(BL) Mafia Love; He who falls the hardest loses-Chapter 95: Without him

On the morning of the funeral, Haruki arrived dressed in a black suit since he had refused to wear the black kimono Kiyoshi suggested he wore. He stepped into the room and all the mourning and crying seemed to seize at his entry.

The room smelled like sandalwood and chrysanthemums reminding Haruki of his grandfather’s funeral. Then he had been so scared that he had pushed back all these little details but today he was attending the funeral as the head of a family as large as theirs even at his young age.

At the end of the tatami-matted hall stood a black lacquered altar adorned with white lilies, the portrait of his granduncle and his son, and two bowls of rice with chopsticks stuck upright. His granduncle looked dignified almost too innocent to have committed the crimes he paid for.

His son wore a subtle smug look in the picture although that did not make him look any guiltier than his father, he simply looked like an accomplished businessman who had never gone against the law which is pretty hard to find.

That was a last meal for them that Haruki couldn’t help but feel both father and son would have appreciated more while locked up than now that they were dead.

He was certain they were starved before they were tortured and killed and he could not help but imagine them pleading in agony for this bowl of rice. It is all a pity if only they hadn’t taken the first step of engaging in a business that could destroy his family and business without seeking his permission.

As Haruki continued forward, the mourners bowed, their black idea giving them the look of shadows. All his granduncles, well those lucky to be alive, dressed in suits just like Haruki and he could not help but feel he did the right thing by not going with Kiyoshi’s suggestion.

He spotted his granduncle’s wife and the two younger women who stopped him that day at the restaurant. He had asked them to investigate how they knew his whereabouts that day to meet with him and it was as simple as stalking him, seeking the chance to meet him, to catch him unaware.

It was a failure on the part of his guards he wondered how they had slacked so much with their security that they allowed someone to approach him without stopping them. He was angry with them and spoke to them about it.

They bowed slightly when they saw him. He sighed wearing the right solemn look to match the moment and walked closer. The priest continued his chants, his voice low and steady, as incense smoke curled toward the ceiling. A single bell chimed at intervals — a soft, echoing note that seemed to stretch time itself.

Haruki approached the table and offered an incense before bowing twice and murmuring a prayer. The hall had two condolence books. He looked around to find Souta but he wasn’t among them. He had told Ren to ensure the man was present to send his father and brother off as the only man left in their nuclear family but Souta wasn’t around.

After the ceremony came the cremation. Haruki still looked around for Souta and when he didn’t see him, he signaled to Ren. Ren came over to him and bowed slightly.

"Where is Souta?" Haruki asked sternly. He could not help but feel the man was showing a bit of incompetence.

"He is outside. He has been asleep for a while now. I will ensure he is available for the cremation, his physical state is a bit bad."

His uncle’s wife had begged him to find Souta and he felt with the way he handled everything, they deserved to see Souta, which might put them at ease a bit or comfort them a bit in their mourning.

Perhaps it was an attempt to make himself look a bit kind or to show he still cared about his family, Haruki just wanted to witness Souta meet his family.

Souta finally arrived causing everyone to pause in shock as he stepped towards his mother and sister. His head was bowed with his chin almost touching his chest and shoulders looking as though he was carrying a heavy load.

He dragged one of his legs to keep moving forward in a limp. He was dressed neatly in a black suit and his hair was neatly done but the scar on his face still gave him a rough appearance as he passed by Haruki without acknowledging his presence.

He hugged his mother as soon as he got to her and began crying in her embrace. He didn’t say a word as everyone present watched in anticipation. Many had thought he was dead and many felt his body would surface sometime soon and they would have to attend yet another funeral.

Souta just sobbed quietly as his mother continued to hold him. She also cried as she patted his back soothingly. After what felt like an eternity, they parted and Souta finally raised his head.

He looked around and stopped when he met Haruki’s gaze. He looked down for a few seconds as soon their gaze met before raising his head as though he had gathered enough courage to look at Haruki.

After meeting Haruki’s gaze once more, this time unwavering, he bowed slightly as though showing a per functionary acknowledgement of Haruki’s presence and a slight show of respect to the young patriarch. Haruki nodded slightly in response. He glanced at Ren as he wondered what was happening.

Something didn’t seem right about Souta and although that was very much expected considering the hell he was certain that the man must have gone through where he was hidden, he still could not help sensing something weird.

Souta’s mother raised her head and looked at Haruki. She bowed deeply and showed a sad smile when she raised her head as though appreciating Haruki’s effort in bringing her son back home.

The funeral continued with the son and brother of the deceased present. After the ceremony was completed, everyone went home with information that they would gather the next day in the family house for a meeting.

Haruki knew many of them had a lot to say and although he knew most of them condemned Haruki for not protecting his family and this was a period that they believed this the most, he still had to hold the meeting as there were many important things to be discussed.

Haruki hoped as he stepped into his bedroom that none of them would be so moved by emotion that they would say something that he wouldn’t be able to overlook. After cleaning up and wearing a pair of loose slacks, he went downstairs to get a bottle of wine.

He grabbed a bottle of one of the most expensive wines in his cellar and picked a wine glass from the kitchen before walking to the dining table. The house was large and quiet, almost too quiet and that was something he had not noticed in the past.

This was his favourite house among the other penthouses he owned in the city considering this house had the wine cellar he valued more than anything but as he poured wine into the wine glass, a sense of loneliness began to feel his heart.

He remembered the coolheaded doctor who once poured him wine in this house but the man was nowhere to be found. He brought the glass to his lips and sipped the wine as he thought of how the man had left without informing him. It was as though there was no need for him to know.

Remembering kept the emotions he felt when he heard the news from Kiyoshi fresh as though he just heard the news. He lifted his phone and checked his inbox. The doctor hadn’t even bothered to send him an email.

That was something the doctor could do. He could send him an official email regardless of how short it might be, at least showing a bit of respect to his boss and the man he was intimate with.

Haruki raised the glass to sip the wine and the glass was empty. He picked the bottle to pour more into the glass and the bottle was also empty. Haruki sighed after glancing at his phone.

He got an idea and a smile lifted the corners of his lips. What would he be doing on such a night if the doctor was not his contracted sex partner?

He knew the answer. The day was just too depressing due to the funeral of the person he had given up to his death and his son. He wanted to be in a place different from the atmosphere he had just left. He wanted to be in a place completely different from his large empty penthouse.

If the doctor showed him no respect, he had no reason to show the doctor any respect either. When he rose up from the chair, he felt his vision go dizzy but he supported himself with the table until he could see clearly.

Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnovel(.)com