Author's Note:

┬┴┬┴┤･ω･)

┬┴┬┴┤･ω･)ﾉ

Sooooooo, long time no see? Hehehehe......

I had no excuse. Other than the fact that my parents decided to open a new salon and I'm the only one in the family with mad media/computer skills. So I was designated as the designer and as a public media agent for the shop. And then on top of that, I was busy the last few months on my NEW JOB. Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ (I got both the position and the salary I wanted!)

But yeah, I should've used twitter as I had originally made a twitter for and inform you guys but... I get social anxiety on social media, okay? >.<

So, this also should have been posted, like, weeks ago, but Editor-chan abandoned me got busy because it's the weeks before spring break and Editor-chan's professors would love nothing more than to pile on all sorts of projects for Editor-chan to drown in. (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Anyway, enjoy this lovely (and frustrating, because Amir is an uncooperative character to write about) chapter and I hope it's worth the wait. (Probably not, but here's the chapter nonetheless).

...--------...

"Tanaka."

Startled, the said young man turned around to look at the large screen attached to the wall close to his bed. The voice was familiar, low and deep with a bit of a purr as they called out his name, and he couldn't help but brighten when he saw a familiar face centered in the middle of the pictured surface.

The man was devilishly handsome with sharp features and equally sharp eyes that shone like gold under the sunlight. Around his jaw and his upper lip was a five o'clock shadow, which made him unfailingly more masculine rather than sloppy, and his usually confident and arrogant smile was softer than normal.

Tanaka stared at the face a second longer than usual, tilting his head as he traced the other's facial lines with his dark eyes. It almost felt as if it had been a while since he last saw this face.

"Tanaka," Basim called out once again after allowing the younger man to gawk at him for a full minute, his baritone voice mixed with fondness and exasperation. "What's wrong? Are you sleepy? Do you want to take a nap?"

It took another minute for Tanaka to answer-- in fact, he was actually tired, but it had been such a long time since they last talked to each other that for the first time in forever, he didn't want to go to sleep.

...Wait, that couldn't be right... A long time? But he and Basim talked to each other every day...

Nonetheless, Tanaka shook his head, his black hair ruffling at the motion. His messy short hair became even more puffed out, very similar to the fluff of a day-old chick. Though his large dark eyes looked heavy, he still wanted to talk to his friend some more.

"Basim-san," he called out to the older man softly, grabbing onto the blankets and pillows on his bed so that he could make himself comfortable on the mattress. He was wearing his sister's old sweater and his brother's old sweatpants. These were clothes that his siblings wore when they were in high school, but they looked a couple of sizes too big on Tanaka.

The image was terribly cozy and warm; just a single glance at the young man made one feel happy and pleasant. "Yes?" Basim answered indulgently, his features gradually softening the longer he stared at the dazed Tanaka.

Basim didn't rush for a reply and allowed the younger man to respond at his own pace. While Tanaka was a scientist with PhDs in multiple fields and a reputation equal to Albert Einstein, he was slower in every other aspect of life-- much slower (though this was mostly due to laziness rather than capability). His brain could think through hundreds of calculations within a second, its processing power equal to or greater than some of the supercomputers around the world, but once he started talking to people, it would stall painfully, and sometimes, blue screen altogether.

It was not like Tanaka didn't like people (he was especially fond of the ones that were strong enough to carry him around), but sometimes, they were just so exhausting to interact with...

"...Were we talking about something?" Tanaka finally continued his line of thought as he looked around his room with a confused expression. His room was relatively neat if only under the combined effort of Nanami and their father. All his books were in his wall-to-wall bookshelf, his random experiments in the far corner of his room where all manners of alarms and safety measures were installed, his consoles and his video games were underneath the T.V. in a semi-organized pile, and his black-framed glasses were perched nearby on top of his nightstand. The only things out of place were the extra pillows that had fallen on the floor as he was taking his mid-brunch nap, which he left alone because he still had enough pillows on his bed, regardless.

