This was the furthest he could have gone, yet he didn't regret it. He was convinced that the situation couldn't be worse. He observed the twenty-year-old young girl sleeping deeply beside him in the darkness of the immense room. Her arms surrounded him, so he moved carefully to avoid waking her.
He got out of bed, his skin bathed in the moonlight, appeared radiant and beautiful. He glanced sideways at the angel with tousled hair who continued to rest, her body wrapped in the sheets.
He closed his eyes, feeling somewhat disgusted and wondered, "How had he fallen so low?" But still, he didn't regret it. He walked silently toward the bathroom, and once there, he leaned against the door. The screen of his cellphone illuminated for a few seconds, and without haste, he checked the device.
"New message received.
Total messages: 10
Read Dismiss"
"Hello..." he whispered in response. "I don't know, I'm locked in the bathroom. She's still sleeping. I warn you, this is the hardest thing I've ever done. No, she didn't suspect anything. She still thinks I love her, but what happened tonight won't happen again, but..."
He ended the call, anger etched on his face, and stepped into the living room. He sat down on one of the armchairs and while he observed the moonlight seeping through the windows, he brought a cigarette to his lips and smoked it slowly...
Four months ago...
The veil covered her face, and from time to time, she would bring the handkerchief to her cheek to wipe away the few tears streaming down her face as she received condolences from acquaintances and people close to the family. Her watchful gaze settled on each new face entering the funeral parlor; she was certain that from that moment on, her life would change forever.
By her side stood her eldest son, a man of approximately twenty-five, with a cold gaze and a frozen expression, elegantly greeting those who approached to offer their condolences. His black suit, along with the matching tie, accentuated the white shirt he wore with distinction. He glanced sideways at his mother, who continued to sob.
Crocodile tears, he knew them all too well. After all, they had been waiting for this precious moment for several years.
He furrowed his brow upon recognizing the presence of the old butler accompanied by the stern lawyer among the attendees. He observed them as if they were two dogs he needed to chase away. He had worked very hard to get to where he was, and he no longer wished to have any ties with those two men who always managed to obstruct him in one way or another.
He had made up his mind. Michael, the elderly family servant, would receive a check with a small amount of money that a man of his low status would appreciate as compensation for his years of service in the Tanarro household. He would learn to appreciate the generosity of his new boss since his mother's wishes simply consisted of throwing him out on the street without a penny.
As for the lawyer, now that his relative had passed away, he would take his place as the head of the family after the reading of the will and could dismiss him. A scrupulous lawyer was of no use to him, especially one who constantly compared him to the previous owner. He eagerly anticipated that moment, wishing to see the face of the man who had opposed his path to the presidency from the very beginning as he banished him from his life forever.
He smirked, and the gesture did not go unnoticed by the woman, who immediately nudged him lightly.
"Act natural... All eyes of these riffraff are on us," she murmured quietly, almost under her breath, covering her lips with the white handkerchief.
"Everything is fine, Mother," the man replied.
A small group of people had just arrived, among them a young woman dressed in an elegant black silk kimono. Her long hair was tied up in a braid, which ended with a youthful ribbon of the same color as the kimono, gracefully cascading over her shoulder.
"Miss Tori has also come to greet us... Pretend to be deeply saddened. We women like to see a sensitive man from time to time," the woman suggested, nodding her head in approval at the newcomers.
The arrival of the young woman in the kimono had a very special meaning at that moment, not only socially but also because it served to reaffirm the relationship they had, something that was very convenient now that he was just a step away from becoming one of the richest men in the world.
The idea of marrying that girl did not displease him; in fact, his feelings towards Tori were more special than those for the rest of the women. Furthermore, this woman was not only beautiful and intelligent but also came from a respectable and influential family, an excellent match in his mother's eyes.
The young girl approached to greet them formally according to tradition, and quickly another man arrived and immediately approached the area where the veiled woman was sitting.
"Apologies for being late..."
"Where have you been, Yuselso?... I thought I made it clear for you not to miss this appointment. You smell like cheap perfume. We'll talk about that later..." The woman whispered to him once the young girl moved away a little to talk with her eldest son.
"Yes, mother," he replied ashamed, lowering his head and taking black sunglasses out of his lapel pocket and putting them on.
The new family picture was complete and ready to head to the cemetery. Everyone spoke of the family unity that reigned in the Tanarro household even after the head of the family's passing.
Once the priest finished the prayers and chants, he stood up to ascend the pulpit, hiding his victorious gaze behind his dark glasses as he observed the old man and the lawyer sitting in their chairs, waiting for the moment to bid a final farewell to the gentle man who had finally managed to leave this world.
A scream made the solemnity interrupt, and he stood perplexed in front of the altar. His eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing...
"Oh, why did you have to die!" He shouted at the top of his lungs from his motorcycle, making a turn in front of the altar to park it in front of everyone. "Kai! You senseless son of a bitch! You had no right to die without letting me know!"
Mrs. Tanarro felt herself shrinking amidst the whispers and murmurs of those present, just like them, she was distressed. She took a deep breath, hoping it was only a dream, but she was mistaken. The most bizarre and vulgar scene she had never imagined was unfolding before her eyes at a moment when everything in her eyes should be crucial.
Who was that woman? How dare she speak to the respected deceased like that? Where did she come from? How was it possible for the distinguished and refined Mr. Tanarro to know someone so vulgar and disrespectful? These questions hammered the minds of everyone, especially Mrs. Tanarro and her children. The woman stood up and walked towards the newcomer as he dismounted from the motorcycle and confidently approached the altar.
