I apologize for making the chapters longer lately.

CHAPTER 36

It was around ten o'clock in the morning when Tomochika came back from Tokiya's apartment in order to grab a full set of clean clothes for him. The breakfast for the couple was all set and she spent a few minutes glancing at the clock, wondering how Tokiya was doing in the guest room.

"Normally, he's an early bird, right?" She murmured, battling against the hesitancy to check on him given she did not want his sleeping face (in case he was still sleeping) which was her favorite expression engrossed her too much. It was still embarrassing even he was her boyfriend now. "I guess I have to check on him. He was tired last night so he might be oversleeping."

She opened the door slowly. She barely could discern her boyfriend's sleeping figure given he was still wearing his yesterday black shirt while the duvet itself was dark brown in color. She headed slowly towards the window before pulling back the red curtains.

This was when a sight of the beautiful artist was in full view of the woman. Tokiya was in a deep sleep which made her sighed in relief. Last night, he insisted to cry in her arms but to no avail which made her worried sick until she could see this sight right now.

She was drawn to his look that it took her a while to realize that she was already sitting next to the bed, staring at the sleeping face in awe.

I wonder how Tokiya's parents look like to have a handsome son like this, she thought, her hand supported her chin. And yet, his mother abandoned him just because he wanted to pursue his dream instead of hers. Obviously, he chose the right path if it's not because of that toxic president."

And I do wonder if Haruka had ever seen Tokiya in Masato when they were dating. They both look similar anyway. Even Harumi and Mitsuki did mistake Tokiya as their father before.

She pushed away her thought as Tokiya shifted in his sleep. She slightly moved away from the bed so that she would not accidentally wake him up but it was too late. The blue eyes slowly opened, followed by an exhausted smile.

"Good morning," he said huskily.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She asked while she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek.

"Yes," he replied, leaning closer against her soft palm with eyes closed.

Now, he's acting like a cat, she thought in amusement. Her love might not be reciprocated yet but she appreciated it the most when Tokiya was not hesitant to be affectionate. It showed his effort in trying to love her.

Tomochika leaned in, planting a long but soft kiss on the man's forehead.

"Hey, Tokiya."

"Yes?"

"About whatever happened to you last night, does it still make you sad?" She asked as she pulled away, curiosity and concern glistened in her eyes.

"What time is it now?"

"Around 10."

"Then, it's safe to say that it doesn't anymore. I was in very deep sleep if I woke up at a time like this. Apparently, that's what I got for sleeping on a woman's bed. The feeling and perfume... they are sooo nice and melting."

Tomochika blushed at the unexpected remark.

"For a Walking Ice, you do know how to play around with a woman's heart, don't you?" She said, looking away from him. More staring contest with him might cause danger for her heartbeat.

Yet, the blue eyes were only drawn to her, gazing at her with a serene smile.

"But... but, seriously, what happened last night? What made you sad? For a second, I thought I had lost my breath to see you in that state," her attempt to make him stopped with whatever cheekiness he had tried to do was fruitful.

Yet, to see the smile faded away sent her to mentally curse at herself.

"Nothing. I guess I just felt nostalgic to see STARISH and me in the same training room even they're being my producers instead of my teammates. The only problem is I don't know the best way to show them how much I feel thankful for the opportunity that they had provided for me."

"I am sure they know it. They know you love to sing back after slaving away at the acting jobs so I think it shouldn't be a problem if you find it hard to express yourself."

"Himura-san complained that I am so cold," Tokiya said as he drowsily making himself sat up.

"That's how he is when he's worried about you, right?"

"Yes, he's. I guess that I will enjoy this kind of moment as much as I can. You know... when there are still people who care about me."

"I really hope you continue enjoying it. You deserve all the love, you know," she said, caressing his silky hair. It felt more natural to touch him lovingly but what mattered to her the most was he allowed her to do so. He was the victim of sexual assault so Tomochika felt delighted that her boyfriend showed a sign of full trust in their relationship.

"You think so?" He asked back. It was not a doubt but a line to show her that he was thankful for what she had remarked.

"Yes," she said back as something crossed her mind. "So, since you're so endearing, I want to pamper you a lot today before you start working with the guys again. Just stay here, okay?" Without waiting for his response, she dashed off from the room.

