Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart

"Ah, what a party!" a young man shouted at the entrance of the club. He was being dragged out by two of his friends. "The YM Group and KK Entertainment are the best! Whoooo!"

His coworkers laughed as they trickled out of the club one by one, each taking a taxi back home. Some were wasted, some were drunk and some were sober, thanking and bidding people goodbye.

"Thank you for the party, Mr Yamato, Mr Kaneku." a beautiful employee said, giving the men a respectful bow. Her friends followed suit, all bowing respectfully. It was obvious that Raiden and Shoji were younger than them but they were their bosses. They had to show respect.

Some of the girls were not happy about it while some did not care. Among those who didn't care was the female who thanked them.

"It's our pleasure, Miss Endo," Shoji replied with a smile. "Please, continue to work hard."

Miss Endo nodded gently, secretly glancing at Raiden who was staring at the open road, oblivious to the woman trying to get his attention.

Shoji saw this and nudged Raiden slightly.

Raiden glanced at the lady and just nodded. "Have a safe ride home."

Miss Endo was slightly disappointed. It could be said that Miss Endo was the most attractive lady in the entire facility. She was also the smartest. Her family background wasn't nearly half as good as Raiden's but it was okay. Many men, ever since her high school days, have chased after her for her beauty.

What was stopping Raiden and Shoji? They ought to be fighting for her attention.

Maybe they didn't look at her enough. It seemed like she'd have to put in more effort. Her mother had always told her that she was destined for greatness. She had a huge feeling that this was it. To marry either Raiden or Shoji. Her life would be set.

"He really didn't come" Raiden sulked, a cold smile appearing on his face. He didn't think Hiro would be such a coward. Was he that afraid of him? Did he decide to quit his job?

Miss Endo wondered who Raiden was talking about. "Are you looking for someone, Mr Yamato?"

Raiden chuckled. He was indeed. "Yes. A stubborn little cat."

"Huh?" Miss Endo was confused.

Shoji patted Raiden on the shoulder. "We should get going. It's almost midnight."

Suddenly, the doors to the club across from the street burst open and a huge bouncer walked out holding a young man by the collar of his shirt. The bouncer was so tall that the feet of the young man were dangling off the floor.

"Let go of me!" the young man shouted. "I'm telling you, I was invited to the party! Call Mr Yamato or Mr Kaneku. They'll tell you!"

"Shut up!" the bouncer snapped then threw the young man onto the tarred ground. "And listen to me kid, if I ever see you around this place again, I'll break your limbs and stuff you in a trash can."

Hiro wanted to cry. He wasn't a kid! He was 23! Why did everyone see him like a child?

He heard the people across the street laughing and he scoffed. Well, they could laugh all they want. He didn't care. Anyway, he tried to get in but the bouncer didn't let him. Raiden and Shoji would just have to let him go. He had tried his best.

He stood up, dusted his clothes and turned to leave but crashed into a hard chest. He bounced back, about to fall to the floor when a hand shot out, seized his wrist then yanked him forward. He hit the hard chest once again but this time, it was more like a hug. Another arm wrapped around his waist, steadying him.

Hiro's heart was thrashing in fear. If the stranger hadn't saved him, he would have gotten injured from the fall.

Remembering his manners, he quickly broke away from the stranger and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for saving me, sir."

The stranger chuckled lowly. "You sure have a thing for running into people."

Hiro instantly recognised that voice. Alarms bells started ringing in his head and his knees began quaking in fear. Damn it! He thought he had prepared for this.

Slowly, he raised his head to find his dreaded enemy coldly smirking at him.

"Good thing you're not holding a mop bucket this time," Raiden said. "But then, I liked the way you were wet, crying on your knees."

Hiro cursed himself a thousand times in his head. When the bouncer told him to leave, he should have just done so. Now, he had run into the devil himself. He felt so uneasy and his heart kept pounding. If one looked closely, they would see that he was actually trembling. He remembered all the days he never felt safe around Raiden. All the times Raiden used to hover around him like a bee, asking to date him. He desperately hoped Raiden had changed.

The joy in Raiden's heart knew no bounds. So the little cat had intentions of attending the party. He just lost his way.

He glanced at the club's name and chuckled. "How could you mistake Casa Amor for this?" he asked. "Club Rex? Aren't you lowering my standards a bit too much Hiro? Or maybe the lack of further education has your brain malfunctioning."

Hiro sharply glared at Raiden, warning him not to say any more. He knew why Raiden was saying such things. He must still be bitter about the past.

"What? Did I touch a sore spot?" he goaded, wanting to see how Hiro would react. "Are you going to run off to your big brother and tell him everything I said while crying like a baby? Will he come with policemen to arrest me again? Will I go to prison for freely speaking my mind?" He then laughed. "Oh, but your big brother can't do that anymore, can he? The big brother who can't even afford to send you to school."

"Shut up!" Hiro snapped angrily. Tears welled in his eyes but he bit his trembling lips and held on, not letting them fall. He didn't want to give Raiden the satisfaction. His big brother was doing everything he could. No one would understand how much his Brother had suffered, shouldering the burden of both Saika and him.

Raiden couldn't help but laugh. It was low, mocking, and sinister. "Your big brother is pathetic now, isn't he? He can't even give you a good life. Making you clean the toilets of the building your parents formerly owned."

"He's trying!" Hiro shouted. "Big brother is trying his best! He's not pathetic!"

"Trying his best?" Raiden asked, gazing at Hiro from head to toe. Starting from his tousled sandy brown hair, his frail body dressed in a thin baggy shirt and worn-out faded jeans with a few cuts on the knees down to his terribly, terribly worn out shoes. "You call this trying his best? Look at you. You look homeless."