The Most Eligible Bachelor

by Delmire Hart

  “It’s the next one in the series after the one I borrowed from you that day. I never thought I would enjoy murder mysteries, but it’s very well written. I can go back to the start if you would like to read it with me?”

  Takumi nodded as he moved to climb over the man’s legs to get to the other side of the seat, pausing when he was practically straddling him and flushing a little at the slight smirk. A large hand caught him as he moved off and tucked him up under his arm so that Takumi’s head rested on his chest. The arm then snuck around his waist and Mori flicked back to the first page of the book.

  “Read to me?”

  The words left his mouth before he had time to think about his request and he flushed bright red once he registered what he had said. He really, really needed to work on that brain to mouth filter. Surprisingly, after a pause Mori actually started to read aloud. His deep voice was softer than normal and Takumi let it wash over him. He could hear the rumbles of the words starting in his chest, it was almost comforting.

  He fell asleep wrapped securely in Mori’s embrace, his deep voice in his ear and the sun on his back.

  ***

  Takumi stretched as he slowly woke up. He felt refreshed. He took a moment to realise how quiet it was. Sitting up carefully, he realised that Mori was also asleep. The man’s relaxed face made him look so much younger. Also far less intimidating. He reached out a hand to gently brush the strands of dark hair from his face and his eyes fluttered open. Golden eyes blinked blearily and Takumi was rewarded with a soft, sleepy smile.

  “Hello Takumi.”

  “Hi…” he replied, almost shyly.

  Their faces were closer than he had initially realised and they both remained motionless while their gazes were locked. The moment was shattered by an accented voice declaring loudly from the other side of the room.

  “I hate to ruin your moment but we need to get organised for tonight.”

  Takumi leapt backwards like a startled cat; Nikolai stood leaning on the doorway with a smirk. He flushed but thankfully no one else was there and Mori sighed as he stood. The man turned, pressing a chaste kiss to Takumi’s lips before moving to follow the other man.

  “I’ll see you tonight, Takumi.”

  Yume and Riko found him a little while later, still frozen in place with a hand pressed to his lips and a furious blush in place. How was it that that innocent, almost sweet action left him reeling more than the hot and steamy action from the other night?

  The girls didn’t let him linger in his thoughts, dragging him off to get into his ill-fitting suit and Riko even did his hair. Apparently there was a dinner followed by drinks and socialising as a kind of last chance thing with Mori before the rose ceremony.

  The ten people who received a rose would stay in. The other ten would pack their bags and be gone within the hour.

  Takumi quickly decided to keep to himself for the evening. Everyone vied for a chance to speak to Mori and he had seen the man earlier that day. It had been mostly spent sleeping, but the man seemed comfortable with him so he hoped that was enough to mean he could stay. If it wasn’t then clearly, they weren’t on the same page and it would be his loss, really. He was sending pretty mixed signals after the shower incident if he didn’t pick Takumi as one of the ten.

  Still, there were a lot of great people here, Takumi didn’t dare assume anything.

  Dinner was more annoying than enjoyable and the alcohol flowed even more freely than normal. Which was saying something considering how much got consumed here. Takumi could only assume that people needed the liquid courage to get through the nerve wracking affair. Still, he stopped after his second glass. The last thing he needed to do was embarrass himself by getting drunk.

  He was just finishing up in the bathroom, calming his own nerves before the rose ceremony when he heard a crash from next door. Takumi dashed outside and looked around. The sound had come from the female bathroom and he knocked on the door.

  “Are you okay?”

  He knocked again after there was no answer. Finally, the sounds of a wailing sob and choking met his knocking. Alarmed, Takumi opened the door, worry overriding his sense of proprietary, and he found Aoki on the floor. Rushing over, he crouched down next to her and reached out to grab her shoulder. She looked up and opened her mouth as though to speak but instead vomited all over him.