He made the effort to reach for his glasses though the act of doing so was unbelievably pathetic. Tanaka tried to keep the bottom half of his body in one spot as he stretched his arm and his torso towards the frames. He managed to grab onto it, only to pitch over face-first into his comforter. There was a muffled grunt and Basim, who was watching the whole proceeding, laughed seeing the struggling Japanese.

As he allowed the young man to recompose himself, he answered the other's question with a perfunctory smile, as if he hadn't laughed at the silly scientist a few seconds ago; "I was congratulating you on your research breakthrough. After all, cold fusion energy is very difficult to be made available, much less affordable."

Tanaka rocked back into his original position before putting on his glasses, trying to recall their conversation through squinting eyes. He briefly wondered why the weight on his nose and his ears now felt unfamiliar, even though he had been wearing lenses since middle school.

In any case, he did remember Basim congratulating him, though the memory was a little fuzzy for some reason. After recollecting the details of his research, the first thing he told his friend was, "I'm sorry."

The older man was the leading figure in petroleum exportation and distribution while Tanaka was the leading researcher in cold fusion technology and energy. Once his findings were peer-reviewed and published, his research and himself would be considered a threat to the crude oil industry. After all, a lot of wealthy people in the world had a lot of shares and interests in the petroleum industry and no matter how much money they had backed up, no one liked to lose money, especially big money.

Basim also had businesses in other areas as well, but his conglomerate held a lot of interest in the development of petroleum technology and extraction. For someone like his friend to congratulate him on the progress of a rival and inexhaustible energy source that could undermine his way of life or, at the very least, make him lose a lot of money...

Despite this, Basim looked very unbothered by the young man's successes and even looked more amused by the other's sincere apology. As Tanaka was usually well adored by his family, rarely did he have to worry about things like earning money or budgeting. To say he was more spoiled than an emperor's favorite concubine would be an understatement, but even so, the youngest child of the world-renowned Maki Clan had little wants beyond a place to sleep and food to eat. As long as he had enough money to ensure his comfort, everything else was up in the air. Whether it was in an apartment, a house, a car, a trailer, or even a tent, as long as there was a comfortable place for him to take a nap in, he would be happy. Therefore, the older man didn't try to explain the fact that outside of his contribution to the petroleum industry, he still would have enough assets to party and live well for several lifetimes.

"There is nothing for you to apologize for," Basim responded with a fond expression. Besides, ever since that day in the hospital, he had long made plans to gradually migrate his corporation away from the petroleum industry in order to support his little Japanese friend. "You must be excited," he then added, changing the subject so that the other wouldn't dwell on the matter too much.

While grabbing one of his full body pillows to hug, Tanaka tilted his head, his droopy eyes looking up at the ceiling momentarily before shrugging as a response to the older man's statement.

The development of cold fusion technology had gone quite far under Tanaka's care, but by no means were they close to being done. So far, everything--the materials, technology, and installation--was affordable only to someone like Basim and the energy output was not efficient or controlled enough for public use. The safety measures weren't established and there were still too many things that could go wrong. Not to mention, there was still a high possibility that the reactor could explode in one's face...

Either way, Tanaka didn't feel they were at the point of celebrating anything yet, but he still preened under Basim's praise regardless. If they were in the same room, he would have already leaned his head towards the taller man in hopes of a 'good job' pat.

Looking at the other's clean and bright face, Basim unwittingly released a gentle laugh and relaxed further in the lounge chair of his hotel room. The young Japanese could see a peek of the city's nightlife in the background and the lights seemed to create stars upon the Arabian's dark hair and black eyes.

The tycoon seemed to be somewhere in Europe since Tanaka could see the polished, baroque-styled buildings. The white stones and bright colors were a magnificent combination, and maybe if he had cared more for the architecture, he would have noticed the familiar but unique style and distinguished sculptures of beasts and people that also looked familiar...

What country was Basim visiting? Wasn't he in the states?

