Boys For Hire!!

Chapter ♡: What If We Were Happy?

"Chi...?" Mumbles a low voice.

I don't respond. I'm too wrapped up in the moments of peace and quiet that I've been graced with this morning that I'm too scared to say anything. I cozy closer into the warmth that draws me in, wiggling deeper into the sheets.

"Chi, time for school."

"Don't make me."

"I'm making you." The voice laughs, the sound filling my own ears with music. "You've already been late once this week."

"And who's fault was that?"

I smile as I open my eyes, the blurriness in my vision fading as the warmth I'd snuggled into surfaces. His hair has grown longer, past his ears and cupped at his jawline in an attractive way. I watch as his long lashes create gorgeous silhouettes across his fair face, eyes of stunning affection casting me long drawn looks.

I press my hand on Akihiko's chest, his own lurching from beneath the sheets to hold it.

"C'mon, up you get."

He snakes his arms around my waist and turns on his back, causing me to awkwardly lie on top of him. I can't help but laugh at his antics—but I was glad he was getting me off my ass.

"Alright, alright. I'll get changed now."

"Do I get an invitation?"

I smack him playfully on the chest, leaning down to press a brief kiss against his lips. I hop off him, listening for the door slam that signalled he'd gone downstairs so I'd be able to get changed in peace.

Days had continued uneventfully like this after the Boys For Hire CEO let me off the contract I'd tied myself to in order to save the boys.

I slip each arm through a sleeve of my blouse, before tugging on my skirt and grabbing a comb of the surface of my new oaken dresser. After the whole life changing ordeal, I decided I'd wanted to take a more womanly approach to life—mature. I tried to change myself.

Before I was so invested in materialistic things and TV shows and anime, but it turns out my own life was entertaining enough that as I was refurbishing my room I could do without. I carefully eye the cupboard of my dresser, a stray dozen of parcels inconspicuously poking out of the drawer ajar.

Okay, maybe this rehab thing was going to take longer than I'd thought.

Some habits would honestly—admittedly—never die.

Pulling my brunette hair into a high pony tail, a commotion downstairs doubles my pace as I speed walk down the stairs and into the living room. Spaced around on couches is Ichi, Shiroi, Katsumi and Naozumi—all of which are arguing as they watch the cricket on the TV.

"Zumi', your opinion is fucking invalid."

"What did... say... they lose the... second inning..."

"What!? Could you string a damn sentence together, please?"

"Ichi." I laugh as I watch his face go through about twenty shades of red. "Australia's gonna' lose the second inning."

"Not you, too! They'll pull through."

Ichirou's extreme patriotism really clouds his eyesight sometimes—and I can't say I'm not half glad when the results don't turn out in our favour. Marching into the kitchen, I watch as my mum, Akihiko and Masashi mull around to finish up the rest of the plates and empty the dishwasher.