All You Need Is Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 47

PRESENT
🌻

"Hey, Gulf!"

When Gulf got back to the office on Friday after finishing his rounds, Kashima called out to him, renewing his efforts despite his repeated failures. After introducing Gulf to Fukaya, Kashima had made every possible excuse to play the matchmaker and introduce him to girls.

Gulf had some suspicions about why Kashima was devoting so much energy to him. There had been talk recently that Gulf would be promoted, meaning that the role currently assigned to Kashima would transfer to Gulf, in name as well as reality. There were some who said the move was premature considering his age, but given Gulf's recent performance record and the undeniable trend in Kashima's, the decision was one they would have to make sooner or later.

Perhaps seeing that he was in danger, Kashima was desperately trying to ingratuate himself to Gulf. Gulf understood how he felt, but it would only cause problems if he mentioned it openly. So instead, Gulf politely turned down all of Kashima's invitations. But no matter how often he refused, Kashima always came up with something new.

Gulf considered himself a patient guy, but they were fast approaching his limit all the same. And on top of it all, he'd been on a bad mood since morning. Things could get bad if Kashima got on his nerves.

"I think it's about time you settled down," Kashima said in Gulf's general direction in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. They all pretended not to have heard, but Gulf knew they were all listening in.

So Gulf responded with a smile, so everyone could hear. "Thank you for your concern. But I've already got my sights set on someone. I'm not sure how things will develop, but I would say you don't need to worry about me."

Kashima's eyes widened. And he wasn't the only one in the office to murmur on surprise. "Really?"

Gulf threw a quick glance at him and smiled, then turned to face Kashima.

"Is that so? Do I know her?"

Gulf smiled as he replied, "That's a secret."

Why did he have to talk to this man about the person he cared about? He hadn't even clearly told the person himself how he felt yet.

"So, I'm afraid I won't be able to accept invitations to drink except in public places. I hope you understand."

At least his preferences had been communicated to everyone now, not just Kashima. Afrer a few days, no one would hit on him anymore.

"Oh man. Why am I wasting my time with this?" Gulf muttered heartlessly, glancing at his watch.

Ever since Mew had left for the funeral that day, he hadn't heard from him. He had found out on the news that night whose funeral Mew was attending, the man who was called the right man of the Koryu Alliance's leader, probably referring to Mew's father. He had been killed by a member of a rival family.

Gulf could easily imagine that Mew's family therefore had a lot to take care of. He thought that as more time passed, Mew would contact him eventually.

But a week passed, and Gulf began to worry about the lack of news. Of course the man who had killed the leader's right hand man might be trying to kill the leader himself, but he might go after Mew, the leader's son, too.

There was nothing on the news, but it was possible it was being covered up.

After they were reunited, Gulf's relationship with Mew was ostensibly based on the threat of blackmail to perform as his sexual slave. Gulf felt like it would be violating some unwritten agreement if he tried to contact Mew any time other than when he summoned him.

But since their relationship had, after all, been defined by Mew without concern for what Gulf wanted, the real situation wasn't quite so simple. Gulf was no longer going to see Mew because he had been summoned. He went because he wanted to see Mew.

Gulf had wanted to repay his past crimes with the blackmail photos, so for him there could be no better terms of repayment than this. His mind and his rationality had fought it, but somewhere deeper he was flooded by a desire to seek Mew out.

Mew had taken Gulf back in, even after he knew from AA's explanation that Gulf had betrayed him for no reason. And Gulf wanted to be with him now. His passion of eight years before continued now exactly as it had then.

He tried to figure out how Mew felt about him. Mew was strangely interested in putting on a strong show to make Gulf understand that the relationship was purely physical, but Gulf couldn't help but feel that the tenderness he'd glimpsed for only a brief moment had revealed Mew's true feelings.

What had Mew thought about all of them in high school, about how they all obeyed the adults without ever saying how they truly felt? Gulf had wanted to ask him, but he never had.

He called the cellphone number Mew had given him all day, but it seemed to be turned off, since Gulf never got through. He even tried calling the hotel in Shinjuku, but they said Mew hadn't been back since last night.

So Gulf decided to go to the bar in Kabuki-cho where he had first run into Mew. The place was under the protection of the Koryu Alliance, so he might come by to check on it that night. Gulf pinned  his hopes on that fragile idea.

TBC