8 Scam, Dirty Clothes, and Poker Chips

When Haruki entered the music room, he saw Yamada watching Okane perform a choreography trending on the internet.

Just a quick glance and he commented,

"Okane-san, you're out of tempo," and changing the subject quickly, "Listen, have you seen Sasaki-san and Yoshida-san? I couldn't find them."

"Hm, then show me how to be on tempo without music, Takeda-senpai, and I'll take you to them," Okane challenged Haruki, despite the honorific.

"Okane-kun… Dancing warms up the body. The heated body sweats. Sweat damps the clothes. If the clothes are dirty and have not been washed for six days, they stink. A lot. And the dance movement spreads the bad smell in the room," Yamada and Haruki nodded to Sasaki Jun's wise and assertive words, arriving at that moment in the music room.

His sudden arrival, dressed only with a towel around his waist, made Okane stop dancing, gaping. The frowned, pouting.

Haruki was relieved he wasn't the one commenting on the fact. But why was Sasaki Jun just walking around with a towel around his waist?

"Um, hasn't your clothes dried yet?" Haruki asked the newcomer.

"Is that any of your business?" the gruff response made Okane mutter an "Ouch!" quietly while watching.

Haruki blinked, stunned as he didn't expect such a rude answer. However, Yamada answered the question as if it were for him,

"These types of clothes take time to dry. Jeans, leather, etc. You are lucky because your sportswear dries up in no time, Haruki-san. Unlike ours."

It was a fascinating topic, but Haruki turned to the man with the towel around his waist, "You are right. It was none of my business. But, I have a question for you Sasaki-san, and please answer, it's important. Did you post many photos on the net? Like, social networks, etc.?

"Hm, me what? And why? What do you want with that question?"

Haruki wanted to see if there was a pattern, even if he sounded like an insistent investigator,

"I want ...," the singer tried to explain but was interrupted by Yamada again,

"Sasaki-san is 'Jun Lovebread', he's famous on the internet and has fan clubs all over the country, Takeda-san."

It was ironic but not surprising to know that Sasaki had passionate fans!

"Explain why I should answer your question," Sasaki Jun had never taken his eyes off him, ignoring Yamada and his unsolicited responses.

"I'm trying to understand why we were chosen. Then I discovered that Noguchi-san has many pictures of him published on the network. You have it too. I also have my share and... "

"Calm down Haruki-kun," Yoshida Saito's serious, low-pitched voice interrupted Haruki's explanations, "I'll tell you how I got in, and I think it was how the others got in too."

Yoshida Saito had just entered the room.

Another interruption, but this time the person who interrupted made Sasaki angry. Narrowing his eyes and opening his shoulders wider, growing his spine and spreading his legs, he snapped,

"If 'Takeda-san' wanted to know how you got in, he would have come to you to ask, Yoshida-san," Jun reinforced his surname, for an obscure reason.

Yamada interrupts for the third time, clarifying,

"Takeda-san asked for you 'AND' for Yoshida-san."

"Then I can officially answer," Yoshida gave Sasaki a slightly mocking pout, sitting down in one armchair before beginning his explanation.

"You must have heard about the 'zillionaire' Abe Hiroshi-san in the news. Whether doing philanthropy or helping hospitals, researching rare diseases, or another cause. Because he has a daughter with ALS disease - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis..."

Excited, Okane interrupted Yoshida,

"She's Abe Miyu-chan! And there is a channel where she describes her daily life. It's cool!" he smiled at the older man in the group, apologizing for interrupting.

"Abe-san received the diagnosis that her daughter won't survive until next summer. He granted his daughter her last wishes. She asked for a personalized otome game. With characters based on people, she followed on social media. And among them, one character is her secret crush. Even though 'he' is a person she only follows on social media, and had never met in person."

"Oh!" Haruki's mouth dropped open. Saito continued,

"I signed a confidentiality agreement. It's a permission term for the use of my image. Among other things, this document mentioned that I should record my voice using the smartwatch. But I also signed the payment receipt," Yoshida watched him, watching for Haruki's reactions. The young singer was stunned, gradually realizing that his 'good friend' Kenta had deceived him.

"And how much was the fee for that?" Haruki needed this information to make sure he was a complete idiot.

"Half a million yen!" Okane exclaimed, adding for the drama.

Haruki looked around and everyone else nodded in agreement.

