Early in the morning Mitsui was already at the office carrying a middle-sized cardboard box and walking towards Koshino's desk at a leisurely pace. The place was still empty save for two or three early-morning comers who one of them greeted him a good morning as he passed her by.

When he reached his destination, he placed the box on the desk and said to the young man sitting there," I promised to let you go. Here, you can gather up your things with this."
When he saw Koshino's face turn into an expression of unease Mitsui immedietly assured him, "Relax, I won't withold your salary. I'll notify the human resources department."

As Koshino was frantically trying to search for words to explain to his soon-to-be-ex-boss about his situation, the phone rang from another desk, distracting him from his train of thoughts. Automatically he went to answer it when an arm pulled him away.

"Don't worry about it," Mitsui told him, picking up the phone himself, "you go back to your desk. It's ok."

The other young man nodded and went back to his place to begin fiddling with the flaps of the box on his desk as he hears Mitsui answer the phone, "Yeah? Oh, ohayo Kitano-san. How much do you need? I'll check it out for you. They need to be shipped out tonight?"

The scarred-face man walked towards another desk nearby while he continued talking, "Sure, I'll take care of it for you. Ja." Hanging up, Mitsui quickly switched on the computer he knew held the files of the invoices and shipment records, sat down and waited for the computer to boot up as he grumbled for having to do it himself, "Why can't they come in earlier?"

"I'll give you a hand, Mitsui-san."

Mitsui looked up at the young man who was suddenly standing in front of him at the other side of the desk, and declined, "Iie, it's ok. You go back to what you were doing."
And then he was shifting over the papers sitting on the desk in front of him and mumbled to himself, "Where's that password?"

Knowing that Mitsui would not have any luck finding the password to gain access to the files since he knew the original operator would not leave the secret code lying around where people can see, Koshino walked around the desk and leaned over from behind Mitsui's seat to key in the password with practiced strokes of his fingers.

Mitsui stared at the young man for a while before he uttered a quick thanks and began to browse for the files. Koshino would've gone back to his desk by now but instead he was hovering beside Mitsui that the scarred-face man had to ask distractedly, "What?"

Koshino tugged the end of his jacket nervously and began, "I... the mortgage..."

"What?" Mitsui pressed when Koshino stopped his words. The young team-leader was busy puzzling over the records that he was only listening to Koshino half an ear.

"Umm.... why don't you let me stay for another month?" Koshino told him. It was clear that Mitsui had forgotten what he told him when they were at the alley in Shenzhen, the scarred-face man being intoxicated by the wine he drank at that dinner with Mr. Anzai.
"I'll save you the hassle with the human resources department and I can help you with that."

Immedietly Mitsui stood up and pulled out the chair for Koshino to sit, thankful for the assistance, "Ok, sit. I'm not familiar in checking paper orders."

"Hai," Koshino nodded, pleased that he managed to extend his employment period for another month. Maybe later he would be able to extend it for more.

Suddenly another phone rang and when he realised it came from his private office, Mitsui ran to answer it, leaving Koshino at 'his' work. "Take your time!" he hollered to the young man who was already checking out the order forms for Mr. Kitano.

"Aa!" Koshino called back.

Reaching his office, Mitsui picked up the phone and answered breathlessly, "Moshi moshi. Eri? What's the matter. You sound weird....where are you? Ok, I'll come right away."

Quickly Mitsui picked up his keys before running out to where Koshino has started on double-checking the records from the computer with the hardcopy from the files on the desk.

"My friend's in trouble," Mitsui told him, "I need to go check on her. When you're done call-"

"Kitano-san," Koshino cut in.

"Yeah," chuckled Mitsui giving Koshino a grateful pat on the back, "You're ok when you don't lose it."

Being reminded of one of his less than fantastic moments in the office, Koshino gave a weak laugh as Mitsui sprinted out of the office with a curt wave of the hand.

