(BL) Mafia Love; He who falls the hardest loses-Chapter 178: Dead?

***

Haruki exhaled feeling exasperated. He could feel the heat rising. He wondered what all those performance was for. Hiroshi hadn’t been this way when they met during Ren’s funeral. He had agreed to kill Aiichiro.

Remembering that, Haruki stopped in his tracks. Was all that that happened Hiroshi’s doing? Did Hiroshi succeed as he claimed? That day, he had been too engrossed in his thoughts to believe Hiroshi.

He went late as Hiroshi wanted and Aiichiro had collapsed in front of him. It hadn’t been announced on the news yet, and Kiyoshi hadn’t returned with the report he asked for.

He wanted to but he couldn’t call Aiichiro’s assistant. The man had released Kataro meaning he had a reason to. Whatever the reason was, he knew the only person who truly knew what happened to Aiichiro was his assistant and his doctor.

It had been so quiet for the past few hours. No one present at the party had been bold enough to post about Aiichiro collapsing. Aiichiro had been too sick—if he was still alive—to handle it meaning his assistant had ensured no one was dumb enough to post about it.

During the party, no one had filmed what happened. He could still remember the scene vividly and he hadn’t seen anyone trying to film it and even if anyone did, Aiichiro’s assistant ensured none of it got out.

Hiroshi came to his study after an hour. "He has a few wounds but it seems he got quick care before coming so I set an IV line. The nurse will take it out and he should be okay. If there is any need, I can check on him tomorrow or this evening." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Haruki listening to those words tired. When the man was done speaking, he nodded.

"You can leave."

Hiroshi’s eyes widened slightly at that order.

Haruki’s gaze met his calmly. "Why?" he asked when Hiroshi remained unmoving. He wondered why the doctor looked hurt by his words when he had drawn the line between them earlier. He hadn’t acted distant first.

"Nothing. I will take my leave now." He bowed deeply. Too deeply. He turned and left the study.

Haruki seeing the man’s departing back realized he had missed the opportunity to ask Hiroshi about why he had told Kataro about Aiichiro knowing just how hungry Kataro was for vengeance.

Hiroshi must have known that Kataro would attack Aiichiro which was the reason he chose to tell him. He also wondered if Hiroshi knew that Kataro wouldn’t be able to withstand the torture and implicate him.

He wanted to ask him if he was behind what happened to Aiichiro. He had so many questions to ask the man but he had allowed his anger send the man off. Hiroshi’s overly professional countenance had made him irritated enough to send him out as soon as he was done speaking.

He had to wait for Kiyoshi and the news. Both of them responded almost at the same time. He was at work at his desk when Kiyoshi knocked.

He invited him in. "It’s on the news," Kiyoshi said hurriedly as he picked up the remote control and turned on the TV.

Haruki immediately knew what Kiyoshi was talking about before he turned on the TV. His eyes were fixed on the news. Aiichiro was confirmed dead. It had been about twelve hours since he saw the man.

The death was said to be caused by a couple of underlying health issues no one knew about. The man had been in the hospital for a week getting treated after Aiichiro attacked him and yet he had health issues the doctors didn’t find?

Haruki’s gaze remained fixed on the TV even after they moved to another headline. It was easy to mistake this as a coincidence but Haruki refused to believe Aiichiro’s death last night was one.

Too many dots connected the accident to Hiroshi but he was confirmed dead due to natural causes. There was no foul play. Someone as powerful as Aiichiro wouldn’t be allowed to die without a proper investigation.

It was too soon to confirm that it was the result of an intense investigation which stole the ability to relax from Haruki. He still felt on edge after the plans for his funeral were announced.

When he finally moved his gaze from the TV screen, he saw a notification on his tablet. It was an invitation to Aiichiro’s funeral which would be held in a couple of days.

His fingers tapped on the table in a rhythmic motion. He could not help but feel that Aiichiro would attend his own funeral smiling and asking if he truly thought he was free.

He replayed it in his mind that he didn’t know when Kiyoshi left the office. After more than hour of no work done lost in his thoughts, Haruki sighed and leaned his straight back against the backrest of the chair.

He sent an investigation order to Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi immediately responded with the report. He wondered if that was what Kiyoshi was reading to him while he was lost in his thoughts.

He read through it. According to Kiyoshi’s investigation, Aiichiro was dead. He died and was presently in the morgue of the hospital affiliated with him.

He brushed off the urge he felt to request to see Aiichiro in the cold room. It felt very invasive and would make him suspicious if he requests that.

Aiichiro came from a powerful family and was affiliated with a lot of people in power and getting suspected for Aiichiro’s death would call for attention he didn’t want.

***

Wearing a black suit, Haruki walked back to his car. Aiichiro’s funeral had gone by. He felt no need to remain among his family since most of Aiichiro’s friends were already leaving.

"Hello."

Haruki stopped in his tracks. He turned to see Aiichiro’s assistant. The older man bowed deeply before solemnly meeting Haruki’s gaze.

"Thanks for releasing Kataro," Haruki said sincerely. If the man had decided on killing Kataro after Aiichiro’s death, he would have been planning vengeance but Kataro would still be dead nonetheless, he chose to send him back.

"I was only following orders. He was expected to go after the party. It was not your fault the party ended when it did so I had to obey his orders."

Haruki nodded. "I am still grateful though."

The man bowed at that response. "Would you be able to wait until the funeral is over?"

Haruki’s eyes narrowed slightly. Did Aiichiro decide to appear after everyone had thought he was buried to be forgotten? It was a ridiculous and irrational thought but it made his heart race as he tried to maintain a straight face.

"Why?" he asked directly.

"His family requested that his will be read immediately after the funeral," the assistant replied.

"I am not a member of his family," Haruki reminded the man. He had no reason to sit among Aiichiro’s family members to listen to them talk about their inheritance.

"He left something for you in his will since he has no heir."

Haruki parted his lips in surprise. His eyes narrowed slightly before he said, "I don’t think I should sit among his family members to know. You can have his lawyer contact me later. I do not want to feel out of place."

He was not sure if the assistant could see he wanted nothing to do with Aiichiro even after the man’s death. He wondered what Aiichiro left him. He hated such inconveniences.

Aiichiro was wealthy which meant whatever was left should hold some value but he wanted nothing to do with it at this moment.

"I will come with his lawyer to see you on Monday. Is that okay?"

Haruki nodded.

He could see the relief on the assistant’s face when Haruki agreed to it. Haruki began wondering what it was to have the assistant relieved. He could very easily reject it later regardless of what they were.

He stepped into his car and the door was closed behind him. "Have someone investigate what was left to me after the will is read today."

He knew the family members must have asked for the lawyer’s copy to be read before handling the inheritance officially. It gave him an idea of how eager they were to know what was left to them and what wasn’t.

To think that Aiichiro left something to him when he had such greedy family members made his head feel heavy. He had enough dealing with his family members. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in the drama of someone else’s family especially someone like Aiichiro.

"I wonder what he left to me," Haruki sighed looking out of the window.

He lost the urge to investigate further on what happened between Kataro and Aiichiro and how the man died. He had attended the man’s funeral. It was not beyond possibility that Aiichiro would cremate a body to fake his death but it seemed too troublesome to do.

He could feel himself finally relax. Aiichiro was dead. The man behind all his troubles was dead. The man who made him attend to many funerals in such a short time had his own funeral.