  After she finished, she gave another wailing sob. Before Takumi could ask what’s wrong, she was throwing up again, and he cursed as she keeled over to the side.

  “Aoki! Are you okay?”

  He couldn’t get a coherent response from her, she mumbled something about not being good enough in between the sobbing and the vomiting and he was quickly starting to panic. This wasn’t just a little nerves or even a little too much to drink. He tried one last time to get a response but her head lolled to the side like a doll. Takumi swore as he realised she had passed out and ignoring the mess on his own clothes and the floor, he lowered her to the ground.

  Trying to remember what he had learnt at that one first aid course his mother had forced him to take, he rolled her onto her side and tried to work out how to arrange her limbs. She coughed up more liquid and Takumi panicked a little as he worried she might choke. Aoki still seemed to be breathing though.

  The door opened and Watari poked his head around with the camera. He wrinkled his nose and backed away but stopped as Takumi called out to him.

  “I need you to call an ambulance!”

  “What?”

  “My phone can’t call out, she’s not okay. I need you to call for help.” The man didn’t move and Takumi nearly yelled in his desperation. “I don’t care about the cameras! Just call for help! Or give me your phone so I can do it! She won’t stop throwing up and now she’s passed out. This is urgent!”

  The yelling seemed to help as the camera swung to the side and the man fumbled for his phone. He called someone, keeping one eye on them as he gave the condition down the phone.

  “The onsite doctor is coming and they are calling an ambulance. They said it sounds like alcohol poisoning. ‘Sit tight, keep her on her side so she doesn’t choke, and keep her warm’ he said.”

  Takumi nodded, removing his suit jacket and draped it over her prone form. He checked her breathing, it was erratic, but it was there.

  Watari spoke up after a few moments of tense silence. “The ceremony is starting, if you hurry you can make it.” Takumi shook his head in denial. “There’s no exact rules but I’m pretty sure you need to be there or they’ll think you ran off or something.”

  “It’s fine,” he spoke softly but firmly. “I need to make sure she’s okay, that’s more important right now.” He looked up at Watari with determination. “You can die from alcohol poisoning. I can’t do that much but I won’t just leave her. She’s more important right now than some silly show and all the posturing. You don’t have to film though, this doesn’t have to be on TV. It’s not pretty.”

  “Life’s not pretty,” Watari said with a small sigh. “I can’t leave or turn my camera off or it’ll cost me my job, but I’ll do what I can.” He slipped off his own jacket and handed it over to Takumi who nodded in thanks.

  Together they waited until the onsite staff arrived in a flurry of activity. Takumi was praised for his quick thinking and correctly moving her into the recovery position. He sent silent thanks to his mother for forcing that first aid course on him. The paramedics arrived with the ambulance not long after and Takumi was left standing in his soiled suit, far too late for the rose ceremony. He sighed dejectedly. Most likely he had thrown his chance to continue on the show but he wouldn’t change anything.

  Aoki’s safety was worth more than some stupid rose. It didn’t ease off the bitter taste it left in his mouth though.

  Chapter Nine

  Mori sighed. He was done with the entire day and he still had the damn rose ceremony to go. If he was honest, he was done with the entire show at this point. It was restricting, and he had to deal with peo
ple politely even though all he wanted to do was tell them to fuck off. It was Nishimura’s way of punishing him for working too much and not taking his dating attempts seriously but he was at the end of his tether.

  All he wanted to do was take a certain cute little blonde and spend the last few weeks of the show holed up in his penthouse partaking in far more pleasurable activities.

  Instead, he was stuck here.

  At least he would be rewarded with Takumi’s cute blush as he gets called up for a rose. That is one expression he would never tire of. He would also never tire of hearing those delicious moans he pulled from the blonde the other day in the shower. What an excellent opportunity that had turned out to be.

  The contestants of the show filed into the room and were ushered to stand at the other end from Mori and Nikolai. Mori schooled his face into his usual impassive mask but internally sighed at the hopeful looks people gave him. At least he could weed out most of the people he didn’t want here.

