the japanese ceo had never felt so relieved in his life.

here he was, on a thursday afternoon, walking in the streets of tokyo by his mother's side, mindlessly chatting with her and catching up after all this time.

yuta's mother had been allowed to leave the hospital for a while after her surgery, thus allowing her to enjoy a nice afternoon by her son's side in the streets of tokyo despite the pain and uneasiness coming from all of the casts that held her body.

when he had received a call from the hospital a few days ago, claiming that his mother was about to get hospitalised, yuta had immediately imagined the worse-case scenarios. heart deficiency, perforated lungs, blood loss... the first things that had come to his mind had been everything but pleasing, and this had pushed him to fly to japan right away to go and visit his dear mother. however, when he arrived at the hospital, he was relieved to see that it was – only – a few fractures and torn muscles. in fact, she had been involved in an accident which had caused her arm to end up crushed by the weight of whatever had fallen onto her. she had lost a lot of blood, but thankfully, the medics were quick to come and take her to the hospital to check her vitals and do what was needed for her survival. she then had been through sugery to replace the bones back in place and make sure that her arm and shoulder were secured under a cast for the body to reconstruct well.

and now that it had been a few days since her surgery, yuta's mother could move around and walk freely despite having the top-half of her body still covered in casts. the pain she felt was bearable thanks to the medicine given by the hospital, which was what had pushed her to convince her son to walk around with her in the streets of tokyo.

"so, tell me about your business, honey, how has it been going?" the woman asked to her son in their mothertongue.

yuta smiled at that, tightening his grip on her hand as he made sure there was enough space around her for people not to hurt her injured arm. "it's going well. i'm selling a lot of cars." he replied in japanese as well. "and we're expanding a lot over other countries also. you can find nakamotors cars almost everywhere now!"

"that's amazing." the mather said lovingly, patting her son's head with her uninjured hand. "i'm so happy for you, my baby."

"mom, stop calling me that!" the ceo whined like a child.

"why?" the woman replied playfully. "it's already reserved for someone else?"

yuta's eyes widened at his mother's words, making his cheeks colour red for a quick second before he shook his head.

"no!" he protested. "i'm all grown up now, and i'm a ceo. what if business partners came to hear you calling me that! they would make fun of me."

"sure..." the japanese lady hummed before raising a brow at her son. "tell me about this person."

"m-mom!" yuta's cheeks reddened even more. "i told you there wasn't anyone."

"you sure did, but i know you, and your cheeks here tell me that there is someone." she said, pinching yuta's red cheek. "or at least that there could be someone."

the ceo sighed, rolling his eyes at his mother before continuing to walk again.

"how can you know me so well..." he sighed, making his mother giggle.

"so, i was right, you have someone in mind!" she exclaimed happily.

"yeah, i do." yuta nodded shyly. "but i'm pretty sure it's one-sided."

"one-sided?" the woman asked surprised. "who wouldn't want of an amazingly caring, young, handsome and rich successful businessman?"

"i know, right? i'm quite the man." yuta replied while wiggling his brows.

"now, if you have that attitude around him, i know why they're not returning your feelings." the woman scoffed before giggling with her son. "tell me about them."

"so, his name is sicheng. he's chinese." yuta started, a small smile appearing on his face at the mention of the boy he had gotten interested in these past weeks.

"and he's a boy."

"he is. is that a problem?" yuta questioned, quite worried that his mother could be disappointed in him for not having a crush on a girl.

"half of my body is in a cast, and that is a problem." yuta's mother replied, making the japanese ceo frown."now, how would liking a boy even be a problem?"

yuta let out a small chuckle at his mother's words. "right, it's not a problem. just wanted to check."

yuta's mom flashed him a sincere smile before she continued speaking.

"how about we stop for a few minutes in a café so that you can tell me more about this sicheng, huh?"she asked, pointing at a small café next to them.

