Chapter Text
In the outskirt of a town, an abandoned building stood. There were a lot of iron chunks scattered around, dust, paired with dull-colored wall. The building was dimly lit, only several lamps with an almost-died light were put on random spots. There was no furniture, except an old, tore up leather couch in the middle of it. The atmosphere was so quiet, the only sound heard was from a man with tattoos, sitting on the couch while humming a song, along with a ‘tap, tap, tap’ sound coming from his feet tapping the ground.
The silence was broken by the sound of rusty door being opened, followed by the echoing sound of steps and dragged chain. When the sounds took form, the tattoed man stood and slipped his phone into his pants pocket. They—the tattoed man and the four men entering the building—faced each other.
The three men’s attire looked conspicuous—suits and gloves, face covered with mask; inappropriate to be there. The remaining one looked strange. He looked much younger than the other three, a teenager. His hands were tied in front, his eyes were covered with a cloth, and on his neck was chain, held by one of the men with the suit.
“Endo-san,” One of them—the one standing at the front—said while slighly bowing.
Endo—the tattoed man—nodded his head. “Does it fit the criteria?”
The man nodded. “You can check it yourself.” His hand made a gesture to his colleague to brought the boy closer to Endo, before continuing, “As you know it, he only has one eye. His limbs were still complete and intact. His body is still good and ready to be used.”
The man’s colleague stepped forward and pushed the chained boy. He fell forward to his knees and hands.
“Okay.” Endo nodded, took his phone out of his pants pocket. His fingers danced on the screen of his phone, then he held it up in front of the man’s face. “I’ve transferred the remaining.”
After examining Endo’s phone screen, the man nodded, and gave a sign to his colleagues. His colleague let go of the chain in his hand, causing it to fall on the dusty floor with a loud rattle. The man pulled out a key from the inner pocket of his blazer, giving it to Endo. “He is one of our best assets—the most beautiful. We hope you like it. Pleasure doing business with you.” The three men bowed and left the building. Not long after, the sound of car engine was heard getting further before completely gone.
Silence caught the building again. It became even more quiet, because Endo didn’t make any sound. He didn’t immediately move. His mind was still on the man’s words.
The most beautiful. We hope you like it.
Ugh, the implication...
Endo’s hand moved to pick the chain up. He stepped backward and sat on the couch. His movement made the chain on the boy’s neck pulled forward, changing the direction of his head, facing more upward. Endo lifted one of his eyebrows, surprised. As far as Endo remember, this boy was not the type to stay quiet if treated this way.
Endo whistled. “Hey,” he called. “Come here.” He pulled on the chain again, harder this time.
Without any sound, the boy moved closer. His tied hands making it harder to move, and he struggled hard to drag himself.
When he finally reach the spot in front of Endo and sat in the kneeled position, Endo moved towards him and took off the cloth covering his eye. The boy didn’t react at all. His gaze was empty.
Honestly, Endo almost didn’t recognize the boy. He looked so different compared to when Endo met him for the first time. That time, this boy looked calm, but at the same time, he was emitting a cold aura that slowly turned into fire of anger when he tried to heel-kick Endo. This time, he felt... empty. As if what left was only a soulless body, like a zombie. Not to mention his drastically changing appearance. He looked thinner. There was no eyepacth covering his right eye, or a pair of long tassel earring on his ear. Now, both of his eyes were showcased clearly. The right eyelid was sunken, as if there was no eyeball behind. And his ears...
Both of his earlobes were torn.
Previously, Endo didn’t intend to think too deeply about this boy. The most important thing was that he was able to fulfill Sakura’s wish by finding this boy. But... Endo didn’t expect his condition to be this bad.
Endo moved his hand, lifting the boy’s chin to face him. “Hey,” Endo called him, trying to get his attention again. But he didn’t respond.
Should Endo call his name? Ugh, his name... what was it...
“Suo Hayato.”
Hearing his name getting called, the light in Suo’s eye was back, his gaze focused. There was a glimpse of surprise on his widened eye.
“Een...no-sa...”
Huh? Endo’s brow furrowed. Why did the boy speak like that? In Endo’s memory, he talked normally.
As realization hit him, Endo’s brow straightened. Something struck his mind, and without warning, he pulled Suo’s chin down, opening his mouth.
Ah, this is bad...
How shocked was Endo when he looked into Suo’s mouth. More than half of his tongue was gone, leaving a small bit of flesh near the opening of his throat.
...was cut? Endo thought.
Still in shock, Endo huffed and whispered to himself, “How should I tell Sakura?”
Hearing Sakura’s name, Suo looked panic. Both of his tied hands hurriedly moved and grabbed Endo’s lower arm which was still on his chin. He shook his head vigorously.