  Most being the key word.

  He refused to look at Kaneko at all, choosing instead to watch everyone else. After a few minutes everyone stood in an orderly fashion at the other end of the room but the one Mori was looking for wasn’t present. Doing a quick head count he realised that there were two missing. He glanced over to Nikolai who was frowning.

  The time hit the hour and silence overtook the room. People shuffled and looked around, curious as to what was happening. He caught Jian’s eye, but the man gave a slight shake of the head. He hadn’t seen him.

  Had he left?

  Right from the word go, Takumi had not seemed to be particularly interested in being there. He had even admitted that his mother had signed him up. But he had seemed interested in Mori himself, even if not the pretence of the show, and coupled with his endearing honesty he was sure the male would had said something if he wanted to leave.

  Nikolai stepped forward and the shuffling and whispers stopped.

  “We appear to be short two, has anyone seen Aoki-san or Hisato-san?”

  No one spoke up. Mori peered at everyone’s faces but no one seemed to be hiding anything. Kaneko seemed a bit too smug about Takumi being missing but not the kind of triumphant smugness that would be shown if he was behind it. So it didn’t appear as though anyone had sabotaged either of them. He had been trying to limit his time with Takumi to make him less of a target but he refused to not see him at all least he give the young man the wrong impression.

  Nikolai pulled out his phone and spoke down the line, “I’m missing two, what channel can we see them on?” There was a pause then he hung up with a quick thanks. He turned to face one of the show staff. “Channel 14 please.”

  The assistant nodded and fiddled with the large flat screen TV behind them. Mori moved a few steps to the side feeling a small dose of anxiousness rise up. What had happened to the kind hearted young man to make him miss the event without a word to anyone? It didn’t sit right with him.

  The TV flickered to life and after a moment the channel changed showing a large picture of Takumi, suit ruined, kneeling beside an unconscious Aoki. Mori dimly registered the gasps of the contestants behind him but his focus remained on the young man on the screen. He looked scared yet determined. Feeling a surge of pride, he watched as Takumi checked Aoki’s breathing and pulled up the jackets covering her a little more. Nikolai was on the phone once again and nodded, glancing over at Mori. A few more quick words and he disconnected the call.

  “It appears as though neither Aoki-san nor Hisato-san will be joining us tonight. They are waiting for paramedics to arrive.” The TV showed the onsite doctor hurry on the scene and Takumi looked relieved as he moved away to let the man assess the model. “Aoki-san appears to have alcohol poisoning. Thanks to Hisato-san’s quick actions, we were able to get help to arrive quickly and stop any tragic events from occurring. The paramedics are still on their way. For now, we will continue with the rose ceremony.”

  The Russian waved to the assistant to turn the TV off and gestured Mori to step closer to the table where the ten roses sat.

  “For ten of you, this will be the last day here at the mansion. You have had five weeks to get to know our Bachelor, plenty of time to leave an impression. Only those of you who have stood out to Mori-san will receive a rose tonight and will stay for the next two weeks until the second rose ceremony. Mori-san, whenever you are ready.”

  Mori nodded and plucked a rose from the table. He had planned to give Takumi the first rose just to watch him flounder in surprise. He was certain the young man didn’t know his own charm and would doubt the chances of him even receiving a rose. The impromptu shower sex should have put those doubts to rest but knowing him, maybe not. With a small internal sigh, he set to handing out the roses, each with a small sentence of reasoning as to why that person would stay.

  When Kaneko approached to collect his rose with a disgusting attempt at being seductive, Mori actually contemplated punching the man in the face. The only reason he was staying was because the producers wanted him for the drama and the ratings. If Mori had been allowed his guns here, he probably would have shot the man by now.

  He definitely would if he tried to touch his Takumi again. How dare he lay his filthy hands on such pure innocence. Kugo, his head of security, had to drag him in his office and use his own bulk to barricade the door until he had calmed down after the slap incident. The show was broadcast 24/7 across the world, the last thing they needed was a questionable disappearance or the man to be suddenly injured.

