Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart
Chapter 41 - 40

Chapter 41: Chapter 40

"So what’s the deal between you too?" Sora asked, glaring at Raiden. When he saw Hiro was distracted by Michi, he immediately siezed the opportunity to speak to Raiden alone. "What did you ask for in return for helping us?"

They were in a secluded corner of the hospital. Raiden was leaning against the wall, a playful smile on his lips. He couldn’t get Hiro’s bewildered look out of his mind. The boy looked lost, like he couldn’t get why Raiden asked for a kiss but didn’t really kiss.

Raiden chuckled to himself. He bet Hiro thought he would take advantage but it was all part of his plan. Little by little, things would fall into place and before the end of the year, Hiro would not be able to leave his side.

It was like cooking. One has to be patient and let it simmer on low heat so that it would be well cooked and packed with flavour.

"What’s so funny?" Sora gritted, annoyed that Raiden wasn’t even listening to him.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Raiden asked, finally acknowledging Sora. "Sorry. I just can’t get your brother off my mind."

Sora knew Raiden was talking like that to get him angry but he refused to fall for it. "I asked what you want in return for helping us."

Raiden chuckled. "Wow, Sora. We’ve been friends for many years. Can’t I help you guys out of the kindness of my heart?"

Sora scoffed. "If only your heart had even a drop of it. And who says we’re friends? You’re nothing but a pervert who can’t stop lusting after my brother. Tell me the truth!"

"Your brother has already settled everything." Raiden replied. "It will be best if you stay out of this. Just go ahead and make your porn videos okay?"

"You bastard!" Sora snapped. Feeling a surge of frustration and anger, he rushed over and jacked Raiden by the collar. "Don’t think I won’t dare to hit you. I’ve beaten you to an inch of your life before and I will not hesitate to do so now. You better talk. What did you ask of Hiro? His body?"

Raiden’s demeanor remained unintimidated and lazy, his gaze dismissive, as if not deeming Sora worthy of serious consideration. The atmosphere crackled with tension.

"Answer me!" Sora demanded but Raiden refused to say a word. He only stared at Sora like he was nothing.

Sora, unable to contain his anger, threw a sudden punch at Raiden.

Raiden’s face whipped to the side, mouth oozing blood from the impact of Sora’s punch. The hit took him back to the past.

He could clearly remember the day Sora and his friends ambushed him on his way home, beat the hell out of him and left him there to die. They had broken 3 of his ribs, one arm and littered his entire body with bruises causing internal injuries. He had spent 6 months in a hospital recovering, unable to see Hiro save for the pictures he had taken.

A sudden kind of rage shrouded Raiden’s heart and mind. Yet, rather than retaliating, a mad laughter bubbled from deep within him. Suddenly, his demeanor shifted as he seized Sora by the neck, lifting him perilously close to the railing’s edge.

"Raiden!" Sora shouted, panicking for in a flash, he felt nothing but air beneath his upper body. One push from Raiden and he would topple over. The hospital was a 5 story-building! He would surely die!

"You want to know what I asked of your brother?" Raiden asked, a maniacal glint consuming his eyes. "You really want to know?"

Sora, in that terrifying moment, felt a wave of fear. The mad laughter and the cold, monstrous gaze revealed a side of Raiden that he had never encountered before. Raiden used to be quiet and weird, always lurking around in the shadows.

Now, he was a force to be reckoned with, a revelation that sent shivers down Sora’s spine.

"R-Raiden, calm down. There’s no need to do this." He stuttered, holding Raiden’s hand to keep himself steady.

Raiden’s laughter carried a chilling edge. "Oh, Sora, you’ve proven to be a substantial obstacle in my relationship with Hiro. Ever since we were young, you have kept him away from me. You’ve beat me, you’ve locked me up, you’ve nearly killed me. Even though you know what I feel for your brother is true, you’ve never allowed me to express it the way I want to. You made me resort to stalking and ruined my name, my reputation, my dignity."

"You ruined it yourself!" Sora shouted. "As a man, how can you love and desire another man! I didn’t want you to lead my brother down the wrong path!"

"So this is what it’s about." Raiden scoffed. "Fucking homophobe. Because of this, you painted an image of me as a psycho in Hiro’s mind and made him avoid me like a plague. You made him despise me and fear me. You could have let him choose for himself. If he had rejected me without your fucking influence, things would have been different. I wouldn’t be so fucking obsessed with him. This is all your fault. Eliminating you now will ensure a future free from your interference."

Sora’s eyes widened as he realised what Raiden wanted to do. Desperation laced his voice as he pleaded, "Hiro won’t forgive you if you kill me."

Raiden responded with a sinister smile. "That’s assuming he ever discovers I was behind it." He feigned an intent to throw Sora over the edge.

Panic gripped Sora, who cried out and begged for mercy. "Raiden! Please don’t! I’m sorry! Please!"

"Isn’t it too late for that now, Sora?" Raiden asked.

Sora’s heart was pounding against his ribcage and he was sweating profusely. "I-I won’t interfere anymore! I promise! I’ll leave you two alone!"

Raiden smiled. It seemed like he should have done this long ago. All because of Sora, Hiro hated him and rejected him. His heart had gone through so much pain for so many years.

He pulled Sora away from the railings edge and tossed him on the floor. Due to years of poverty, Sora wasn’t as strong as he used to be.

Sora laid on the floor, panting heavily. Fuck! Raiden scared him to death. He thought he was really going to die.

Raiden looked down at Sora, a sense of contentment flowing through him. "Remember your promise, Sora. Your brother and I had an agreement. He belongs to me for an entire year. I will do to him whatever I wish. If you value your life, you will stay out of our relationship."

With that, he walked away, leaving Sora fuming.