“Eeno-san... no...” Suo tried to speak. Beads of sweat running down his forehead, along with tears welling his eye. “Plea..th...” Without long, Suo repeatedly begged Endo. Tears rolled down his cheek. His fingers grabbed Endo’s arm tightly.
Endo scratched his nape. “Hey, you know the whole Makochi is looking for you, right?”
Suo squeezed his eye shut and shook his head stubbornly. “No... no... pleath don..., Eeno-tha.”
Looking at panicking and begging Suo, Endo became even more confused. But it seemed like it was no use to persuade Suo now.
“Okay, okay. I won’t tell Sakura,” Endo said resignedly. He stood from the couch, pulling the rope tied to Suo’s hand, indirectly telling Suo to follow him. But when Endo started to walk, Suo sat still on the floor. Endo sighed harshly and turned his body, picking up the chain, and pulled it roughly. Suo was startled as he felt pain on his pulled neck. “Follow me. Don’t ever think to run away. You are mine now. I bought you for a good amount of money.”
The expression on Suo’s face changed. Not panic anymore, but devastation was painted on that pale face. Slowly, he pushed his body off the floor and followed Endo with bowed head.
Maybe because Endo knew Sakura, there was a sliver of relieve went through Suo. Earlier, he slightly hoped to be treated as a normal human being. But it’s okay, he knew he could not wish for something impossible. He just wished that atleast Endo wouldn’t use his body that way.
Endo took him out of the building, nodded to two men stood just beside the entrance. Of course Endo would not come alone when he had to meet with a slavery syndicate that also engaged in human trafficking.
A black car was parked not far from the entrance. Endo pulled Suo, opened the door beside the driver’s seat, and told him to enter. Turned out, Endo drove the car himself, taking Suo somewhere he didn’t know. He didn’t bother to ask, it felt meaningless. Not that he could do anything. Suo felt so, so tired. Well, he didn’t even remember the last time he didn’t feel tired. Everything felt meaningless. Now, Suo was only a living doll. Only his body was precious, not his soul. If only there was a way to detach his soul from his body, he might’ve done that already.
Drowsiness started slithering through his body. Without Suo even realizing, his head had already leaned to the backrest. His eye had been closed several times, before he startled himself and struggled to keep it open. Slowly, he started losing his consciousness, and he started seeing incoherent, weird movie cuts. His instinct screamed, telling him to stay awake, but his body didn’t want to compromise. Deep down inside his heart, Suo felt a little safe—and he wished for that safe feelings to be true. Suo exactly knew that Endo wasn’t a good person. But this was the Endo who knew Sakura, the one who fell head over heels over Sakura. Suo wished that Endo at least pitied him, whether it was the kind that made him treated more appropriately as a human being, or the kind that made him killed immediately—the interpretation was up to Endo.
It was dark.
His eyelid felt so heavy, he couldn’t open it no matter how strong he tried to do it. It felt like there was something pressing his eyelid to keep it closed. Ah, it wasn’t only his eye, but also his hands and legs. He couldn’t move them—his whole body. Vaguely, Suo felt something warm with rough surface touching his cheek. The touch slowly went down to his neck, his chest, his belly, his—
“Good boy,” an old man voice with heavy breathing whispered to Suo’s ear.
Suo could hear a whine so close to him. Huh? No, it wasn’t near him. It came from his own mouth.
The touch he felt earlier slowly crept to his other body part. This time, it wasn’t only a touch, it felt like a squeeze. It was uncomfortable. It felt disgusting. Suo wanted to scream, but no matter how hard he tried, all that came out were sounds that he himself didn't understand. He tried, again and again, until he realized.
His tongue...
Suo cried in silence.
The touches turned bolder. A hand pushed the back of his head, pressed his face forcefully onto something soft and cold—in contrast with the hot temperature of his body. But Suo couldn’t feel the comfort of the soft and cold feeling of whatever his face was shoved onto, because the touch moved to between his legs, both in front and the back. There was something wet and hot sticking to his rectum. And the sound of the disgusting heavy breathing...
Suo wanted to fight back, letting his body break from every shackles, to beat whoever it is daring to take the control of his body. Where did the old Suo go? The one who was never injured? The one who was strong? The one who was able to fight and win easily? Even with his determination to fight, he couldn’t do anything now. He could only swallow his own cry and accept everything done to his body.
Something—someone—pulled and shook his shoulder. The disgusting sounds turned into an unfamiliar voice. But strangely, he felt like he know that voice.
“Suo Hayato!”
Then, Suo could open his eye.
Endo needed around 3 minutes to wake Suo up. He fell asleep sometimes in the middle of the ride and suddenly started to let out a cry like a puppy. He didn’t remember how many times he called Suo’s name, but he didn’t respond. When they finally arrived at the basement of Endo’s apartment, Endo pulled Suo’s shoulders roughly and shook them.
“Suo! Suo Hayato!”