  Something must have shown on his face because Kaneko’s smug look faltered a little and he quickly smoothed his expression. The next few constants came up without incident. Miyara was too airheaded for him although she was a sweet girl and most importantly, a friend to Takumi. The producers had stipulated that she also stay in but Mori would have chosen her anyway. Riko was next and then Jian.

  The elegant Chinese man shot him a small, conspiratorial smile as he accepted his rose. They had a surprisingly easy friendship, having much in common but romance was not to be. They both quickly figured out that they were a little too similar with their workaholic tendencies and as such, didn’t have what the other was looking for. It was nice to have someone trustworthy taking part that could look out for Takumi however, even better was that they were friends. Although the blonde seemed to be able make friends with almost anyone.

  Finally at the last rose, he picked it up and turned it between his fingers slowly.

  “This last rose is for someone that will always put others before themselves, regardless of the personal cost. They always have a ready smile for everyone and has taken great care of not only myself, but a number of people here in the mansion over the last few weeks. Hisato Takumi is not here to accept this rose in person right now, however I do not feel that he should be punished for putting the safety of another before his own wants. In truth, he should receive far more than a mere rose for his actions. I think he has proven deserving more than once already on the show.”

  “Well said.” Nikolai clapped a few times. “While it was implied that you would need to attend the rose ceremony to receive a rose, it was never an official rule. While Mori-san handed out the roses, I spoke with some of our onsite staff for an update on the situation. The paramedics have just arrived onsite and have stabilised Aoki-san. She is being transferred to the hospital for further treatment and monitoring. Hisato-san is going to clean up, it was a rather messy affair.

  “There has also been an overwhelming online response from our viewers who are tuning in as everything unfolds that Hisato-san be allowed to continue on the show even though he could not be physically present at the rose ceremony. Seeing as he is one of those that Mori-san had already chosen, it has been decided that he will be allowed to stay. Unfortunately, that means that those of you who did not receive a rose tonight must now say your goodbyes and collect your things as you will no longer being staying at the mansion.”

  There were a few tears and a number
of hugs given as people said their goodbyes. Chiyo, the oddball chicken owner, approached and stole a quick hug from Mori, the only person to do so. As she pulled away, she whispered quietly to him, “Please take care of Taku-chan.”

  Mori chuckled, looks like he wasn’t fooling anyone. “I will.”

  She nodded, satisfied with that simple promise and left the room. The others that were leaving quickly followed, and only the nine that would be staying remained. He quickly excused himself, he had a certain blonde to track down.

  ***

  Takumi trudged up to the small spare bathroom in the corner of the mansion. It was his favourite, away from all the other people and usually unoccupied. He had been directed there and apparently, someone would come up with a towel and something for him to change into.

  One of the mansions staff members had given him a plastic bag to put his soiled suit into and they would take care of cleaning it. Heaving a sigh, he entered the bathroom, shutting but not locking the door behind himself, and stripped off his suit. Would it even be salvageable?

  Not like it mattered now. Chances are he was out of the show and it was just a courtesy to let him clean up before kicking him out. The hot water of the shower eased some of the tension from his body but even that couldn’t get all of it. The door opened and shut with a muted click and Takumi popped his head out from behind the shower door. He blinked in surprise at the sight that greeted him.

  Mori stood in the middle of the room with a folded towel and what appeared to be his dinosaur pyjamas. That wasn’t what caught his attention, however. No, what had him standing in slack jawed surprise was the single red rose resting on top of the fabric. The other man chuckled quietly at him as he sat his bundle down on the bathroom counter.

  “Can I join you?”

  Takumi blinked while he tried to process the request. Mori was there with a rose and asking to join him the shower again. That must mean he was staying, right? His question must have shown on his face as the man gave him a small smile.