Before he could scrutinize his friend's location further, there was a knock near his bedroom door. He turned away from the T.V. screen to see his brother's, Daichi's, trim figure.

As a high ranked person in the Japanese Defense Force, his subtle muscle could be seen even through his hoodie and sweatpants, contrasting greatly with his gentle face. He had a short crew cut for easy maintenance, and Tanaka remembered one time asking for the same haircut when he was younger, only to be blocked off by both his mother and his sister. Their father looked ready to burst out laughing at the suggestion while Daichi had a pinched, smiling expression.

In the end, he didn't because his hair grew fast and that would mean constant visits to the hairdresser every few weeks or so.

Tanaka stared at his brother's familiar yet unfamiliar stature and for some reason, his nose soured and his eyes felt hot.

Weirdly, Daichi, who was usually in tuned with his little brother's emotional state, didn't notice the other's building distress. He had a gentle smile that seemed strangely foreboding, but Tanaka didn't really care what it meant as long as his older brother was still smiling.

With tender eyes, Daichi walked into the room, but strangely, he hadn't even acknowledged Basim on the monitor. It was a surprisingly rude action, and they were both usually very polite to each other. "Naka-chan, Arata-kun's here to see you," his elder brother informed him with some amusement and suddenly, Tanaka's blood grew cold. Then he became confused.

Wasn't... the timing wrong?

"Ah, I see that you're busy at the moment," Basim then suddenly commented, making Tanaka even more confused. "I'll let you go for now. Goodbye."

A strange panic stirred within Tanaka's chest. The Arabian had always been nice to his friends— to everyone except Arata, apparently. Tanaka had known Arata since they were in middle school and he then later met Basim while he was still in high school. From their first meeting, his school mate looked at the Saudi with blatant suspicions while the older man had sneered down at the other with dark eyes full of ridicule.

The two of them never had gotten along since then and Basim had always used every opportunity to keep him away from his other friend. It was strange for the tycoon to be so calm and accepting after hearing Arata's name. By now, he should be making excuses to prevent Tanaka from seeing his old classmate but instead, Basim said goodbye without hesitation...

Tanaka lurched forward, Basim's name falling from his lips as he reached for the man on the other side of the screen, but the older man only gave him a serene smile and abruptly cut off their connection.

He fell out of bed, baffled and bewildered as the fallen pillows cushioned his descent with the sheets tangled between his legs. And Daichi just stood there and watched him as if he was blind to Tanaka's panicked reaction and Basim's strange and cold exit. His brother gave him a fond smile, but nothing else. His warm expression didn't even stir when his little brother fell from the bed, which should have sent him in an overprotective and worried state.

The youngest of the Maki Clan had been an adult for more than eight years already but they still treated him as if he was five and a half, and made out of glass, so this detached treatment felt strange to Tanaka. Daichi was looking at him but... it was like his older brother was looking at a different scene.

"Don't fall back asleep," he told him in a warm tone, even though Tanaka was wide awake and out of his bed. "Arata-kun has been waiting for you to wake up for the past half hour. He said it was really urgent and he doesn't look well."

Oddly, he felt unwilling to see Arata. Not due to laziness or due to one of his unsociable moods, but because of the thought of seeing his old friend...

Regardless, as he was pondering over the icy-cold sensation in his veins, his body moved without permission and before he knew it, he was in the living room staring at both the familiar and unfamiliar features of his former school mate.

Tanaka had always been smaller than most people and while Arata didn't exactly tower over him like the rest of his family and Basim, he was a good half a head taller than him. Some days, when he was too lazy to lift his head, he would just stare at the other's collar whenever they talked but for some reason, the smaller man looked up.

He didn't really understand the concept of attraction other than the fact that his family and Basim attracted the gaze and attention of everyone that just happened to take a glance at them. Tanaka knew that in other people's eyes, he wasn't really attractive and stood out in not the most flattering way when compared to his family members and his old friend. He had little care for his appearances, and other than the protective equipment in his labs, he had little desire for dressing up or looking his best.

