Shades Of Pearl (GenMui) - Book 2

4

Genya couldn't stop staring at the ceiling, the chilly air embracing him through the curtains of the bedroom window. It was dark, considering he'd turned the lights off after the deed was done. Muichiro slept peacefully beside him, his soft breaths making his head move up and down on the taller one's chest. They were both fully naked and no longer expressive-completely exhausted.

Genya wanted to like what had just happened, but he was too caught up by his own emotions. He knew he wouldn't be staying in Kitakyushu for too long, yet he still spent his virginity on a former high school sweetheart. It was far too hasty and uncalled for.

Were there regrets?

No, none at all.

However, there was a moment of facing reality for him. So much so that he began to mentally list down the rest of his potential trip. There was only so much to recall for the time being. As his mind tunneled down the rollercoaster of his stay, he began to realize that maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

The trip would be two weeks long. Genya would be staying in Daiwa Roynet, where he could work in peace. He planned on visiting a former classmate every two days. With request, of course. One day to catch up with work, and the other, to catch up with a possible friend. That simply meant seven classmates in total. It could work if he chose wisely.

"Yeah, yeah, that was fun! We have to do that again, man!" A voice suddenly yelled out from a floor below, startling Genya.

The sound of the front door closing violently followed after the brief yells. Genya gasped as he immediately lifted his body from a laying stance, fully aware that Inosuke was seeing people off. Without a doubt, he was clearly naked with Muichiro, and if the two were caught, it could stir up a lot of drama.

"Hey, hey, hey," Genya gently whispered, giving the smaller one's shoulder a slight push. "The reunion's ending. We have to go,"

A slight grumble ensued from Muichiro's lips as he lifted his hair from his face. He sighed, allowing his eyes to open to face Genya before they subconsciously fell closed again. Just before Genya could speak once again, Muichiro had opened his eyes a second time. In an attempt to keep them open, he gently rubbed his eyelids with his fingers.

The two removed themselves from the comforting duvet, gathering their clothes from the ground to wear them. It was silent as they did so, their minds both clear to what they did only moments prior. You could even say it was somewhat awkward. Only the shuffles of their clothes and the grunts of their throats could be perceived as they physically approached modesty.

Eventually, they were both fully dressed and prepared to exit. Genya grabbed his keys from his pockets, watching as Muichiro pulled out his phone instead.

"We should probably get going now," He suggested with a subtle grin.

"Yeah, I'm just getting an Uber," Muichiro explained, standing at a corner of the room.

Genya arched an eyebrow. He placed both hands in his pockets, inching closer to the smaller one whom he assumed he was comfortable with.

"An Uber?"

"Yeah," Muichiro confirmed with a sigh. "My car's in a workshop. Got in a car crash the other day. It was bad,"

Slowly, Genya began to nod, his mouth forming an 'O' shape as he mentally apologized for what he hadn't done. At the very least, it didn't look to him like Muichiro was hurt. Perhaps the recovery was hasty. Genya somewhat liked the thought of that. The thought of Muichiro being alive even when he wasn't around. It made him realize how long it'd truly been since the last time he saw him.

Nervously biting his bottom lip, Genya pulled out the keys from his pants once again. He began to twirl the keys around his pointer finger in a spiraling motion. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

"I could give you a ride... only if you want, of course," Genya suggested. "Saves you the money,"

Muichiro hadn't even hesitated to nod before placing his smartphone away. Only briefly, Genya's cheeks began to warm up upon realizing what he'd just requested. His mind traced back to that fateful summer when he and Muichiro shared a romantic evening in his car. As he physically shook his head, the thoughts would diminish, allowing him to focus on the present.

The two walked out of the room, sneaking out of the front door before Inosuke could notice their lingering presence. Genya had already planned on visiting Inosuke for one of the days of his trip. He would call him up later that week in hopes of a response. That boy was notorious for feigning Hollywood.

As the two made it outside, Muichiro immediately took notice of Genya's car as he approached it.

"Holy...," Muichiro mumbled to himself in response to the silver Lexus in his presence. "Geez, Genya,"

Fully aware of Muichiro's acknowledgment, Genya let out a scoff, his ego catching up to him.

"Yeah," He chimed, opening the passenger seat for Muichiro. "Had to save up a lot for this,"

"I see~," Muichiro sang in amusement to Genya's unexpected chivalry.

He hated seeing himself fall victim to the charisma, but the feeling was cozy nonetheless. As Muichiro approached the passenger seat, he nearly tripped at the door, igniting awareness of his impending limp. He'd have to hide it before he arrived at his abode. There was no need for any potential suspicions.

Eventually, the two both found themselves seated comfortably in the cushioned Lexus. Genya tapped the ignition button, the engine purring to life. With a quick glance at Muichiro, he reached for the GPS, deftly inputting Muichiro's address that was given to him. The screen lit up with the route, and Genya shifted into drive, smoothly pulling away from the curb. The city lights streamed past as he navigated the familiar streets, the GPS calmly guiding them towards their destination.

Upon almost immediately arriving at Muichiro's abode, Genya pulled to a stop at the curb. It was a smooth cul-de-sac, with four vast houses surrounding it. The house that Genya had pulled up to happened to be the biggest, somewhat surprising him for whatever reason.

"Alright, well, see you," Genya yawned as night was only growing, encouraging his tiresome.

It was subtle, but Muichiro would come to notice the blank that stood after Genya's 'see you'. It made him somewhat nervous to think that not even Genya knew the next time they'd meet again. He internally hoped that whenever that time officially came, they'd actually have more time to talk and rekindle a relationship thrown to dust.

After all, Muichiro wasn't necessarily pleased with his actions that night. He slightly regretted coming onto Genya like that, given he could've left the night for some catching up instead. However, what his mind was telling him mentally wasn't cooperating with what his body was telling him physically. And in that moment, Muichiro found himself going for the latter.

With a sigh, he gave Genya a brief wave and slowly left the vehicle, gently slamming the passenger door behind him. Eventually, he would approach his front door, relaxing his posture so that a limp wasn't noticeable. He took out his backup keys from the pocket of his jeans, unlocking the door before him.

Inside, the smell of peach cobbler surrounded the interior halls. It was sweet. However, why was he making desserts so late at night?

As Muichiro approached the kitchen, he met him. The auburn-haired, honest man he'd been dating for only a year now. Upon that sudden realization, the guilt finally began to sting. What had he done?

"Sorry I couldn't come to the reunion with you," His lover said, removing his oven mitts to set them on the counter. "How was it?"

Muichiro couldn't tell him. The weight of his actions hung heavy on his conscience, gnawing at him with every passing second. He wouldn't let him know all that had happened; the betrayal was too deep, too raw. It wouldn't happen again, he vowed silently, though he knew his promises might be hollow. Maybe he was just drunk, he tried to convince himself, but Muichiro didn't drink. His mind raced, searching for any justification, any excuse that might ease his guilt. But there was none. With a mellow sigh, he finally built up the courage to respond.

"I think I liked it... Tanjiro,"