Priority Of A Beta (MxM)

Blindsided (1)

Chapter 5: Blindsided (1)

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“Thank you for inviting me here…” Akira lowered his head as he sat down at the table. They were in a private room in a rather popular café. Kiss Taste Of Lie. It was a luxurious place that was rather popular in S city and with a few chain cafes in V city and G town…

“Of course, we’re friends, aren’t we…?” Dante replied with a simple statement. However the man wasn’t there physically, instead there was a larger man dressed in all black with a pair of sunglasses inside that carefully placed the laptop on the table so that it can speak to the other.

“Yes…” Akira simply agreed with a gentle smile on his face. This was it, the man that had helped him for so long, the person he chose to seek advice from as the only one that could truly understand everything he’s been through until that point in time. The second those thoughts went through Akira’s head he felt the smile disappearing from across his face.

“What’s the matter? You seem so sad all of a sudden…” Dante asked, although he wasn’t physically there and although you couldn’t see his own expressions, he had the camera turned on so that he could look at the man he spoke to. Even his voice was definitely not his but a voice changer that made it sound a few times deeper than that of a normal person. It was a bit robotic sounding to say the least but not enough for it to be off putting.

“I’m really sorry about everything…” Akira apologized while looking down at the table top instead of at the laptop that spoke to him. Meanwhile the man behind the laptop stood there unmoving, pretending as if he wasn’t even listening to the other’s conversation.

“About what exactly? You haven’t done anything to be sorry about…” Dante asked in a calm mannered voice that seemed completely free of ridicule or shame. He wasn’t scolding the man at all

“It’s just… I couldn’t kill him when I met him…” Akira admitted as he raised his eyes just a little bit. He expected the other man to be angry with him but instead he was met with a light chuckle.

“Hah… do not worry… This is your revenge you have every right to extract it in any way you wish.” Dante instantly reassured him as the sound of the laptop made him seem a bit artificial yet his intentions still shone through regardless.

“I can?” Akira asked as he looked up in near shock. He’d never really discussed things so far ahead so it might have gotten him a bit confused.

“Of course… just because I helped you doesn’t mean I get to control your life.” Dante explained as if it was obvious from the start. He had no intentions to manipulate the man to do anything he didn’t want to do.

“I feel… like I owe you everything it’s why-” Akira was hesitant in his speech, he couldn’t really keep a calm voice as he struggled to form his sentences.

“You don’t owe me anything… Chose your own way to live and in the end of the day if you don’t want to end him then that is your choice as well…” Dante replied with what could be described as a mild mannered voice with notes of trust within them. Did he truly trust the other man to such an extent?

“My choice… it feels like I’ve never really had a choice in such matters before, it’s so strange…” Akira remarked as he recalled the years he’s worked under Noah. Day after day he listened exclusively to what the man had to say and never once did he manage to make a choice of his own, not even in his apparent death.

“Haha… that’s so silly… you really are an interesting man, Robin…” Dante remarked with a hearty laughter within his otherwise robotic sounding voice.

“I go by Akira now…” Akira said as he played with his hands beneath the table. He was slowly tugging at his nails that had grown a bit longer, bending them forward for a while now. It seemed to be a sign of nervousness or otherwise a habit he’d developed that he still couldn’t get rid of.

“Sorry about that, Akira.” Dante was quick to apologize and use the man’s preferred name. “A name that one has chosen for himself has much more meaning than one that someone else has chosen for them… It’s a sign of respect to call one by their chosen name…” He spoke in a sort of matter of fact manner but it had the vibe of a quote of a famous dead author although there wasn’t anyone that Akira thought off that said such words before. None that he could come up with at least not.

“Thank you for understanding.” Akira nodded his head, a faint smile once more appearing on his face.

“Tell me why did you chose that name? Does it have any significant meaning to you?” Dante asked, sounding a bit more interested than before. You couldn’t really tell what kind of expressions the man was doing. The screen was completely pitch black although it was obvious the laptop was turned on. But in some instances in his voice you could tell it was indeed a human and not a robot that spoke to him.

“Meaning? No… none at all…” Akira hesitated for a bit. He didn’t seem to want to share that with the man just yet.

“I see.” Dante was respectful enough not to push the subject that the other obviously didn’t wish to engage in.

“Can you tell me… who you are?” Akira hesitated but asked that question, then instantly his face seemed to regret his decision, even before the other had spoke up.

“Why would you want to know that?” Dante asked in the sort of nurturing and gentle voice that a mother or father would speak to their child in. It held a certain amount of curiosity within it as well but it clearly stated that ‘you weren’t ready to hear it’.

“No reason, I just asked… I’m sorry…” Akira was quicker to apologize than ever before. His eyes falling onto the table top once more. The coffee he had been drinking was already cold.

“When the time comes, I’ll reveal myself to you.” Dante said quietly, it sounded more like a promise than a statement.

“…………” Akira looked back up again, he hadn’t expected that answer.

“Now, tell me more about your boss, what made you rethink your revenge?” Dante changed the subject, the atmosphere remained the same however.

“I’m not rethinking it… I still want to do it…” Akira replied calmly. Yet you could tell the hesitation was still there more than anything… there were things he still hadn’t settled his mind on and it showed.

“Alright, then why hesitate? Did he say something to disarm you?” Dante asked, his voice was curious, and although free of judgment, it still sounded like he somewhat demanded answers.

“Yes… he seemed… apologetic… and sincere…” Akira replied while glancing at the laptop. “Noah’s never been like that before… not with me or anyone else… and even the company staff say he’s been acting off ever since that night I ‘died’… and that sort of confused me…” He managed to explain to the best of his abilities.

“You very well know it could be an act to trick you.” Dante didn’t hold back on his words while warning the man.

“Yes, that’s what I believe as well… and still…” Akira couldn’t very well put it into words. “Still…” he repeated himself.

“You can’t bring yourself to hurt someone you love.” Dante remarked with a certain air of certainty and maybe even pity in his voice.

“Loved…” Akira corrected him.

“In past tense?” Dante asked, clearly he didn’t believe that to be the case.

“I…” Akira stumbled over his words before finally nodding his head in agreement.

“Then I don’t see the issue, unless there’s more to it?” Dante suggested while the buttons on the laptop seemed to light up, yet the screen remained pitch black.

“…more…?” Akira didn’t really understand.

“Yes, is there anything else that held you back?” Dante repeated his question.

“…………..” Akira was silent for a few seconds. ‘Anyone would crumble if they say that look in his eyes…’ He thought to himself, only he didn’t wish to admit those words out loud...