Sasaki Jun came to pat Haruki on the back, "Welcome to my world, Haruki-kun. This is his first lesson: Humanity is cruel. Second lesson: 'Business is business'. "

A heavy silence fell over the music room. Not only had Haruki been cheated, but all of them wrongly believed they were making the easiest money in their lives.

Reacting as if there were thorns in Sasaki Jun's words, the singer walked away, running both hands through his hair, while his arms covered his ears.

It wasn't the first time that a colleague whom he treated as a friend had tripped him.

But it always hurt like it was the first time!

He didn't transfer the suspicions of old betrayals to new companions. When would he learn to distrust people? He was an optimistic hick, ignoring reality and only seeing what he wanted to see: the best side of people.

Haruki had to go around the island several times until he felt he was calmer. And that he could stop without exploding in self-commotion for the pain of the betrayal. He wouldn't cry! He was no longer a boy!

"Haruki! Takeda Haruki-san!"

The singer heard Sasaki Jun calling as he made his way to him. Sasaki was dressed only in jeans.

"Hey man, don't be like this," Sasaki sat next to him on the grass, "Don't listen to me, I'm an idiot with rude comments in bad times."

This strange apology was unexpected. This made Haruki laugh out loud at the ironies of life. Laughing helped Haruki to control his distress,

"Hahaha! Okay Jun, I accept your apologies."

He smiled, remembering that this one in front of him was 'Jun LoveBread'.

"But you didn't even have to come here just to say that. Because everything you said to me in there was right."He held out his hand to greet Jun in a western way and seal the peace between them.

A current of electricity ran through his body as Haruki touched Jun's skin.

It felt like riding a roller coaster. Excitement shrouded in a thrill of fear. He didn't know what to expect from it, but he could give it a name: sexual tension. Because in Jun's eyes, he recognized the glow of desire.

Both looked at each other in the eye, not wanting to back away. Looks that converged on each other's parted lips, thirsty for contact.

Haruki heard the sound of footsteps. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the painter was approaching.

Breathing out of his lungs, Jun gradually calmed down. And he seemed to be as confused as Haruki felt about this unexpected attraction.

Making more noise than usual for his weight, Noguchi approached. Far behind the painter, Okane walked cautiously, looking at each bush.

"Hi guys, Yoshida invited everyone to a poker game. What do you guys think?" Noguchi was subtle, it looked like he hadn't seen the two boys 'almost' making out on the grass. They agreed, without looking at each other, and went on with the other two.

Back at the mansion, they discovered that Yamada Daisuke had ventured into the kitchen and prepared some snacks for the gambling session,

"You are lucky, these snacks are my specialty!"

In the game room, Yoshida Saito had prepared the card table and waited for everyone to arrive. After several hands teaching Takeda and Okane, who didn't quite understand the rules, Yoshida suggested,

"I've been thinking about how to make this game more exciting. And I thought about those coins: a massage is worth 5, doing the laundry is worth 10, a favor is worth 50, being a slave for a day is worth 100."

Everyone agreed, finding it funny. The game resumed, more exciting than before. Everyone cautiously bet low in the first round with the new rules.

The first round under the new rules was quickly won by Jun. He won everyone's massage chips.

In the next round, and perhaps out of fear, the majority gave up on the intuition that Sasaki again had a good hand. And when raising the bet to win a favor, only Yoshida paid to see. Jun bluffed and Yoshida won.

Another round, and soon Yamada and Noguchi gave up. Soon after, veterans Sasaki and Yoshida also left.

Remaining Haruki and Okane Hinata disputing a 'washing clothes' record. Hinata was confident, but Haruki won by just one point above his opponent's cards. When they revealed their hands, Hinata regretted his bad luck and didn't want to play after that.

The rest agreed for one last round.

Starting low, they returned to the massages. Upon receiving the cards, some became audacious, and the bet went up and up. The bluff was certain, as everyone could not have such good hands.

Haruki took the boldest bet: 'be a slave for a day!' He hardly believed he had a good hand and tried not to let his euphoria show off. Only two other combinations were better than the cards in hand.

Sasaki smiled in a corner, with his cards protected under his hand on the table. Only the two remained.

His heart was pounding with adrenaline, Haruki anticipated the excitement of being Jun's owner for a day! But before they revealed their cards, their play was halted.

Music played, the windows darkened, and a screen came down from the ceiling.