Bounded by Secrets

"Chains of Control"

After thirty minutes, Jack stirred from his sleep, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light in his room. He barely had a chance to wake fully when his guards entered, holding the clothes his father had set out for him. Jack sighed, taking the neatly pressed suit with a dull expression as he got dressed, feeling the heavy fabric as another symbol of his father's control. No detail, not even his appearance, was left to his own choice.

Moments later, his hair designer appeared, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Jack," he scolded, looking at Jack's unkempt hair with disapproval, "it's clear you haven't been following my instructions this past month. Your hair looks nothing like it should."

Jack barely responded, his mind elsewhere, drowning in a mix of numb acceptance and a familiar ache of resentment. Without waiting for Jack's consent, the designer immediately began working, straightening and coloring his hair with precision. Jack watched himself in the mirror, feeling like a stranger as the designer's hands transformed him into yet another version his father approved of.

Then, without warning, the designer took a piece of ice and pressed it onto Jack's face to reduce the puffiness. The sudden cold made Jack flinch, and his skin instantly flared up, a bright red that spread across his cheeks and jaw. He screamed, stumbling back from the shock and pain as his hands flew to his face. "What the-!?" he gasped, his voice strangled in agony.

The designer's face went pale, his eyes wide as he realized his mistake. He backed away, mumbling apologies before turning and sprinting out of the room, too terrified to face the consequences.

Rimmy entered moments later, eyebrows knitted in worry. Seeing Jack's red and irritated face, she sighed. "Jack, I thought everyone here knew this by now-you're allergic to ice too," she muttered softly, shaking her head.

As the stinging sensation pulsed on his skin, Jack's mind turned inward, bitterness bubbling up inside him. He muttered to himself, his words barely a whisper but laced with anger and sadness. "This is it, isn't it? I don't even have control over my own face. My own clothes. Everything has to be just as he wants." His voice cracked, the frustration spilling out in his words. "I'm a prisoner... in my own life, my own body, because of him. Because of everything he decides for me."

A wave of sadness washed over him, settling heavily in his chest. He felt locked, trapped in an existence where every detail was dictated, leaving no space for who he truly was-or even a chance to discover it.

That evening, Ren's house was warm with the scent of home-cooked food and quiet chatter as Ren had invited Jack and Ted to join his family for dinner. Jack and Ted took their seats at the table alongside Ren's children, Midori and Norio, while Sindy, Ren's wife, moved between the kitchen and dining room, serving the food with a practiced, welcoming smile.

As Sindy placed dishes in front of Jack and Ted, Jack's gaze was sharp and focused, carefully examining everything on Ted's plate. Every time she set something down that might be problematic for Ted, Jack subtly pushed it aside, glancing at his brother to make sure nothing harmful remained.

Sindy finally noticed, a light laugh escaping her. "Jack," she said with a warm but exasperated smile, "I've known you and Ted since you were kids. I know what you both can and can't eat. Relax. Just enjoy the meal."

Ren chuckled from across the table. "Yes, Jack, Sindy's cooking is excellent. She's always kept an eye on you boys. Not just you two; Asahi and Mayumi basically grew up here with Norio too." He turned to Norio, nudging him with a grin. "Remember that incident, Norio?"

Norio's face broke into a grin as he nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I remember. Asahi, Mayumi, and I were five back then, and Midori was just three. Mom left us to babysit Midori, but neither Asahi nor I had any clue what we were doing. Mayumi was better at it, but, well... she was also a bit of a foodie. She ended up wandering into the kitchen for a snack while Midori was still upstairs. Suddenly, Midori started crying, and Asahi and I panicked, so we literally dragged her down the stairs by her legs, all the way to the kitchen to find Mom." Norio laughed, shaking his head. "After that, Mom never trusted us to watch her again."