The minute Mitsui disappeared from view, Koshino heard the beeps coming from a mobile phone and when he realised that it came from Mitsui's office, Koshino had to see if his young boss was truly gone before he allowed himself to get up and answer it.

"Moshi moshi. Mitsui-san is not here. Who is this?... hai, this is his phone but he forgot to take it with him..."

Outside, a worker has just arrived at his desk and was curious when he heard Koshino's voice coming from Mitsui's office. Craning his neck to be able to see the inner part of Mitsui's room, he saw Koshino leaning against Mitsui's desk talking to someone through Mitsui's mobile phone.

"You're his sister?...A family emergency? Sure, I'll tell him when he comes back..."

"Hmm..." Hikoichi scratched his chin as he put down his briefcase on his desk, "Interesting..."


~~~~

Mitsui made it to the quiet business area where Eri was waiting for him, in record time, and jumped out to walk quickly towards the grey porsche parked in front of his car. Standing in front of the young woman who was leaning against the porsche, Mitsui took in Eri's features and saw a purple bruise on her forehead. He imagined that she might be sporting a black eye and his hands reached out to take off her dark glasses when she flinched away and told him, "Don't."

Mitsui relented and allowed his hand to fall back down to his sides, his fist clenching at the pain the young woman in front of him might be feeling, "Why did he hurt you?"

"I-It's not his fault," Eri defended weakly. "Joe's business is not doing well. He drinks when he's upset."
Then, sighing, she pushed herself off of her car and leaned towards Mitsui for support. When she felt the familiar comforts of Mitsui's warmth beneath her fingertips, she suddenly felt her energy fade away and found herself clutching at him for more of that feeling of safety. "I-I can't take it anymore," she sobbed.

Mitsui rubbed Eri's back with tender care and asked softly, "What are your plans now?"

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"Do you still love him?" Mitsui asked.

Eri looked up and placed her finger on top of Mitsui's lips as she looked into his dark blue eyes with her own which were wet with barely restrained tears.
"I'll answer that next time," she whispered.


~~~~

"How is she? She's not feeling well?" Hikoichi heard Koshino say from inside the office.

"Hey, Mimi!" Hikoichi hissed at the young woman sitting at the next desk a few feet away from him.

"What?" Mimi answered irritably. She was busy trying to finish up her late paperwork, not wanting Mitsui to get on her case if she has them still laying around for the next week. It was not her fault that one of their clients dragged her to a bar where they had a couple of drinks before he seduced her to his bed. Of course, she didn't put up much resistence. He was handsome and rich after all.

"It's obvious that they're having an affair," Hikoichi pointed out to Mimi. The young woman took a peek herself from her seat to see Koshino still standing in Mitsui's empty private office talking to someone on Mitsui's phone. It was already nine in the morning and the young man have been kept walking in and out of the office to answer every call to their boss's phone.

"Have the neighbour look after the kids and then you can take your mum to the hospital," they heard Koshino speaking again.


~~~~

As soon Mitsui heard of the news, he immedietly drove to the hospital and ran towards the room where his mother was being held. Upon arriving, he was grateful to see that his sister was not crying or doing anything that might led him to believe the worst. Instead she was sitting quietly beside the bed where an elderly woman was lying down, sleeping peacefully tucked underneath the comfortable folds of the white hospital blankets.

"Hisashi," his sister called him softly.

"How is she?" he asked, walking up to the bed.

"She just had an EKG done," she answered, "There was nothing serious but the doctor wants her to stay here for a couple of days."

"Aa," Mitsui breathed out in relief, "How about your kids? You called the maid already?"

"I fired her."

"Nani?" Mitsui arched his eyebrows in surprise, "How about the kids?"

His sister smiled, "The guy from your office, Koshino-san, is helping me out."

Suddenly a hand stretched out and grabbed him by the wrist. Mitsui looked down and was surprised to see his mother gripping him with strength no one would've thought she would possess with her condition.

"He's a good man, Hisashi. Not all people are like him," the grey-haired woman said, "He is a friend to be treasured."

"H-Hai," Mitsui replied, petting his mother's wrinkled arm gently.

"If I wasn't still in love with my dead husband and he was older I would've asked him to marry me," Mitsui's sister teased.

"If he was a girl I probably would've done that already," the young man joked.

Their mother smiled while the two siblings laughed.


