S C A N D A L

Chapter Nine

A red Porsche GT Carrera careens through the tall buildings and into the side of the canyon. Startled and fascinated by the engine's power, he took off and cavorted playfully, zooming up the empty pathway and fading into the distance.

As the engine roared, the vehicle entered a long tunnel and rocked across the bleak landscape...

Shiro had never felt so satisfied in his life as he gazed at the man sitting beside him, who seemed to have lost his soul. "See? This is fun!"

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As soon as the car door opened, Kurou fled into the empty field and vomited. He leaned his hand on the tree as he heard Shiro roar in laughter behind him.

"I told you I can drift," his young husband stated. "That's what happens when you don't take me seriously."

Kurou glanced angrily at him over his shoulder. "You are made of such a cacophony of stuff put together to make my life a living hell!"

Shiro crossed his arms. "Oh, really? Divorce me then."

The man only looked at him begrudgingly and rubbed two fingers on his temple. "You know that's not possible. How did a country bumpkin like you learn to drive like a maniac?"

"I'm not telling. So, do you think I stood a chance to beat Raiden?"

"Sure. I'll pay a million to see that showdown. Can we at least visit a plaza or a mall? I need to be somewhere that can make me forget the horror I've been through."

"Okay," Shiro perked up and opened the car door but Kurou took the keys from him. "Hey!"

"I'll drive. I don't think I'll live another day if I let you on the wheels!"

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This time, the car moved smartly through the city streets but paused from time to time to view some fascinating historic sites. It was mainly because of Shiro who never thought he would see some iconic shrines and old temples in the city.

Kurou surprised himself with his ability to give his new husband a thorough description of the highlights of events and realized that the tutors his father paid managed to drill some amount of history in his head during his younger years. Also, he was amazed and interested to see the familiar scenes through Shiro's eyes.

Apparently, Shiro had a bright, quick mind and several times aided the travelogue with his own knowledge even as they went down from the vehicle. He discovered that his new husband wasn't just a simple country boy. Probably, if truth be told, Shiro's limited scholarship equaled or surpassed Kurou's own.

At one point, Shiro ended up describing to him the legend behind Tokyo's oldest temple, and how the fishermen found a statue of Kannon in the Sumida River, and Sensoji Temple was built to enshrine it. As he shared this story, his enthusiasm bubbled over to the point that he thrust his arm through Kurou, squeezing excitedly.

"This large red lantern inscribed with the word Kaminarimon is a symbol of Asakusa," Shiro's smile widened. "See the statues on both sides? There are Fujin and Raijin."

"I think we have the same one."

Shiro glanced at him rather quickly. "Seriously?"

"At the main house," Kurou covered his hand with his. "Remind me to show it to you when we visit."

"I will! By the way, I spoke to Masaru and Shichiro. I would like my cousin to live with me, if that's all right with you."

To his surprise, Kurou didn't seem to mind this and only shrugged. He didn't even draw away from him, but remained close. Shiro's face was flushed as he felt Kurou's hand on the small of his back. "That's fine. Raiden-niisan was asking a lot about him too."