His hair was never combed save for the time his sister would brush it for him. His wardrobe consisted of baggy pants and large t-shirts, some that were not even his. His only accessory was his thick, black-framed glasses and maybe some hair clips and headbands to keep his bangs out of the way while he was performing experiments.

In comparison to his sloppy looks, Arata had a much more clean appearance. Ever since they had graduated from their university, he was always wearing expensive suits and expensive cologne. Unlike Tanaka, he looked like a very successful and self-sufficient adult, and seeing how often he interacted with the Maki Clan, some people had often mistaken him as their youngest son rather than the lazy, sloven young man who never bothered to fit the image of a highly acclaimed Nobel Prize winner.

Tanaka was never bothered by it because their opinions were unrelated to his sleep schedule.

Regardless, while Arata still looked impeccable as always, his skin was pale and his eyes looked hollow with deep, dark bags framing the white's red veins. He had a smile on his face even though Tanaka still perceived the air of irritation above his head.

With a soft tone that didn't match the glare of his gaze, he remarked with fondness, "Naka-kun, how long has it been since we last talked to each other? I bet you have been shutting yourself in your room again."

While it was true and Arata had often reprimanded him in such a coddling fashion, there was something... off between his words and his expression. Tanaka wanted to move towards his brother or shut himself inside his room, but his body wouldn't move. He wasn't even allowed to tremble.

Tanaka didn't respond to the other's comment, but it didn't seem like his old classmate cared for his response. Arata just smiled in a way that didn't reach his eyes and led the smaller man towards the front door. "I bet you haven't been outside lately. Why don't we take a walk and talk some business."

He didn't want to but he followed him nonetheless. On the way, Daichi had ruffled his hair, Nanami, who was often on the side watching, just shook her head and did the same. Kaa-san came out of the kitchen; her scent full of flour, sugar, and lavender, and hugged him as he was leaving and Tou-san took a moment from his tablet to absentmindedly kiss him on the forehead. His departure was sudden and swift and left him no time to bask in their warmth.

Before he knew it, they were several streets away from his home and alone in a strangely empty road. There were some cars parked on the side near the sidewalks and they happened to stop near Arata's Lexus Coupe. The Maki Clan lived in a close-gated community and for some reason, Arata was never allowed to drive inside.

There was a long silence that filled the atmosphere with a flammable tension. Even someone as scatterbrained as Tanaka could feel it, but he was lost in how to address the elephant in the room. Or what was the elephant in the first place? But Arata turned around swiftly, his expression black and ugly with dark, malicious eyes.

"You-- You ruined me on purpose!!" Arata accused, which caused Tanaka to draw a blank. What was he talking about? "The notes you've given me are a bunch of fantasies and half-thoughts! Now I'm being laughed off by the U.S. military board and half of congress!"

Arata worked overseas in the United States as the lead technological researcher in the military's defense department. Though the memory was a little fuzzy for some reason, Tanaka remembered his old classmate leaving for an important conference and how he had seemed to be in a rush for some reason.

Before that, he asked Tanaka for help on some ideas to present to the board and he remembered writing a few things down on whatever came to mind before Arata ripped away from the notebook and left without so much as a goodbye. While they were conceivable ideas if taken seriously, the details were half-hearted at best and maybe a few of them were based on video game concepts that he found interesting. He didn't expect his old classmate to actually use them, much less present them in the meeting.

Not to mention, Arata had asked for defense weaponry ideas and even if they were for defense, Tanaka didn't like designing weapons. Technically, anything he made could be used as a weapon, but he didn't want to make things solely to be used as a weapon. But because it was his old friend asking and it didn't seem to be asked out of ill intent, he created some vague blueprints good enough to look at but not enough for in-depth discussion. And if anyone looked closely at the numbers, they would have noticed the lack of firepower. The most harm his designs could do was