~~~~

Mitsui and his sister walked into the apartment to find two kids and a young man fast asleep in the living room which was cluttered with all sorts of toys.

"I was at a loss when I reveiced news about mum," the woman told Mitsui in a low voice, "It was a good thing he came to babysit them."

Mitsui managed to step over the clutter of toys without waking the trio up as his sister spoke again, "They look so tired out. They must've had a wild time."

"Aa," Mitsui whispered, looking at Koshino whose closed eyes were half covered by the soft bangs of his dark hair. It has only been about a week when he first met Koshino and already Mitsui felt amazed at what the young man could do. True, Koshino was an odd duck when he first joined their team but now Mitsui knew that if he was told to choose which colleague he would most trust in it would be the young man lying on his sister's couch fast asleep with an orange plastic plane in his hand.

Mitsui's fingers rose to brush away the bangs from Koshino's eyes when he stopped himself and instead brought his hand to give the young man a gentle shake on the shoulder to wake him up.


~~~~

"I'm impressed," Mitsui said, keeping his eyes on the road while he talked, "You managed to control those two monsters."

Koshino smiled, "Actually, it wasn't easy."

"Doumo arigato," Mitsui thanked him sincerely as he turned around the corner to the direction Koshino's apartment was situated.

"Don't mention it," the young man replied when his cellular phone began beeping from his jacket pocket. Taking it out, he checked the number on the screen and, to Mitsui curiosity, declined to answer the call.

Mitsui turned his eyes back on the road and kept quiet. After a while he asked casually, "What's up? What is it?"

Koshino sighed as his hands reached to take a few plys of tissue from the box wedged between his and Mitsui's seat, "I don't know how to say it."

Mitsui's lips twitched. He could already guess what Koshino's problem was so he said easily, "Ignore him for a few days and he'll come crawling back. You should know how men are."

"I saw him with another guy with my own eyes," Koshino said dully, his hands busy using the tissue to wipe the car's dashboard surface clean.

"I'm glad I picked on him last time," Mitsui snorted, "Let it go. Find another guy to be with."

"But I always catch my boyfriends with other guys or girls," the young man told him sullenly, "It's been four times already!"

"Ch! People take advantage of you because you don't stand up to them," Mitsui told him.

"I'm useless," Koshino gritted out, his hands began reaching out to other parts of the car for any little dust and dirt.

Even if he was getting free service to clean up his car, by that time Mitsui was getting worried at Koshino's state of mind. Quickly swerving to the side to park the car by the sidewalk, the scarred-face man then gave a pat on Koshino's back and said, "Gomen, ne. Here, use my shoulder."

"What for?" Koshino mumbled, his back turned to furiously scrub the window of his seat door.

"To cry on," Mitsui answered simply.

"I won't cry," Koshino growled but even then Mitsui heard the tremble in his voice.

"Just let it out," Mitsui cajoled.

"Why should I cry for no reason?"

"It feels worse holding it inside. Let it out," Mitsui persisted gently, "Don't be afraid, my shoulder's quite comfortable- URK!"

Suddenly Koshino was in his arms, crying on his shoulder as if he has never cried before and was given the chance to do so for the first time. With the tears, he poured out all his problems - his work, his financial difficulty, his love life... It wouldn't solve all his problems crying like that but at least he was able to ease a little of the pain away.

"Maa maa," Mitsui patted Koshino's back consolingly, "I guess you're heart-broken... it's okay, take it easy... I'll help you out..."