Chapter 121：Attack

"Who is it ?" Xiao Ping asks when Takeshi is back. "Hamada-san," Takeshi answers short. "What was he doing coming to your apartment ?" Xiao Ping asks with a furrow. Takeshi is going to give her a comforting lie answer when he remembers his promise, no lie. He sighs.

"He offered me a chance to work with his company again," Takeshi types, reluctantly and still a little upset, but of course Xiao Ping can't find it out. "And did you accept it ?" Xiao Ping asks again.

"What would you think ?! If I accepted it, this conversation is not happening!" Takeshi bursts out his annoyance. He was thinking, how could she still even think that he might accept it. But on a split second, he regrets his reaction. "Sorry..," he asks. "It's okay," Xiao Ping replies with a smile emoji. "I should be leaving now," she adds. "Okay.. take care." With that, they end their conversation. Takeshi has a deep sigh.

Mr. Hamada's visit and more over his threat are still bothering Takeshi's mind. No. he's not doubting his decision. But.. he always thought that what had happened to him after he quit was because Mr. Hamada's interfere. And the fact Mr. Hamada said he hasn't done anything, makes him trembles. Now is hard enough, what will happen in the future after Mr. Hamada considers him as enemy ?

Once again, Takeshi takes a heavy sigh. It is coincident with the opening of his apartment door, showing Hiroshi's tired face. But to see Takeshi's sullen face, the latter still has the energy to frown and ask, "Bad day ?" Takeshi nods slightly. "You ?" he asks back. Hiroshi sits on the arm chair and stretches his legs and arms. "Just the storm that troubling my commute," Hiroshi answers then turns to Takeshi. "So what was it ?"

Takeshi sighs then tells him about Mr. Hamada's visit. As he expected, Hiroshi's mood drops even more. "That old man is really.." Hiroshi can not find the right word to express his anger. "I'm scared," Takeshi admits to him. "What ?? Are you having doubt on your decision ?" Hiroshi asks in protest.

"No.. no," Takeshi immediately denies. "I'm just scared.. worry.. about the act he's going to do against me." Takeshi looks at Hiroshi who pouts his lip while thinking, "And you don't have to stand beside me. I mean..'

"Heeey.. what are you saying ?" Hiroshi cuts Takeshi's words. "Whatever it is, we are going to face it together," Hiroshi says his determination. "You are sounded like we're a married couple," Takeshi replies jokingly. "Well, we are already living together," Hiroshi responds his joke. Since he has no income.stability anymore, Hiroshi was troubled in keeping his apartment because he has not much in his saving neither. So he had to move in to Takeshi's apartment. "Don't worry.. I'm going to work extra hard for you, wifey," Hiroshi continues his joke. Takeshi throws a pillow onto Hiroshi's face and laugh heartily.

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Unfortunately the two best friends can't keep their laughter longer after the next day they have received their first attack. Previously Takeshi has signed two contracts to perform at New Year's eve's TV shows, but both are suddenly cancelled.

"He really doesn't wait his move," Takeshi sighs helplessly. "I wonder where he could get the info of your contracts," Hiroshi murmurs as he furrows deep. It is Hiroshi who is annoyed more since he got the contracts only after hard works. "I don't think he needs to know the info. He can just called all the TV stations and threatened them to not involve me on any of their shows," Takeshi makes a random assumption.

Not that he knows that it was exactly what Mr. Hamada did. As Kin Momoji, Inc. is one of the largest artist management and production house of dramas, Mr. Hamada easily threatened TV stations to stop giving them dramas if they involved Takeshi on their show. Hence, most TV stations can not neglect it and have a second thought of hiring Takeshi.

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"Are you busy lately ?"

A message appears as a notification on Takeshi's phone. The owner sighs. It has been three days he stayed invisible on the messenger. He knows it is wrong. Hiroshi has already lectured him about it also, reminded him that it was the same avoidance to tell her a problem that brought him to the major mess up before.

Reluctantly, Takeshi turns up online then replies Xiao Ping's message, "No." Two seconds later another chat appears, "Are you sick ?" Takeshi sighs. "No. I'm fine. It's just, I have been in a bad mood lately," he replies.

"Care to share it with me ?" Xiao Ping asks again. There is a whole one minute of silence before Takeshi responds. "I don't want to burden you," Takeshi answers. "I know I promise you not to lie. But there are things that I considered better to be left unspoken to you. Not because I don't trust you, but because it will only becoming a burden for you while you can't help to solve it," Takeshi explains. "I hope you understand," he adds.

This time Takeshi has to wait more than a minute before a smile emoji shows up. "I understand," Xiao Ping's words follow the emoji. "Then.. Is there anything I can help to ease your mind ?" she asks. The heart emoji following the question brings Takeshi's mood up.

"How about a kiss ?" Takeshi asks playfully, immediately responded by three kiss emojis. Takeshi chuckles and replies with kiss emojis as many as he can type. Xiao Ping returns a blushing emoji. This time Takeshi can't help to laugh.

Their conversation in fast spreads onto weather, Japanese new year tradition, new drink product, and sea creatures. Just random light topics. Perfect ones to make Takeshi temporary forgets his problem. When they have to end the conversation, it is almost 8 PM at Japan. "Thank you for cheering me up, Babe. I love you," Takeshi types with his whole heart. "I love you, too," Xiao Ping replies him as her last words of the day. As Xiao Ping goes offline, Takeshi realizes how madly deeply in love he is now with his girlfriend, makes him even more determines to fight through his problem.