Present Time."And that’s how I finished my high school years, with a pair of gorillas watching every one of my movements as if I were a celebrity, because my overprotective cousin had the crazy idea of keeping me safe that way. Iwa’s joke got out of control, and I was receiving strange proposals from all kinds of stalkers.""If it hadn’t been that way, things would have gotten worse." The woman smiled. "You were lucky your cousin protected you.""Since then, I’ve hated homosexuals. Just imagining all that filth makes me nauseous." He ran his hand through his hair and looked at the woman, who remained calm while listening. "Sotomayor told me the other day that my head is full of prejudice about the subject.""It’s a taboo topic," she replied as if she had all the answers. "Did you have any other homosexual or unpleasant experiences that may have directly influenced your prejudice?"The question made him shudder. He remained silent for a few seconds that felt like an eternity while he
"Let’s go back to your homo-phobia. Do you remember when you discovered you felt repulsion toward homo-sexu4l people?""That one’s easy." He opened his eyes, staring at the bluish ceiling. "That happened when I was in high school…"Twelve years earlier…"Tanarro Sempai." A blushing girl with her hair tied with a yellow ribbon stood before him, slightly bowed, eyes closed, holding out a gift. "Sempai, I want to tell you that…""You like me?" a brown-haired boy replied arrogantly. "Is that what you came to say? What’s your name?""Sa… Sa… Sayu… Sayuri." She stammered as her body trembled."Ah, Sayuri… Answer me. Do you like me and want to go out with me?" He looked at her with disdain.Blushing, the girl nodded slightly, keeping her eyes shut and holding out her hands, waiting for him to accept her gift."Who do you think you are?... My family is one of the wealthiest and most powerful in this country. I’m Tanarro Yukio, and you are Sayuri X… You’re nobody." He spoke as if mocking her.
Flashback 4: The Day Before…"Michael! Michael! Dear Michael!" The gray-eyed one hugged the old man’s back playfully."What do you want, miss?" asked the butler discreetly."Today I don’t want Japanese food… Make me kimchi, please! Please!""But you tell me when I’ve already prepared steamed octopus," the old man protested."Let Yukio eat that!" she replied, glancing at the brown-haired man who was rummaging through the refrigerator for a beer. "He’s always hungry and eats everything he finds!""Mr. Tanarro doesn’t eat steamed octopus…" the butler answered, disappointed. "I’ll make your kimchi the way you like it, miss.""Thank you!" she smiled and jumped with joy. "I’ll have kimchi for dinner! I’ll have kimchi for dinner!""Brat!" said the brown-haired man. "How can you ask for kimchi at this hour?""Look who’s talking… Miss ‘I won’t eat steamed octopus.’""Everyone has something they don’t like… Miss, I don’t eat fish even if my life depends on it.""What are you saying?... Let me r
The Italian glanced at him sideways and shook his head."It's not the right time. If I go into the bathroom with you, we might not come out for the rest of the day...""Fine, your loss..." she said, disappearing behind the bathroom door.She reappeared in the living room holding Giulian’s hand, who proudly hugged and kissed her cheeks while defiantly staring at Thomas Won.The man looked at the Italian with envy. He merely gave a grim smile and occasionally glanced at the Japanese man, who remained seated in the room, now drinking another beer. He seemed calm and indifferent to the Italian's provocations."It’s just a façade. Tanarro is more than just Sotomayor’s cousin— I can tell by the way they look at each other."He didn’t say much. Sotomayor sat on the large couch, and beside her, the Italian kept pampering her and treating her affectionately, making it quite clear what kind of relationship they had. Yukio couldn’t stand the tension between the men, who kept glaring at each othe
Another beautiful morning begins.The first thing she did was open the first page of that notebook where she was supposed to write the list. She had been thinking about it the night before, but in the end, she didn’t manage to write anything because her mind was occupied solely by the image of the gray-eyed girl who was comfortably asleep on the sofa.She opened the small window of the bedroom and leaned her head out to enjoy the beautiful view a little more. The summer breeze tousled her chestnut hair, which hadn’t been cut in more than three months and now moved rebelliously across her face.From the window, she observed her street and recognized Kentzuque, who was wearing his gym uniform and walking casually beside his friends. She immediately knew that teenager would skip class again and smiled."One of these days, you're going to get into serious trouble for skipping school… When you're an adult, you’ll wish you could go back to your school days and then you’ll regret wasting tim
Two hours later…She laughed in a joyful and sensual manner, holding a margarita in her right hand. He spoke to her slowly; their glances said everything. The flirtatious exchange between drinks had heightened the mood."And why not?" asked the woman with black hair and brown eyes."Aren’t good girls supposed to be home before midnight?""That’s the problem—I’m not a good girl," she replied, looking at him flirtatiously and then leaning in to whisper in his ear. "So I'm in no rush to go home…"They held hands and walked toward the exit. He scanned the room for his best friend, who was still dancing with another woman. He gave him a brief wave goodbye and left with the woman.Normally, he would have shown off his beautiful Mercedes, taken her to the most luxurious hotel in the city to impress her with his gold card, ordered the finest bottle of wine or champagne depending on her taste, and after satisfying his lust and thirst for intimacy, he would’ve left her there with a, “Don’t worr