Undercover Desires | G.Tomioka x Reader |

Chapter 23

The office was quiet as Y/N sat across from Giyuu in his spacious, dimly lit office. The offer he had made to her still hung in the air, making the silence feel heavier than usual. Giyuu's house. He had asked her to move into his house for her own safety. His logic was sound—if she didn't want constant security trailing her every move, then staying with him was the next best option. But it wasn't just about logic, and Y/N knew it.

She had spent days wrestling with her emotions. Since her kidnapping and rescue, her life had turned upside down. Every aspect of her world had changed, from how she viewed the company to her evolving, complicated feelings for Giyuu. He had opened up to her in subtle ways, protecting her and showing concern beyond that of a boss. His request for her to stay with him hadn't been framed as anything more than practical, but there was a vulnerability in the way he had asked. A vulnerability that unnerved her.

Now, as she sat there, his calm, unreadable gaze on her, Y/N felt a lump rise in her throat. How could she explain to him that moving in with him, even for safety, would blur the lines even further between them? Would make it harder for her to untangle the mix of emotions she felt toward him?

"I've thought about it," Y/N finally said, breaking the silence. Giyuu's eyes remained fixed on her, waiting for her to continue. She felt the weight of his attention, the way he seemed to hold back his own thoughts until she had expressed hers.

"I... I can't accept your offer," she said softly, but firmly. "It would feel strange, living with you. I know you mean it for my safety, but I need to try to get back to some sense of normalcy. And moving in with you wouldn't give me that."

For the briefest moment, Giyuu's expression faltered. A flicker of something crossed his face—disappointment, perhaps—but it was gone as quickly as it came. He gave a slow nod, his voice steady and composed. "I understand. But know that the offer stands if you ever change your mind."

Y/N nodded, her chest tightening. The conversation felt unresolved, but she wasn't sure what else to say. She stood up, gathering her things and making her way toward the door, feeling Giyuu's eyes on her the entire time.

As she left the office and walked down the dim hallway, her thoughts turned to Haruto. Things between them had been strange, too. Since his breakdown and confession, she had felt a new weight between them, a tension she hadn't known how to navigate. But Haruto had seemed better in the past few days. He was smiling again, joking, and—most importantly—he was no longer avoiding her. For that, she was grateful.

She found him waiting for her by the lifts, his usual easy grin in place. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and Y/N felt a small sense of relief. Haruto's presence was comforting in a way she hadn't realized she needed after everything that had happened.

"Ready to go?" he asked as the lift doors slid open.

"Yeah, let's go," Y/N replied, stepping in beside him.

They rode the lift down in comfortable silence, and for a moment, it almost felt like things were normal again—like before the kidnapping, before the confessions and secrets that had tangled their lives together. But that sense of normalcy didn't last long. There was too much hanging between them now.

Once they reached the ground floor, Haruto suggested they grab some coffee from the cafeteria. "It's been a long day," he said with a tired smile, though his tone held a strange seriousness to it. Y/N agreed, and they made their way to the nearly empty cafeteria.

The room was dimly lit, the sterile lights casting a cold glow on the metal chairs and tables. Only a few other employees were scattered around, either too focused on their own conversations or too tired to notice them. The smell of stale coffee lingered in the air, but Y/N found the quiet comforting after the chaos of recent events.

They sat down with their drinks, Haruto sliding into the chair across from her. He watched her closely as she took a sip of her coffee, the warmth doing little to ease the chill that seemed to settle in her chest. Something was off, and Y/N couldn't quite place it.

For a while, they sat in silence, the kind that wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but not exactly relaxed either. Y/N could feel the weight of Haruto's gaze on her, as if he was trying to figure out the right words to say. She didn't push him. Whatever was on his mind, he'd say it when he was ready.

Finally, Haruto broke the silence. "Y/N... I've been thinking a lot about what I said the other night." His voice was low, hesitant.

Y/N froze, her hands wrapped around her coffee cup. Her heart started racing, and she could feel the tension in the air thickening.

Haruto continued, his eyes not meeting hers. "About what I told you... my feelings for you."

Y/N's grip on the cup tightened. She had known this conversation was coming, but now that it was here, she wasn't sure she was ready for it.

"I shouldn't have just dumped all of that on you," Haruto said, his voice strained. "Especially after everything you've been through. But the truth is, I can't stop thinking about you. And I don't want to pretend anymore."

Y/N's heart pounded as she searched for the right response. She had always valued Haruto's friendship, his kindness, but the idea of more... it was overwhelming. Especially now, with everything that had happened between her and Giyuu. Her feelings were a mess, tangled up in confusion, and she wasn't sure how to make sense of them.

Haruto leaned forward slightly, his gaze finally locking onto hers. "I'm not asking for an answer right now," he said softly. "I know this is a lot. I just... I need you to know how I feel. I need you to understand that I care about you, Y/N. A lot."

Y/N's mind whirled. What was she supposed to say? Haruto had been there for her, even when things got tough, and she didn't want to hurt him. But she also wasn't sure what she wanted. She wasn't sure if she was ready to step into something so complicated, especially after everything that had happened with Giyuu.

"I..." Y/N hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I don't know what to say, Haruto. I care about you, too, but... I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like this. Not right now."

Haruto's expression didn't change much, though Y/N could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "I understand," he said quietly. "I'm not trying to rush you, Y/N. I just want you to know how I feel. Take all the time you need."

Y/N felt a wave of relief wash over her, but it was quickly followed by a pang of guilt. Haruto was putting himself out there, and she didn't know how to give him an answer that wouldn't hurt him. She couldn't deny that he meant something to her—he had been one of the few constants in her life—but her heart was still a jumble of emotions, and she couldn't ignore the way her thoughts often drifted back to Giyuu.

"I'll need some time," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just need to figure things out."

Haruto nodded, offering her a small, understanding smile. "Of course. I'll be here, Y/N. I'm not going anywhere."

They lapsed into silence again, but this time it felt different—heavier, filled with the weight of unspoken emotions. Y/N sipped her coffee, though it had long since gone cold. The warmth between them was still there, but it was laced with uncertainty now, and Y/N didn't know how to untangle herself from the situation.

Haruto had laid his heart bare, and now it was up to her to figure out where hers belonged.