"we can do that, of course." yuta nodded, pulling on his mother's hand to drag her towards an empty table.

the two of them sat down and ordered food and drinks, enjoying the liveliness of the street they were in as they cherished this moment they spent together.

yuta had moved to south korea after his studies and as he was starting to create nakamotors, and unfortunately, his parents hadn't been able to follow him there. they had watched their son and his business grow from japan, often calling their little boy and congratulating for his achievements. they would also occasionally visit him in korea when they had a break from work, but these were rare, and yuta always made sure that they used their break time to go on holiday together in exotic places rather than spending time in korea which they had already visited thousands of times.

the ceo may be a grown man now, it was still so pleasant to be back in japan and be with his mother to have heart-whelming conversations and feel like he was going back into his childhood years, when he had to worry about nothing.

yuta and his mother stayed in the café for an hour, the woman listening to her son rambling about this chinese male that he had taken interest in, and yuta dreamily telling her every detail of his and sicheng's history, from the day they had first met to the four hours they had spent in yuta's car in front of sicheng's house.

the japanese male was genuinely happy and felt good speaking about jung corporation's secretary, and his mother was painfully aware of it.

"i'm glad you could find yourself, yuta. he seems like an amazing person." his mother spoke with a sincere smile as they stood up and left the café.

"he really is an amazing person." yuta nodded. "i really wish he could return my feelings."

"i'm sure he will eventually." the woman assured.

the two of them walked back towards the hospital hand in hand, yuta still being careful and making sure that no one would walk too close to his mother and risk to hurt her further.

after a dozen minutes, the hospital came in sight, making the ceo pout.

"our little hangout is already coming to an end..." he let out.

"yes, but it was very nice. i really enjoyed walking around tokyo with my little boy." yuta's mother declared, ruffling the boy's hair.

"litte boy, really?" the japanese scoffed. "i'm a big boy now."

"sure, but you'll always stay my little baby."

"mo- "

"yuta?"

both yuta and his mother stopped into their tracks, immediately turning around to look at the person who had pronounced yuta's name in a surprised tone.

and well, yuta would have fallen to the floor because of the shock if not for the tight grip his mother had on his hand.

"s-sicheng?" the ceo stuttered, his eyes wide as he stared at the male who was standing in front of him with a suitcase.

"oh my god, that's sicheng..." yuta's mom let out in japanese, carefully studying the chinese male.

"sicheng, w-what are you doing in japan?" the japanse male asked in korean, not believing his eyes.

"i... i was on holiday." sicheng replied in the same state as yuta. "a-and what are you doing in japan?"

"oh, well, my mother had an accident and... yeah..." yuta explained, gesturing to his mother.

that is when sicheng realised the female which he had completely ignored because of yuta's presence. "oh, huh... konichiwa." the chinese male bowed to which yuta's mother bowed back.

"i'll go back to my room to let the two of you hang out, okay?" yuta's mother said in japanese before smiling at the chinese male.

"w-what, wait! i'll bring you back to your room." yuta immediately protested to which is mother shook her head.

"i can go back on my own." she informed. "now go and stay with sicheng for a bit."

"are you sure? i... i'll visit you tomorrow." yuta immediately told.

"yes." his mother nodded before pecking the boy's cheek and facing sicheng. "goodbye sicheng." she finally said in korean.

"goodbye." the chinese male replied before the woman turned around to get back to the hospital.

however, she started speaking again after a few steps.

"yuta?" she called, making her son turn around.

"yes? is everything okay?" he asked in japanese.

"just wanted to tell you that he's cute. i approve the relationship." the woman replied in the same language before turning around and heading to the hospital for good this time.

yuta faced sicheng again, his cheeks slightly red because of his mother's comment.

"what did she say?" sicheng asked curiously, seeing how the usually teasing and annoying yuta was very silent and shy.

"she..." he hesitated. "...asked me to bring her food tomorrow because the hospital's canteen is shit."

sicheng hummed simply.

"so, you are on holiday in japan?" the ceo asked the fake secretary, a smile appearing on his face.

"well, i was." sicheng nodded, showing his suitcase. "i'm about to go and catch my plane."

"already?" yuta asked. "aren't you staying this weekend?"

"well tomorrow is friday, and i'm working so... unfortunately i'm not staying the weekend." he informed.

yuta snorted at that. "what kind of boss is jung to make you come back to work on a friday morning."

sicheng smiled sheepishly. in fact, the problem wasn't jaehyun, but rather his real boss at nano electronics who had warned him that he would have a few things to do on friday morning so that he'd better be there.

"my bus is arriving." the chinese male announced after a while, pointing at a bus on which was displayed the words 'airport shuttle'.