With Tokiya, every second should not be wasted. She always wanted him to feel loved.

Tomochika really meant it when she said she would pamper him.

It started with a simple gesture; giving him a new toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste on it.

"Open your mouth. I'll brush your teeth," she said. At this moment, all Tokiya could do for a few seconds was staring at her in utter disbelief.

"Your bathroom is just over there, right? And my legs are still doing fine."

"I know it because this is my house."

"And as far as I know, I have a house too. I will go back to my house as soon as possible and clean myself there. And what's with the new toothbrush?"

"It's okay. I have a lot of these and if I run out of it, stores are downstairs for a reason."

"But..."

"It's okay, Tokiya. Actually, I think I have a plan for you this morning. Something that hopefully will take your mind off."

"And what is it? Consuming alcohol or... aww!"

"Take that!" Her eyes sized up in annoyance as she pinched his biceps. "I am a changed woman! I am gradually withdrawing myself from that thing."

They continued with breakfast in bed, casually feeding each other (even most of the time, they childishly played tricks) and talking about Tokiya's wardrobe for the concert.

"I already took your outfit for today from your house. You don't mind, right?" She supplied when Tokiya furrowed his forehead as she insisted him to take a shower in her bathroom afterward. "I am sorry if you don't feel comfortable but I just want to fully take care of you."

He just learned that it was heavenly to have someone who cherished him from head to toe. It was wonderful to know how much a lover could do for his sake.

She did take his mind off things that made him feel miserable. Apart from reading, fashion was Tokiya's huge interest and Tomochika was smart enough to use it for their benefits. For that day, he was all hers for being her fashion muse and model. They spent the whole day making Tokiya wore different sorts of costumes which would suit the concert theme the most.

"Just where did you get all of these anyway?" He asked when she fixed his black collar.

"Old costumes which those fashion coordinators guaranteed that they won't be used anymore. At least use them on your body will be a perfect last moment for these expensive outfits if they decide to get rid of them someday," Tomochika stated, receiving a short nod from the guy.

"There you go, the sixth possible outfit," she noted, moving backward so that she could take a better look at her boyfriend.

Tokiya's fair skin perfectly matched the almost all-black costume. Tokiya always looked elegant with bracelets and a funky necklace so Tomochika never forgot to make him wear the accessories. She also spent more time in trying out various hairstyles on him until she found the one that would make him stunning.

"Ah, this sight of you is not good for my heart," she dramatically clutched her chest which sent Tokiya to roll his eyes. "No wonder those coordinators said that you and Ren are their muses. Your body can fit anything. With this, I don't think I'll feel sorry for giving you a hard time wearing and taking off those clothes."

Tokiya chuckled softly, concealing that it was meant to sound bitter. He did not want to do it but the trauma that had darkened his life would emerge into his head every time someone complimented his body. It was his but Saotome was the one who got obsessed with compliments. That was why the geezer would hit him every time he could not meet the weight standard that he had restricted no matter how light it was compared to his height.

When they were done, he left the house, promising to her that he would seek her comfort if he had a hard time again. Tomochika was smiling to see her sketches for Tokiya's costumes on the drawing book.

I can't wait to show these to Syo, she thought.

She was so focused when suddenly, a pair of muscular arms were holding her from her back affectionately.

Too affectionate until she could feel the long-time chill flowed down her spine. Plus, she recognized this perfume and this one was definitely not Tokiya's. She followed her instinct, jumping out from the hug. She learned that curiosity almost made her heart stop thumping as she turned around. There he was, a tall man which remained as the worst nightmare in her life was facing her, all smirking at her.

"Eiichi..." She thought she would never make his name escaped from her mouth again. Not after they had nothing to do with each other anymore.

"Hi, honey," he said, as scary as a ghost could be.

"What... what are you doing here? How is it..." She glanced at the door, almost losing her breath upon realizing that he already shut the door, leaving her trapped in her own house. From his position, she knew that he was planning not to allow her to escape.

"It is possible when I was in a relationship with you for a long time. You can change your passcode as many as you can but I remember your phone number, your parents' number, your ID number, your birthday... you name it. I didn't just turn your house upside down for nothing you know. I want to know everything about you. I am always curious about you, honey."

