Resignation
Oriya always told himself that he was used to the way Muraki came and went at his own leisure, without ever checking it with Oriya first. He tried to ignore it. He was a busy man, after all. Kou Kaku Rou was a popular place. He had his hands full managing it. So one of these days when Muraki turned up and he didn’t have time to deal with it, the other man could just learn to live with it.
That’s what he always told himself, anyway, but when Muraki turned up it was always the same: he huffed and complained but accommodated Muraki anyway. Well, he could afford to give him a meal and a room. He ran a brothel. There was plenty to go around (and Muraki knew damned well that if he ever laid a hand on one of Oriya’s girls, Oriya would dismember him).
Then he always left the next morning without eating breakfast or saying where he was going. It was maddening beyond belief, and Oriya had no idea why he put up with it.
Well.
Perhaps he had something of an idea.
“Are you off, then?” he asked, stirring his tea.
Muraki paused as he was walking by the kitchen. “Yes,” he said, smiling.
Oriya blew on the top of his mug. “When will I see you again?”
“Oh, you know, when I get a minute,” Muraki said casually.
“You’re sure?”
“It’s a date,” Muraki said, and was gone without another word.
Oriya sighed, drank his tea, and tried to tell himself that he wasn’t looking forward to next time.