I Was (Once) The Villain

008 - In This Lifetime

(had to unpublish because changes werent being updated,,)

The front door easily clicked open with a soft sound, allowing the natural sunlight to pour in. Kamei Haru tentatively took a step inside, an expensive black coat resting in the crook of his arm. He had originally come here with the purpose of returning Seiji's coat and thanking him for his help, but now, he was starting to have second thoughts...

I already messaged him to let him know that I'd be here, yet... It still feels like we aren't close enough for me to just walk into his house like this?

The neighborhood he and Seiji lived in was well-off, so almost all the houses had an automatic built-in feature that allowed the house owners to unlock the front doors directly from their mobile phones. Seiji didn't even need to open the door for him to come in.

Matching with Seiji's darker wardrobe selection, his house was mostly comprised of white and other monochrome colors, accompanied by multiple green plants placed around. Haru couldn't help but notice a large painting that greeted him as he walked through the door, depicting a grand and magnificent illustration of a starry cosmos.

Haru instinctively reached out his hand to brush against the canvas, his fingers feeling the soft ridges of the dried paint.

It was hand-painted? Too amazing, ah..

He felt an unknown sense of familiarity with the painting. However, no matter how much Haru grasped at the lingering remnants of his memory, he couldn't remember where he had seen this painting or the scene depicted in it before. His memory seemed to slip past his fingers and hide from his grasp, fleeting like the soft whispers of the wind.

Haru decided to move on from this painting for now, walking deeper inside the house to try and find Seiji. His house was very generously decorated, with paintings and all sorts of art hung on the walls or placed on top of coffee tables. Although the main color scheme of his house was cold and uninviting, the decorations spoke otherwise— it clearly expressed its host's interests and showed that the home was well taken care of. For a place he had just moved into, Seiji was a master decorator!

Haru couldn't help but silently praise Seiji in his heart. He felt that this home accurately portrayed the man: a cold and uninviting front with a warm and sweet personality within.

Finally, after a few minutes of stumbling around and trying to figure out where Seiji was, Haru found a door left slightly ajar. The soft sound of music could be heard.

He lightly pushed the door open to reveal a large and grand art studio, with many papers and supplies littered on the ground. A large canvas sat upon an easel stood in the middle of the room, with Seiji standing next to it, a paintbrush in his hand. With a glance, Haru could see that the painting was unfinished, but peeks of what the final piece would look like was starting to show already.

Seiji? Did he... paint all of the artworks in this house?

As if right on cue, Seiji paused and turned to look at him, a small smile gracing his lips. Just like the first time they had met, an unfamiliar depth swirled deep in his dark eyes, like a hurricane yet to be unleashed. It was almost hypnotizing, but Haru managed to snap out of it.

"Seiji, sorry to bother you. I just want to return this coat to you and thank you... for what you've done for me. I've been acting unfairly rude to you, and I apologize," Haru said, handing the coat in his arms over to the other man.

Seiji gently took the coat from his hands, and lightly spoke, "Thank you, Haru. And please, don't worry. No matter what you do, I'll always forgive you."

...Did he really have to be this flirty all the time? Was Seiji even aware his words were so ambiguous???

"Why don't you sit down somewhere? I'll get you something to eat or drink," Seiji invited while he threw the coat somewhere off to the side.