No, don't cry, Tomo. Don't let him see what he wants to see. He loves it when you're scared of him. He likes it when you plead for your life, she thought even she could feel her heart literally wanted to jump out of her chest.

That was what she mentally insisted but her tears already streamed down her face. Her frame desperately fought the need to shiver and collapse. She knew it by instinct that meeting this guy now was not going to give her any good. Instead, he was like the Grim Reaper for her. He would darken her life with his beastly personality.

"What... what do you want now, Eiichi?"

"You shouldn't ask that when you ignored my calls and pretended that I never existed in your life," he walked towards her but she moved away. They slowly made a circle in the living room as they observed each other's position, respectively in horror and fury.

"We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Please respect my privacy."

"Respecting your privacy as in being all lovey-dovey with your new boyfriend?"

She froze in her spot.

"You really moved fast with Tokiya, right? It seems like you don't want him to fall into somebody's arms and that's why you grabbed him first, right?" His purple eyes looked empty but Tomochika knew him well enough that he was holding the urge to destroy somebody. They were empty because he did not need more emotions. He just wanted to settle it physically.

"Stop saying nonsense and get out of my house. Don't you remember our promise? We won't say any word about how terrible our relationship was to others as long as we stay away from each other..."

"I never agreed to something like that, you bitch!" He pushed her against the wall, strangling her. "I never thought that you're this cruel, Tomo! You ended everything when I love you the most! You got rid of me that fast when all I had in my mind is you! You're the one who abused me!"

"Eiichi..." her hands weakly pushed his strong shoulders. She knew it was useless but her throat desperately needed her to save herself as much as she could. "Let...me...go..."

"Why did you do this to me, Tomo!? I love you and I want to marry you! Why would you hate me, huh? Why would you choose that jerk when he..."

"Eiichi!"

Someone was screaming in rage and he knew it was not Tomochika. She was already too weak to scream but before he could turn around, something hard and fast hit his face before he collapsed immediately.

"Tokiya," her voice answered the question in Eiichi's head despite the pain as he clutched his face. He was lucky because the hit was not the strongest attack that the guy could do. As expected from the level-headed guy who only applied self-defense in this kind of situation. He could feel a man stepped over his legs before pulling Tomochika into a protective hug.

That jerk is still here, huh? He was supposed to leave this building a while ago, Eiichi thought.

"What do you think you're doing!?" The blue eyes that typically looked calm changed drastically. Instead, he was looking daggers at the man who slowly stood up, wiping the bloody corner of his mouth. The right side of his face was aching but Eiichi would deal with it later.

"I thought you already left, Tokiya."

"It's all thanks to a dangerous ex-fiancé like you. You almost killed her, did you ever realize that!?"

"So, are you saying that you're rescuing her because you're her current boyfriend?" The fact that he strangled Tomochika was not important. Eiichi thought she deserved it for dumping him and choosing to start her new life with Tokiya.

"That's not your problem, right? I believe you still remember what kind of promise we had sealed. It involved your secret as well."

And yours, you bastard, Eiichi thought. His focus now was what else he could do in order to own Tomochika back so to see that the scared Tomochika tightened her hug around Tokiya made himself burnt in utter jealousy and rage.

"It's okay. I am here," as the way Tokiya consoled the woman while caressing her back reached his sight, he did not believe that all he could do was snickering.

Instead, Eiichi let out a burst of loud laughter as much as his throat could. The echo of his voice was creepy, as if they were meeting a demon instead of an idol who spent most of his time to entertain his fans.

"You... you're such a hypocrite, you know that?" Eiichi pointed at the confused Tokiya. "That's not the kind of face you would make for someone who you love, Tokiya. You looked different. You don't love Tomochika."

To say that she was scared and wished this moment was just a dream was an understatement. She was scared when the more she tried to avoid him, the more he sounded so dangerous. Sure, he just stated something obvious; Tokiya did not love her. She already knew the fact but for some reason, each word that escaped from his mouth was making her heart beat so fast.