"wait, can't you ask jaehyun for one more day?" yuta asked when sicheng started pulling his wallet out of his pocket as the bus parked near him.

"he won't agree." sicheng immediately replied, heading towards the queue of people waiting to get on the bus.

"why not? it's only one little day." yuta sounded like he was pleading the male.

"i know but..." sicheng sighed, knowing very well that jaehyun wasn't the problem. "...i have things to do."

"they can be done on monday morning, i'm sure." yuta insisted.

"and my plane ticket isn't flexible." sicheng continued retorting as he was getting closer to getting on the bus.

"i'll pay you back for it. and i'll even pay for the new ticket." yuta assured.

"yuta..." sicheng sighed. "i promise, it's not that i don't want to. it's just that i can't."

"then, let me call jaehyun. i'll ask him. and i'll do something about my car to let him have an advantage if he wants to."

sicheng stared at the japanese male for a few seconds, letting a few people pass in front of him in the queue to gain a bit of time.

he couldn't understand why yuta was so persistent on making sicheng stay longer. sure, sicheng would love to stay a bit more, but well, he had work to do, and if he came to stay, he would need to pay for an hotel and all those things which cost money – that sicheng didn't have in huge amounts.

"yuta, i don't think- "

"i'm calling him." the japanese ceo declared, pulling his phone out and placing it to his ear before the chinese male could protest.

and thankfully for the japanese male, jaehyun answered quickly after.

"mister jung, hello!" yuta beamed, speaking loudly and catching the attention of the people around. "well, i am in japan right now, and i happened to cross paths with your secretary. how coincidental, isn't it?"

sicheng sighed as jaehyun spoke.

"yeah, well..." yuta started again. "i wanted to know if it would be possible to have sicheng take one more day of leave. this would give me the opportunity to make him visit the japanese subsidiary for example and yeah, you see?"

the japanese male discussed for a few more seconds before he looked at sicheng with a smile and held the phone out for him.

"he wants to talk to you." yuta informed.

sicheng sighed again before taking the phone. "hello." he spoke.

"hey sicheng. what is he talking about?" jaehyun asked.

"he's..." sicheng silently told yuta to stay in the queue as he walked a few staps away to gain a bit of privacy. "he said he really wanted me to stay there with him."

"and do you want to?"

"well, i have work to do at nano electronics so i can't but- "

"i'm asking if you want to stay with him over the weekend?" jaehyun repeated.

"i-i... yeah." sicheng finally admitted, his cheeks reddening at his honesty. "i'd like to stay with him."

"okay." jaehyun hummed. "i'll deal with your boss then. and i'll tell him you'll be back at nano electronics on monday. would that be fine with you?"

sicheng sighed. "yes, thank you so much for that, jaehyun."

"it's normal. now enjoy your weekend." he replied sincerely.

"thank you. you too."

"oh and..." jaehyun spoke again before sicheng could hang up.

"yes?"

"if you ever manage to get a business info slip from him... i'd be interested to know."

the chinese male sighed again. as much as it seemed like jaehyun had changed, he was still the same. "of course..."

the electrical engineer hung up and walked back to yuta, handing him his phone.

"so?" the ceo asked, his eyes wide in expectation.

"he accepted. i can stay here this weekend."

"oh my god, that's so cool!" yuta exclaimed, immediately wrapping his arms around sicheng's slim body and spinning him around as if the other had announced him he was pregnant. and of course, the people around stared at them, definitely not helping sicheng's cheeks.

"yuta, put me down!" the chinese male whisper-shouted, slapping yuta's shoulders to make him drop him down.

"oh, sorry." the japanese laughed sillily, putting sicheng back on the floor. "i'm just happy that you're staying."

sicheng smiled at the ceo, sharing his excitement despite his non-expressive façade. he must admit, yuta's child-like side was cute, and he preferred this much more to the bitchy and arrogant ceo that he was whenever they participated in automobile events.

"okay, so... wait for me here, i'll ask the hotel if i can get my room back for three more nights." sicheng informed, leaving his suitcase in yuta's possession as he headed towards the hotel he had been staying in, and in front of which he had seen yuta.