Just then, that single eye finally opened. A scared crimson eye. Tears flowed down from that lonely eye. The other eye—the hollow socket—was wet with tears too, while sweat dripped down his forehead. His breath was short and fast. At first, that eye wasn’t focusing on Endo. For several too long seconds, that eye stayed empty, before finally focusing on Endo and his breathing returned to a normal rhythm. There was a glimpse of relieve in that eye.
Endo quietly gave an unreadable expression to Suo, before opening the door, getting out of the car, and opening the door on Suo’s side. He shoved his hand to his pocket and dig for something—a key. He squatted down, left hand grabbed the right side of Suo’s neck, looking for the keyhole on the iron encircling Suo’s neck. He inserted the key, and with one “click”, that iron chain slid down Suo’s chest and fell on the ground with a thud. Endo stood, pulled Suo’s tied hand, and walked towards the apartment building.
This time, Suo tried his hardest to focus. His eye was no longer covered, and he tried to devour every piece of information his eyes could capture. The lift brought them to the highest floor. Since they went inside, Suo noticed that Endo’s apartment building was big and luxurious. He wondered where would Endo keep him.
“Ah, Takiishi.”
The sudden, sweet voice Endo let out drew Suo’s attention. As Endo stepped his foot inside his apartment, Suo could see Takiishi Chika, sitting down on a couch. His yellow eyes stared straight into Suo’s. Even though his eyes didn’t hold any expression—he didn’t look curious, either—Endo still explained to Takiishi while pulling Suo inside.
“Sorry, Takiishi. This kid will live with us for a while. Sakura and Umemiya asked me to find him, and I need to keep him before giving him back.”
Hearing that, Suo wanted to protest and beg Endo to not tell Bofuurin, but somehow, even without words, Takiishi’s gaze made him unable to move or do anything, as if he was frozen on the spot.
Endo continued, “But I’ll make sure you won’t see him, Takiishi. You won’t even notice he was ever here.”
It hurt Suo’s heart hearing Endo’s words. Maybe he was going to be kept at a storage room? But it should be okay, as long as Endo didn’t use his body. Then, without warning, Endo pulled Suo again.
Turned out, Endo brought him to a bedroom, to be exact, to the bathroom inside the bedroom. It made Suo felt a little uncomfortable.
“Wait here and don’t do anything,” Endo warned Suo.
Suo just nodded, even when the feeling of discomfort started to gnaw his mind. Endo didn’t leave for long. He went back with several paper bags and a set of pajama.
“Change your clothes with this. Put your clothes in these paper bags. Each paper bag for each clothing item. Don’t shower. Understand?” Endo instructed Suo. Again, Suo just nodded without protesting.
Endo got out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Suo was grateful that Endo didn’t wait for him inside—or watched him change. While he was changing clothes, Suo could hear Endo’s voice talking, sounded like a phonecall. Actually, Suo was afraid Endo contacted Sakura or Umemiya, but he felt exhausted, so he changed his clothes at a normal pace, not in a rush to burst through the door and beg Endo again.
The thing that Suo didn’t know was Endo contacted a doctor and made an appointment. Endo suspected something from the man’s words earlier, not too mention what happened when Suo was asleep in the car. Even though that kind of thing was not uncommon in a case of human trafficking, this is Sakura’s friend, and Sakura had asked him, so he wanted to do his best to make sure of this boy’s condition before returning him to Sakura.
The sound of bathroom’s door creaking open turned Endo’s attention. Suo walked out of the bathroom with four paper bags on his hands. He approached Endo sitting on the bed.
“Ung, Eeno-tsan,” Suo called Endo quietly. His fidgeted his finger, then lifted his head to stare at Endo. “Tsagura... Umemiya... janga...”
Endo looked pissed off at Suo’s umpteenth request. He grunted in annoyance, snatched the paper bags from Suo’s hands, and cornered Suo into a wall. His hand moved to grabbed Suo’s neck column. “Listen here. That is none of you business. You are mine. What you need to think and do is to obey me. Do you understand?”
There was a mixed expression on Suo’s face. His jaw tensed, and his eye was glistening. But then he nodded.
Endo released his hand from Suo’s neck. “Good,” he said. “You will stay in this room. I don’t care what you are going to do here, but you can’t take a bath until I say otherwise.”
Without waiting for Suo’s answer, Endo got out of the room and closed the door. Inside, Suo could hear the sound of the door being locked.
Suo observed the bedroom. As far as he saw, it was a normal bedroom, but too good for a slave like him. There were bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, bookshelf filled with many books, even TV and air conditioner. Suo looked at the queen-sized bed placed in the middle of that room. A neat and sleek bedsheet covered the bed. Suo’s eye widened. That time, the air conditioner was turned on, and that bed looked... soft and cold.
His body trembled.
*