Eiichi might laugh out loud but no words could perfectly describe how much he wanted to annihilate Tokiya. In his life where his moments with HEAVENS became so depressing because of the pressure from his father, his insane head was on the verge of exploding due to the pictures that he had received from his private investigator. Seeing Tokiya and Tomo's chummy gestures at each other, he put all the blame on the blue head even though Tomochika had clearly stated that she ended their engagement because of Eiichi's abusive demeanor.

His logic accepted her reasons but his heart and other parts of body denied it. Denying her words so much that all his legs and hands wanted was to ruin Tokiya's life.

Ruining his perfection, ruining what and who meant so much for him.

"They're dating. Shibuya-san clearly stated that she didn't mind Ichinose-san drop by her house since he's her boyfriend," was what the investigator had told him.

Why would you date someone who should be mine until now, Tokiya? Why would you steal her when you don't even love her? Do you want to break her heart? You love Haruka, for pity's sake!

"He's not in love with you, Tomo. That's not how he looked like when he truly loves someone," Eiichi said, snickering at the woman. He slowly made his way to the front door but his deep voice was still echoing, "If you continue with this relationship, both of you will regret. I warned you."

Tokiya should know better about how to deal with psychopaths and nasty people given his previous predators were one of the kinds but with Eiichi, the chill was the most unbearable.

Why is he talking like he knows me more than he should? The blue head thought.

"Let me take a look," Tokiya asked as he gently pushed Tomochika's shoulders so that he could see the red marks around her neck. They were sitting on a sofa with Tokiya embraced her until she was calm enough to say 'I am okay' and 'thank you so much'.

"Talk about he loves you," Tokiya mocked as he gently touched her neck. He could imagine how hurt it was for her since he already experienced the same thing when he was hospitalized.

Speaking about the incident at the hospital...

"I am so sorry for your poor apples but I can't help but think that he's a psychopath."

Masato's remark at the moment reached his ears.

"But can you see from the way he looked at you while strangling you? He's insane. I don't think he acted. I bet he just used his new movie as an excuse to torture you."

Yeah, that makes sense, Masato, he thought.

"To be honest, I agree with Masato, Tokiya," Haruka's remark supplied. "I know actors tend to be too engrossed when they work but just now, the way Eiichi acted made me feel uneasy. You have to be careful."

I am so sorry for being oblivious and stupid at that time, guys.

"And what if he really ended up killing you just now? He only stopped just because you pushed him, right?"

Tokiya closed his eyes as he could not stand the horror of what his mind was bringing him to.

What if Eiichi ended up killing Tomo just now? He only stopped because I came to her rescue, he thought again. Tomochika had told him that Eiichi still disturbed her so his heart insisted that Eiichi would go berserk, enough from the fact that Tokiya had spent the night in Tomochika's house. That was why he decided that he would check on her again before going back to his house. At this moment, he was really thankful for his instinct and...

His mind which surprisingly could read Eiichi well.

"Tokiya?" Tomochika's questioning voice made his eyes snapped open.

"I guess this is it," he mumbled, full of determination. He fished out his phone of his pocket. His mind only aimed at a certain set of numbers which had annoyed him since the news conference of STARISH's disbandment.

The set of numbers turned out to be useful when Tomochika almost got killed.

"Hello. Yes, Otori-san. It's me."

"Otori...san?" Tomochika repeated quietly but she could not meet the blue eyes as they were busy looking at everywhere but in her direction, faking the happiness for talking to the legendary singer.

"Yes, yes. I am calling you to tell you good news," his cheerful voice continued supplying, "I already thought it over and I decided that I'll accept your offer. I would like to work with you, Otori-san."

Before Tomochika could protest against his nonsensical words, Tokiya raised his palm at her. He glanced at the woman, indirectly asking her to wait.

"I am so sorry, Otori-san. It's not that I am ignoring you. That'll be very rude of me. I just have a lot of things on my plate so I need to take time to consider your offer. Or... am I too late?"

Wait... Come to think of it, he never mentioned that he wanted to work with STARISH after the concert. Could it be because he already planned to work with Otori-san? Is he crazy? Tomochika could not wait to ask a lot of questions regarding his absurd decision. She could not understand why he sounded like he wanted to jump straight into a shark pit like Raging Entertainment when he already escaped from Shining Agency?

Not to mention, Eiichi would certainly not be pleased with his decision...

