(BL) Mafia Love; He who falls the hardest loses-Chapter 169: Late Night Visitor

Haruki wondered when Aiichiro would do it. Since the last message they shared, he hadn’t heard anything from him. He began to waver. Was it okay for him to kill Ren? Maybe he should try to talk things out.

He couldn’t bear to look at Ren every day since they lived in the same house so he moved out and stayed in one of his apartments. His collection of wine was very helpful in helping him fall asleep. It was helpful enough that he ignored the headache and the aftereffect that followed in the morning.

He chose to focus on work and the plans to kill Ren and Aiichiro, so that he barely had enough time to think about Hiroshi. However, while busy, the man’s sad face would flash through his mind. He wished he could take back what he said but Aiichiro was still alive.

The doorbell was rung. He raised his head and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. Wondering who was at the door, he rose and placed the wine glass on the table. The bell was rung again while he was contemplating whether it was okay to respond.

It couldn’t be Kiyoshi; his assistant knew the pin and wouldn’t bother ringing the doorbell again if he had anything urgent, and he hadn’t even called prior. It could not be Kiyoshi.

When he got to the screen, Ren’s face appeared on the lit screen. He had not invited the man and due to his guilt, he had avoided Ren by even leaving the main house.

"What do you want?" he didn’t bother wasting time on unnecessary pleasantries as he asked.

"I need to talk to you," Ren replied calmly looking forward.

"At this time?" Haruki asked a bit confused and cautious. He wondered if Ren had made up his mind to end his life.

"Yes."

Haruki returned to the table where he was drinking and pulled out the gun hidden under the table. He hid it behind him as he approached the door and cautiously opened it partly.

Ren looked tired almost a decade older with wrinkles Haruki hadn’t noticed in the past. He hid the gun under his shirt and opened the door a bit wider.

"I don’t think you and I are on friendly terms to be discussing anything," Haruki said as a matter of fact.

"I know," Ren accepted as he calmly met Haruki’s gaze.

Haruki noticed how pale the man’s face was and how his shoulders were curved forward. He wanted to ask him if he was okay but the words were stuck on his lips. This was the man who considered him disposable.

Seeing Ren again after a while made all the guilt he had been feeling disappear. His gaze got colder as he met Ren’s gaze.

"I have been trying to stand upright. I can’t do this anymore."

Ren leaned against the door frame and his tall build slid down until he was sitting on the floor. His head bowed as he looked down at his hands. Haruki’s gaze fell on those hands and he noticed they were bloodied.

Ren laughed. It was short and self-mocking. "You must be happy," his voice came out strained and in pain.

"What do you mean?" Haruki asked. He had noticed the blood but at that moment it didn’t occur to him that Aiichiro might have hurt Ren.

"It must feel good to see me die. I couldn’t die away from you. Your grandfather left you in my care. I have done my part, it’s time for me to go to him."

Ren sighed and shook his head slowly before he said, "I don’t regret what I did. Your grandfather wanted me to protect his legacy too. I am sure he’ll be proud of me."

Haruki’s heart skipped a beat. It raced pounding against his chest. Leaving the door partly open, he rushed to get his phone, to call an ambulance. He held the phone but could not bring himself to press those numbers.

He took slow painful steps to the door where Ren sat on the floor with his head bowed deeply as though in a slumber. His hands trembled as he brought his fingers to Ren’s face.

He put a finger under Ren’s nose. No breath. The man was not breathing anymore. His heart raced even harder, painfully reminding him of the part he had played in the man’s death.

It was still too difficult to believe that the tall strong man he knew from his youth was dead. He pressed two fingers against the man’s neck and could not feel any pulse, even the slightest sign of life.

His fingers ran through his hair as he stood upright and his breathing became ragged. Ren was dead. He had killed his mentor the man who introduced him into this world. The man who taught him the foundation he had before he joined this world.

He could hear the heavy fast pounding of his heart in his head. He could feel a pulsating headache following intensely. Ren was dead. The man’s skin had still been warm when he touched him now but it was no irony that Ren was dead.

He called Kiyoshi immediately. "Ren died. Bring the cleanup team in and arrange for an investigation through his subordinate."

Kiyoshi was silent on the line for a few seconds before he sighed a response, "Yes sir."

The news will spread very fast the moment Ren’s subordinate hears of Ren’s death. They could not get rid of his body through casual cleanups. They would need a thorough cleanup and a proper burial.

Ren was an important figure in the underworld, he would have to worry about police involvement but the person who killed him was Aiichiro. And Aiichiro was one of the few people in the country who could live above the law.

The police would be more than glad to know that yet another gang leader was dead. It meant that the population of those criminals were reducing as long as no citizen got hurt. However, an important figure in the crime world died at his doorstep, now that was a stress he did not want to deal with.

He sighed when Kiyoshi rushed forward followed by Ren’s second in command. He had never had any real dealings with this man who had a similar frame and appearance to Ren.

The man solely handled underworld matters and never connected with Haruki for obvious legal reasons. The chairman of Yugen Holdings can’t get stained with a close relationship with a Yakuza leader.

Even though those in the inner circles of the most wealthy and powerful in the country knew of his relationship with the underworld, no one would be bold enough to report it, nor could he be affected by the strict laws.

He dealt with Ren because there were sentiments between them that many could overlook. Ren was the child his grandfather trained and to them, Ren was like an uncle to him but this man shared no such feelings.

The man bowed deeply to Haruki in greeting. Haruki responded to his greeting and he straightened up his frame. He walked to Ren’s body sitting on the floor and paused.

He sniffed and mopped under his eyes with the back of his hand.

"It was Aiichiro," he said. "All the boys that went with him died. I think he got away and chose to come see you for the last time. He must have wanted to bid you farewell so badly."

Hearing those words and remembering what Ren said, Haruki felt a lump form in his throat. He shook his head deciding to focus on the thought of how much of a mess it was for Ren to die in front of his house.

He signalled to Kiyoshi to continue with the processes. Kiyoshi brought a cleanup team in. Haruki watched as they got rid of every trace of evidence of Ren’s presence including his body which was zipped up in a bag.

Ren’s subordinate bowed once again before he left. They would plan for his burial immediately and legally declare him dead. The cleanup team would make the police unable to find anything even if they go sniffing around.

Kiyoshi returned after they left and he met Haruki’s gaze calmly as though reading his thoughts, he said, "I took care of the CCTV."

Haruki nodded as he replied, "Good, you can leave. I will see you tomorrow."

Kiyoshi nodded obediently and with a bow, he turned and left. Haruki could see that the man had so many questions to ask and other things to say but he was not in the mood to talk to anyone.

With shaky hands, he pushed the door closed before his legs gave way and he slumped to the floor. He rested his head against the wall as he remembered the words Ren spoke before he died.

"Hah," he exhaled with shaky breath. He rubbed his face. This had to be Ren’s vengeance. Ren knew him more than most people, he knew how he got when guilt overwhelms him. That had to be the reason he dragged his injured body to die at his door.