EIH

hs ear

you talk

up from my phone

her I never had. He had been mostly quiet all ni

groggily prepared an hour ago. His gym shorts looked as tight as his white

rthday gifts for me last

psychiatrist's secretary called yesterday. Kenji might

re." I held the warm cof

s soon and finally realize keeping away from his reprehensible group of fri

usy to

urd, anyway?"

e." I grabbed my buzzing p

mess

sed c

Kenji for the kids' sake, even while pushing for the annulment. A decade of turmoil

w me

Ayashi

n talk to u t

y 10

text or

y 10

won't take my calls.

y 10

back, watching me

king me wh

sed his pale arms and sighed.

n snuck out o

ow

me staring at the texts befo

ri

ri

re

hen I tried again. And

nd thought of the possible reason

face as he grumbled complaints. Then he

1:0

?" Daniel asked with scrunche

und. The idiot still wouldn't pick up. His mobile j

would say over the phone. Dad didn't need another headache; he was too b

ue soon. By ourselves. I reclined o

eedy friends slash enablers again. I should'

still damp from his shower, Daniel paced around his quiet livin

ney." I shook my head and grinned, recalling that stupid conversation I'd h

nji again," Daniel mumbled

hed. "Ken reply t

k. "Maybe he thinks we put a tracker on

auction. Like yesterday." I glanc

s brows wrinkled by another

ar from hi

went home to my condo with my driver and bodyguard, only t

m parking area, slouched beside the back

morning and afternoon? I sighed and resumed my steps. I'd smack h

muttered while

l day." I squinted at him, pe

his nape. He couldn't look me in the eye. His face looked pinkish for

ked a joint at the very least. "Coke again?" I took

question, as if offended

up with his drug-dealing friends again. "Ken, fucking lie to me again, I'll put you in jail myself." I shoved him onto th

while clenching his jaw

ho

Kenji mumbled, g

those assholes again?"

eth. I knew his tells. Right now, he seemed rat

y up." Kenji d

r w

l

tell you to stay the fuck

ext month," he murmured, bar

l you to stop talking to those a

killed next time he decides to meet up alone

enienced by such news. But like always, Kenji always

nd Miyuki grow up and have lives of their own? Stop talking to

aring at the wall beside him, his voice almost trembling. "P

hem fo

t, Kuya," Kenji muttered after a brief silence. "I got

tta waste your mone

some, when I

" I s

kids. The rest, I used to pay for pro

hould've known earlier he owed th

" Kenji

d'you gott

averting his eyes again.

to

pay back half of it soo

fuckin' kidding me?

ren't screwing around when it came to sw

"Diom said I gotta pay so I wouldn't have to..." he mu

at piece of shit. I

You s

and peered into his face until he finally looked me in the eye. My anger ebbed away when I s