"But you have to meet a certain condition. Really? Anything? Okay, that's good then," the friendly expression darkened, making the woman beside him flinched. "I would like you to disband HEAVENS."

Tomochika gasped. She impatiently shook his knee to make him pay his attention to her but he continued talking as if she was not there to begin with.

"You see. HEAVENS is our rival for quite some times so I don't think I want to work under the same roof as them. It just doesn't feel right and comfortable. Plus, just like what you told me last time, all you need is me, right? I am sure HEAVENS will find their future somewhere else other than your agency but wait... I think you can keep Eiji with you. Eiji is a very rare talent. You shouldn't let him go or else, it'll be a big loss too."

Tokiya, don't you realize what you're doing is basically ruining Eiichi's life which will make him ruin your life back? He did warn us just now!

Tomochika was so frustrated that it took all for her to suppress her urge to scream at him for being reckless.

"It's okay, Otori-san. Take your time. I am looking forward to meeting you again. Okay, see you soon," the cheerful but fake demeanor was taken off completely as soon as Tokiya ended the call. He turned to Tomochika, clearly expecting her to scold him.

"You're crazy," that was what she ended up blurting out after spending minutes to bombard her boyfriend with so many questions.

Yet, much to her shock, Tokiya's eyes cast the sincerity that melted her heart instantly even she refused to give in. He smiled as he grabbed her hand before squeezing it.

"You have to trust me," that was all he said but enough for her to feel more protected and had to do what he asked her; trusting him. "I hope, for the time being, this is only between us. It'll be a pain to explain to others had they known it."

She was speechless even she did nod at him.

The following weeks passed too fast for Tokiya who was made busy again with the preparation for his concert. His friends had made a good job as his producers and trainers. As expected, Otoya was in charge of his choreography, which was fun as usual. It did feel like he was working with a childish trainer at times. Natsuki and Cecil took over his MC session which according to Cecil, Tokiya still had to polish his talking skill so that he did not sound too stiff or cold for his fans. Much to Natsuki's panic, he ended up stopping Cecil and Tokiya to fight childishly over everything especially when Tokiya made fun of Cecil's Japanese skills.

Meanwhile, moments with Syo who was also his fashion coordinator was smoother since they had Tomochika between them. When they showed a sign of unnecessary argument, they would stop themselves due to Tomochika's glower. As for Ren, he was the boss of them. He monitored every single thing which made Tokiya believed that the scion had learned a lot from his brother.

This was the longest time for Tokiya to spend with his friends after 13 years. Working together with them was something that he would cherish forever before something happened.

That was why when Ren randomly suggested that they would throw a drinking party at Tokiya's house, the blue head did not protest much. For the first time, he felt his surrounding was safe enough that when the forgetful Otoya offered him to drink, he accepted it.

He was with his friends so he would be safe. Nobody would ruin him.

Yet, in the very next morning, he found that the same friends just ruined his house.

After he woke up from his deep sleep, the first thing he realized that he was sleeping on his bed diagonally. It was strange to find him in such a position but after recalling how he was drunk last night, most probably he carelessly threw himself onto the bed. He got up, blankly looked around before he realized something moved beside his bed.

Or was it someone?

"What the heck is that?" His eyes were narrow at the sight of the black and long legs. "Natsuki?"

He found Natsuki, Syo, and Cecil on the floor, still sleeping like logs. They were such a mess with Natsuki's heavy legs were placed comfortably on Syo's stomach. With the way Syo grimaced in his sleep, he must be dreaming about something scary were squashing his frame.

Meanwhile, just as Tokiya claimed previously, Cecil who was sleeping next to Natsuki, mumbling Japanese idioms.

"And he said I will marry my job," Tokiya mumbled, clicking his tongue at the pathetic sight of the prince. His instinct to go and check his living room right away kicked in so he dragged his lazy frame to outside, feeling regretful right away.

"So, except for Masato, they're all here," he groaned after spotting the sight of a certain redhead and scion, sprawling on his sofa. They did not even switch off the television and even had the audacity to make the mess of the living room with nuts and drinks. Their wives must be grateful to send them staying overnight here.

