there was something about the man that changed so much that he was certain that he was dealing with danger itself.

The man smiled broadly as he spoke in a low voice to Haruki, as all the other Haruki had spoken to. He finally raised his glass to Haruki and whispered, "To the rekindling of our friendship."

Haruki kept the calm mask he wore as their glass clicked. Rather than a sip, he could not hold back gulping down all the content of his glass. A server hurried with a tray of another glass and replaced it.

Holding the fresh glass of wine, Haruki moved to the next guest. The last thing he wanted to do was rekindle the so-called friendship he had with that man.

The next guest was very friendly with Haruki. Haruki found himself attributing that to the man’s actions. His gaze only got colder with every guest he spoke to until he was done with them. There was music, a bit of dancing and the guests conversing among themselves into the night.

Haruki rose up and walked out of the ballroom when his phone began ringing. He had had a lot of drinks but he was clearheaded considering their alcohol concentration was low.

He walked into the host’s room and closed the door before picking up the call.

"Hello," the doctor’s warm voice came from the other end.

"Hello," Haruki murmured as he sat down on the sofa loosening his tie.

"How’s the party going?" Hiroshi asked warmly.

"Great, how was your surgery?" Haruki asked as he leaned against the backrest and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He wished he could tell Hiroshi everything he felt about the party but that would make him sound like a whining child.

"Great, I just finished, should I come over?"

Haruki parted his lips to give him a solid positive answer but he paused when he remembered the strange guest he had. "Don’t worry about coming over, I will be home as soon as the party is over."

"Oh."

Hiroshi’s response made his heart ache but he could not bring himself to think of letting that man meet Hiroshi. He had not been able to ease the feeling of danger he got from the man even while watching him laugh with the other guests.

"Do you want to eat anything, I want to stop by the grocery store."

"Grapes," Haruki replied without a second thought.

"I will put it in the fridge as soon as I get home," Hiroshi added knowing how Haruki enjoyed eating grapes.

"Oh, thanks." A small smile lifted the corners of Haruki’s lips at the words the man said. He was certain Hiroshi was the only person who knew how he enjoyed his grapes.

"I will add a bunch of bananas and yoghurt."

Haruki’s smile only broadened. He was almost certain the man knew how his words affected him. He wondered if Hiroshi had recognised that his night was not that great from his voice and tried to bribe him with fruits and yoghurt.

It made him want to laugh out but he could smile with that distressing feeling of what that man’s presence could entail held him back.

"I can’t wait to get back," Haruki murmured.

They exchanged a few words and he had to hang up when a knock came on the door. The door was pushed open when Haruki invited them in. Ren bowed slightly before walking to Haruki.

"You don’t look too good," Ren voiced his observation.

"Do you have a cigar?"

Ren nodded and pulled out an expensive cigar brand from his pocket along with a lighter. It was not the brand he liked but since he hadn’t taken any with him, he could only accept it. Haruki bit the cigar and waited for Ren to light it for him.

"Aiichiro," Haruki said after exhaling the first drag of the cigar.

"Hmm," Ren hummed as he sat on another sofa.

"I think he has changed," Haruki voiced the thing bothering him.

"I agree," Ren replied.

Haruki was glad that he was not overthinking. He remembered when he was still friends with the man. They would drink and play golf together occasionally until their friendship got tainted.

They both walked away from each other afterwards and he wouldn’t mind seeing Aiichiro occasionally but the man was determined not to cross paths with him and that marked the end of their friendship for good.

"I think he might cause us some trouble soon," Haruki said thoughtfully as he flicked the ash off the bottom of his cigar.

"Or perhaps he’s already caused some trouble," Ren replied pulling out a cigar for himself.