Your Protector

Chapter 14

The martial artist stood there, frozen in time. Things happened so quickly, so chaotically, but now that the exchange was over, he was rethinking how he acted and what he said.

And BOY was he regretting it all...

He slapped himself hard on the forehead, audibly calling himself a 'stupid, fucking idiot'. He had just let the devious part of himself show, and now Taro has put their friendship on hold for an entire weekend! Now the chances of having Taro were lower than zero, unless he apologizes and starts changing his behavior.

But why he flipped out like that, he didn't understand.

He loves Taro, yes, but when he saw that strange Aishi guy stepping in to protect him like he was his white knight, it made his blood boil to a high degree. Never had he looked at someone with such rage and hate, not even Osoro.

The scariest and most confusing thing to him, however, was at one point, he wanted to... kill him.

Budo shivered at the idea. Killing someone all because they were close with his crush? That logic was absurd! While he has found people close to Taro annoying—Osana and Osoro—he has never had the urge to kill them! Not only would that run the risk of Taro hating him forever, but also ending a life was an extreme course of action that no one in their right mind would take!

So was he not in the right mind? He wanted Taro unlike anything in the world. He adored him, he would do anything for him, to have him... which apparently included murder.

No. Budo shook his head. He would never kill anybody. He was going to have Taro, but he wasn't going to use lethal methods. He would win Taro back the right way.

He was about to run to catch up to Taro, but then he remembered the boy's bitter words. He was right, they needed time away from each other, especially Budo. So, with a defeated sigh, he walked to his house, the opposite way Taro ran.

When he got home, he immediately rushed up the stairs to his room, not even bothering to greet his parents.

They noticed this odd change in behavior and looked at each other with concern after they heard their son slam his door. Budo's mother was about to go upstairs, but her husband stopped her, knowing he should be the one to go up there and talk to him. He had a feeling he knew what this was about.

Upstairs, Budo was sulking on his bed. After he slammed the door, he threw his bag across the room and snatched the portrait of Taro he kept on his desk and laid on the bed with it in his hands. He looked at the portrait intensely, his hands shaking slightly.

It was a lovely picture. Taro was underneath a pink cherry blossom tree, flashing his irresistible smile. Weird to think that that handsome boy was once a girl. His transition was successful, he'll give him that—had him completely tricked.

But still... he just wished he had told him. He would never betray him or hate him if he knew. He would've completely accepted it; it doesn't change the fact that he is head over heels in love with him.

Budo cursed himself for his behavior that drove Taro away. This was now an uphill battle to win Taro's love. He must prove to him that his behavior in town was just a loss of control of emotions, not his real self. Hopefully Taro will see that...

Budo turned his head towards the door when someone knocked on it. Without his permission, his old man walked inside and closed the door behind him. "Hey Budo," he greeted quietly.

Budo didn't have the energy to verbally greet him, so he just responded with a tired hum. His father gave him a strained smile. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked sympathetically.