Tokiya typically hated mess. No matter how busy he was, he would find time to clean his place. Just as Ren mentioned before, his status as a way-too-popular celebrity had made him paranoid to use cleaning services. But now...

With this ugly side of his friends sprawling everywhere, it ticked back the sense of nostalgia in his heart. Back then when they were still close, for some reason they all loved to stay in his and Otoya's room.

"I just want to breathe fresh air. With Ren in my room, I can't sit calmly," was Masato's reason almost every time he came over.

"I have the guts that Masato will kill me even all I do is breathing," was what Ren reasoned out.

"Tokiya, Otoya! Let me stay here! My room is too big and I am lonely," Cecil whined.

And more reasons from Natsuki and Syo who were typically the most chaotic duo out of them. They all ended up gathering in their room which made it more war-esque than their own room. It was a mess short after that and while Otoya was nervous that Tokiya would snap at them, it was vice versa for the blue head.

"Well, I guess I should make breakfast for them as the payback for what they had done for me," he muttered, turning his heels before his eyes found something glowing on the coffee table.

It was Ren's and Otoya's phones with the screens showed the first poster of his concert. Recognizing that it was from their social media with a lot of comments from their fans followed the poster, he could not help but grab Ren's phone. It was not his way to look scroll through someone's phone without permission but he knew Ren would not mind it.

A very warm feeling touched his heart as he found that Ren kept promoting the concert to his fans. Instead of updating on his daily life or pictures, all his latest posts were about Tokiya's comeback.

Please support our artist to start over with his new life. Let his sweet voice shine your heart. Give him chances to achieve his dream once again.

Was one of the captions.

The comments were heart-warming and exciting which could melt the skeptical side of Tokiya. They all missed his singing. They all wanted to see him smiled because of his own passion and not because someone forced him to do so.

Curiosity got a better of him as he did not hesitate to scroll down Otoya's phone. The redhead posted a lot of their candid pictures especially when they were focused on working or when they were doing something silly together. The responses from the fans were also full of excitement. They reacted how they definitely would attend the concert and support Ichinose Tokiya who wanted to leave his obscene image for good.

His friends definitely did not joke when they said they wanted to give him a new life.

"They deserve more than breakfast, I guess," he muttered before curving in a smile.

He needed Haruka's help for what he just had in his mind.

He was determined to do the best for them.

What does the geezer want now? I know it. When he said HEAVENS are taking days off for two weeks straight, he still means he can order me around, Eiichi mentally remarked. His pace was fast and he could not care less when other staffs were disturbed with how sour he looked and how they stared the bandage on his cheek and swollen lips for being punched by Tokiya. Dealing with HEAVENS's endless questions of how did he get hurt (since he refused to tell them the true story which would blow his collected mask as well) was bearable since he always had a soft spot for them but not for others. He believed he would snap every time someone dared to be nosy with his condition.

Raging Otori was scrolling down his tablet PC in his office when Eiichi quickly headed to his way. With the familiar evil smile as his purple eyes were still on the screen, Eiichi knew his father was satisfied with something.

Was it about HEAVENS? Was that why the man called him out of the blue? Eiichi felt skeptical but the small part of his heart hoped that HEAVENS was the cause of Otori's current mood. He hated to see more suffering that his bandmates had to go through in order to meet Otori's standard.

Or was it because...

"Oh, here you are," Otori said and with just that one particular reaction, Eiichi could sense it.

His father was happy not because of HEAVENS.

"What do you want, Otori-san?" He asked immediately. Otori was definitely not blind so just like others, Eiichi was positive that he did see the bandage on his face but he was not curious at all.

Everything about Eiichi was not crucial unless...

"First of all, you have to do something with the bandage on your face. I don't care where did you get it but I believe you deserve it," he said flatly. "But make sure you can cover or cure it before the upcoming news conference."

"A news conference? For what?" At this moment, he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears.

Something was not right. He could tell it.

The most horrifying smirk spread over the old man's lips. "I am done with HEAVENS. I want to disband them."

How Otori Eiichi wished that this was just a nightmare. How he wished that somebody would wake him up now, saying that everything was fine and HEAVENS would never disband.

It was because no matter how many times Otori repeated his decision, he would never allow it, let alone accept it.

No. No. No...