52 Taj Mahal
Haruki quickly put his arms behind his back, hiding the smartwatch. He felt guilty about spying on his friends.
Saito looked at his bag full of diamonds and smiled.
"Have you earned enough of those shiny trinkets?"
Haruki nodded.
"I think it's time to go to sleep, senpai..." but suddenly he remembered that HIS room was being used by Daisuke and Jun and it made the blood go up to his ears!
Saito winked at him, and with a gesture, showing a direction,
"I found something interesting here. I thought you would like to see it! Who knows, this is something that one day we can all do together, in real life, out there?"
"Hm..." it seemed like a good idea, and Haruki was curious. "Okay, show me."
"Do you want to guess what it is?" the mountaineer asked.
"Hmm ... A toboggan?"
"Bpp. Next guess…"
******
They took the panoramic elevator. The singer was surprised to discover that the entire structure was made of crystal, and one could have a privileged view from at least three decks.
As he descended and changed deck, Haruki was ecstatic with a simulation of a tropical garden, with a palace in the center, and a majestic lake.
"That mausoleum is a replica of the Taj Mahal," explained Saito to Haruki. "I think it could be a life-size replica, or almost so."
"Wow, that's beautiful, Saito-senpai!" the singer exclaimed, impressed by the magnitude of the place.
Saito laughed.
The singer suspected that he was the reason the climber was laughing, Haruki had glued himself to the crystal wall like a starfish. It was like being free in space, gently descending to the floor. A little childish, but fun.
The elevator stopped gently on the grass. Music played, and the door flashed before opening, interrupting the music.
Everything is very safe. The place that combined advanced technology and exotic places increasingly impressed Haruki.
As curious as a child inside a toy store, the singer ran out to explore the new environment.
The singer took a deep breath, closing his eyes, opening his arms, throwing his head back. The air was colder and smelled like dew, grass, and sun-kissed tropical fruits as if he were outdoors. It was much better than the casino.
Opening his eyes Haruki looked up exclaiming,
"This is amazing! We went down, but there is no ceiling. Just heaven!" The singer pointed with his index finger upwards, showing his friend what he had discovered.
"Haruki-kun, nothing here is real. Everything is how they want it to be," Saito explained, reminding the singer they were at the Otome Game.
"Saito, don't talk to me like I'm a child!" the singer complained. He was feeling less intelligent than his companions. For having found in the game that he was dumb, as showed by his skill points on his smartwatch.
"You are not a child, Haruki. But you're as innocent as a child. Even being in the entertainment industry, they have spared you. And I wonder how that was possible." Saito stared at him, waiting for his question to be answered.
Haruki thought for a while before saying,
"Despite what Daisuke said, that I had an easy life, I think he's neither right nor wrong. I know some guys who are where I am had tougher experiences getting there… But I didn't do it only with the help of my contacts or family. I could have given up when it was tiresome or when I was homesick…" Haruki felt like Saito could understand him better than Daisuke could because they came from families with similar backgrounds and statuses. "About my so-called innocence being in the entertainment industry… I heard many rumors, but I never witnessed anything. Am I protected somehow? Not sure. I think if it's true, it was because of who my parents are. My father works as a Minister's staff, he's well connected, besides being an experienced lawyer himself. Which earned me a favorable contract from the start. And my Mom is a strong-willed woman. She was there when I was younger, but she returned home when she was sure I'd be okay by myself… It was so embarrassing, but lovely at the same time!" he smiled at the thought of his lioness, confided, "She's all smiles and a hard shell," and he put his index finger over his lips, with a smirk, "This is a secret!"
The climber looked at him in rapture, making the singer regret having been so silly.
Haruki turned to walk around the place. Around the temple, the grass was soft and green. He found out by running his hand through the high grass that bordered the crystal clear lake.
The calm water reflected the columns and even the arches of the stunning mausoleum of love. Also touching the water, he discovered that it was in a pleasant temperature for swimming, a real invitation for a swim under the fading stars, and impending dawn.
And turning to the building, he looked up. The columns, the arches, the doors, everything was so high to look at it caused vertigo. Haruki had to open his arms to balance himself, opening his legs to be more stable. Just from having to look up at the sky. He wondered what would happen if he was going to climb a mountain like Saito used to do?!
Haruki saw, around Taj Mahal, a huge climbing wall, on the sidewall of the majestic building. He turned to show it to the climber, but remembered that he had brought him there to show something, 'Was that it?' A place for them to climb!
The grin on Saito's face gave clues on what he was going to propose.
"No, Saito-senpai, no way," Haruki joked that he was afraid to climb. And he was aware of what was happening. At last, he understood Daisuke-san's words,
...
[...This is opium, golden boy. They are trapping us with everything that can addict, with everything that can corrupt...]
...
Even Saito, who had the audacity to say in Abe-san's face that he would not court his daughter, didn't escape being hooked by something which could stimulate his senses. Saito also was bent by Neona.
After all, when would the climber have the opportunity to climb the Taj Mahal again without being arrested for doing so?
Only in a parallel world could they be so bold as to recreate, in the same proportions, the wonders of humanity for adventurers to play at their leisure.
"Calm down Haruki," he heard Saito speak bringing him to reality, "I just want you to sit here and rest. I'll go up alone," the adventurer explained and undressed, taking off his shoes first until it left him with black tie pants only.
"Wait Saito-senpai! I was kidding. I also want to climb," Haruki took off his white and pink jacket, but Saito grabbed his wrist.
"No, Haruki. Stay here, sit, or lie down. You may felt well but you need to rest. The night is over and you haven't slept or rested yet." Saito ordered imperiously, looking at him with intensity, "For a night, you had a fair share of emotions."
"And a lot of scolding," Haruki snorted, remembering what Saito had said at the SPA.
Satio sucked in the air so intensely that Haruki felt sucked too.
'Oops! Did I piss him off so much?!' the singer asked himself, sitting on the grass, obediently.
The mountaineer let out the air slowly and then turned on his heels. Like a cat, he jumped to the wall.
Clinging to it like a gecko, Saito ran up the wall, overcoming the distance to the ceiling in a few minutes. Impressed, Haruki laughed!
He wanted to find a nickname for his Jun, but it was Saito who won.
'Saito-senpai, from now on, I will always think of you as Mr. Gecko,' thought the singer, still laughing at the unusual. He knew that his friend was a professional climber, but seeing him in action was something else. Saito was quick. And the height meant nothing to him.
It seemed like the challenge was easily overcome… How would it feel like, when the things you wished for were so easily conquered?
******
Haruki woke up with sunlight in his eyes. He had fallen asleep without realizing,
'Wow, I was exhausted.' He saw Mr. Gecko lying at his side! He smiled at the memory of Saito sliding up the wall until he became a small gecko when he reached the top. Haruki didn't know the height of the mausoleum. Even so, he remembered that the climber had become tiny when reaching the top. He imagined that Saito was over 60 meters from the ground. It was really high.
Now Mr. Gecko slept peacefully beside him, facing Haruki. 'You are an impressive man, Mr. Gecko. No wonder the billionaire wanted you to be his son-in-law. ' The singer reflected on the merits of the friend who wanted to prove his worth to his father. Haruki was also afraid of losing his family's love when he returned home committed to another man. 'Will I be expelled like Saito-san was?' His intense gaze on the sleeping man woke him.
Saito opened his eyes, and when he saw the singer looking at him, he smiled in greeting.
"Good morning!"
The climber raised his arm, running his fingers lightly through Haruki's hair, pulling it out of the front of the singer's eyes.
Haruki swallowed, now he was the one who had to explain.
Jun watched them from a distance, inside the crystal elevator.