"wait, a capsule hotel?!" yuta gasped, seeing the name of the hotel. "you're working in the first automobile company and your boss doesn't even give you enough to pay yourself an hotel with a decent view?"

sicheng's cheeks coloured red in shame. "i-i... well..."

"you're not sleeping there tonight. that's for sure." yuta informed. "i'm bringing you to my hotel."

"what?!" the fake secretary exclaimed. "no, thank you. the capsule hotel is fine, really."

"nope." yuta immediately replied. "i'm calling a taxi and we go to my hotel."

and so, before sicheng could argue once again, his wrist was locked into yuta's strong grip, and a minute later, the two of them hopped in a taxi with the suitcase heading to yuta's hotel.

and of course, as predicted from sicheng, there was no way in hell he'd be able to pay a room in this place. hell, he was even wondering if he could afford having a drink in the hotel because of how much it screamed 'luxury'.

"y-yuta, i..." the chinese male was at loss of words as they walked through the entrance, revealing a very spacious place with a high ceiling form which were hanging massive chandeliers. there was even an indoor fountain and lots of artistic sculptures here and there, making sicheng wonder if it was really a place for him.

"what is it?" the japanese asked as they reached the lifts.

"i-i won't be able to afford a night here. let alone three." sicheng said very honestly.

"you won't need to." yuta shook his head. "you're staying with me in my room."

"with you in your... yuta, what?!" the chinese exclaimed again.

"just enjoy, sicheng." the ceo rolled his eyes, entering the lift and pressing the button for the 23rd floor before looking at the doors closing.

they reached the 23rd floor and yuta guided sicheng, still pulling the chiense male's suitcase behind him. and they finally reached yuta's room, the ceo pressing his card against the captor before pushing the door open.

"welcome in, sicheng." yuta spoke simply as sicheng stepped inside.

and let's say that yuta didn't need two seconds to understand that sicheng had never been able to have a taste of such luxury before.

the room was very luminous, and contrarily to what sicheng thought, it wasn't because of the inside lights, but rather because of the sun that was slowly setting and shining through the huge glass windows that extended from the floor to the ceiling and on all the width of the room. a giant king-sized bed was placed facing the window and a long couch was disposed in a corner of the room with a small table on which were placed snacks and drinks. right behind the bed was a glass box in which was located a shower and a bath, making it possible to shower while looking at the view – a mechanism also made it possible to make the glass opaque if you didn't want to be seen showering.

needless to say, everything was so luxurious that the chinese male didn't dare touch anything. the only thing he did was to approach the giant windows and look at the view of tokyo outside from the 23rd floor of a building, making it seem like the people walking in the streets were nothing but little ants.

"i-i..." the chinese male stuttered out.

"beautiful, isn't it?" yuta asked with a chuckle.

"y-yuta... w-why are you doing all of this for me?" sicheng finally asked the question that had been bugging his mind since he had crossed paths with yuta.

"would you rather not have me doing all of this?" the japanese tackle back with a brow raised.

"n-no, but..." sicheng sighed, looking outside again as his eyes fell on the giant pool of the hotel surrounded by trees and deckchairs. "...i-it's not a universe i'm familiar with..." sicheng admitted.

"well, that's just a matter of time." yuta shrugged. "it could become your universe."

"i-i'm not made for it. i'll ridicule myself, and you at the same time." sicheng continued, anxiety kicking in as he could already imagine his poor self in awkward situations, surrounded by rich and influential people.

"and what if? what matters is what we think." yuta replied, approaching sicheng with a smile. "what you think."

"b-but..." sicheng stuttered again, his eyes diverting between yuta and the view for a few seconds.

there was no doubt, he didn't belong to this world of riches and luxuries.

he was a mere electrical technician who struggled at the end of the month to pay for his food and who could do nothing else than repairing optical fibbers and plasma screens for people like yuta who were rich, influential and had a lot of money to spend.

"stop overthinking sicheng. just enjoy the moment..." yuta spoke slowly, looking into sicheng's eyes. "i promise you'll see that this world is much more than what it seems. and you'll even find yourself liking it."

and well, as much as sicheng mentally screamed at himself to refuse such a proposition, the way his heart missed so many beats inside his chest prevented himself to, and he wondered if for once, he shouldn't let himself loose and enjoy what life was offering him fully.