Chapter Text
Umemiya stared in astonishment at the email he had received from Inugami. After four weeks, they had finally decided to agree to a meeting. In fact, they would arrive sooner than expected.
If he interpreted it correctly, even the boss of Shikigami would grace them with his presence again, and both sides were requested to bring no more than six people each to the discussion.
Umemiya was more than aware that they would still bring extra people, who would wait outside. This meant he couldn’t afford to send many of his men out on patrol and would have to keep most of them at headquarters.
He didn't liked the idea of welcome them here in the orphanage, but booking a room to meet with them was no option since they would come in just a few days.
Umemiya gritted his teeth. They didn't answer for weeks and now they demanded a meeting so soon. Damn bastards. He really wanted to end all this. Hopefully this would be settled after they talked to each other.
He needed people to protect the children and Kotoha. He also needed someone to keep an eye on Haruka. Umemiya had no idea if Haruka could defend himself, and there wasn’t much point in trying to teach him anything significant in just a few days.
Self-defense wasn’t learned overnight, and better safe than sorry.
He also didn't want to worry Haruka, so he decided to not talk much about the Shikigami visit.
Hayato had told him, that Haruka might have been assaulted in one of the big clans. But he didn't knew who exactly.
Maybe he should instruct his people not to let Haruka show himself while Shikigami was there.
He wasn’t about to test in an extreme situation whether Haruka, after his severe illness, was capable of protecting himself or even fighting.
Umemiya sighed.
He had absolutely no desire for this meeting with Shikigami. They’d come again, whining about how bad things were for their people and how unfair it was that Umemiya’s men had beaten them up so badly.
A fact that he was usually proud of—if it weren’t such a farce.
After all, they had deliberately provoked the situation just to have leverage over him.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Umemiya said.
A moment later, Haruka entered. He was carrying a tray and was accompanied by Ai and Maru. Umemiya smiled when he saw the little ones.
In the last week Haruka came several times to bring him snacks since he was determined to do something for Umemiya. And he had always two or more of the kids accompanying him.
Umemiya couldn't deny that he was getting used to it.
“Kotoha said you’ve been holed up in the office all day,” Haruka said, placing the tray on the table. He set a coffee and a plate of sandwiches on the table and looked at him expectantly. “She said if you won’t take a break, we’re supposed to force you to.”
Umemiya laughed.
“My little sister really takes good care of me,” he said, smiling.
Then he stood up and moved to the small sofa in his office. Haruka placed another plate of cookies on the table, along with two small cups that seemed to hold warm milk for the children.
"What are you doing, big brother?" Maru asked as she climbed onto the couch next to him. Meanwhile, Ai grabbed a few cookies.
Umemiya gently ran his hand through Maru’s soft, curly hair.
"I just have a lot to do and need to plan a few things," he said with a smile.
"You look tired," Haruka observed.
Umemiya looked at him. Yes, he was indeed tired. This whole business with Shikigami was wearing him down.
"I am tired," he admitted.
"Is there any way I can help?" Haruka asked hesitantly.
Umemiya shook his head.
"It’s more than enough that you keep an eye on the kids. Besides, Kotoha told me you’ve been tirelessly working yourself as well."
Haruka flinched slightly, caught.
"I just lose track of time when I’m with the little ones," he said, handing Ai her cup of milk.
Umemiya took a deep breath. Haruka’s scent filled the room. He seemed to truly be relaxing now. His scent told him that he felt at ease. Somehow, it was stronger than usual. Could it be a sign that he finally felt at home here and saw Bofurin as his place now?
If that were the case, Umemiya would be more than happy. It would mean they had truly saved Haruka.
Somehow the smell of cherry blossoms filled the air. Umemiya recognized it as Harukas scent and he had to admit that Haruka's scent was quite delicious. More than ever, it seemed to be thicker and he really liked his scent.
"You’re allowed to take breaks too," Umemiya said.
Haruka snorted. "Look who’s talking. Who are we bringing snacks to right now to help him relax and finally take a break?"
Umemiya laughed and grabbed a sandwich.
"You’ve got me there."
"I’ll take a break as soon as the little ones go down for their nap," Haruka said with a smile.
"Are you going to sleep with us again?!" Ai asked excitedly.
"Only if you don’t kick me in the face again," Haruka replied.
"Ai doesn’t kick!"
"Yes, you do!" Maru chimed in, crumbs stuck to the corners of her mouth.
Ai glared at her, as though Maru had just betrayed her. Then she hugged Haruka tightly.
"Ai promises not to kick!"
"Then I'll take a nap with you," Haruka laughed, stroking her head.
Umemiya sighed with a smile. That wasn’t exactly what he meant when he wanted Haruka to take a break, but at least he’d get some rest. He couldn’t ask for more. As long as Haruka felt comfortable, that was enough for him.
He ate the snack with the kids, enjoying his small, forced break.
It made him happy that Haruka seemed to behave normally around him as an Alpha and no longer appeared to be deeply afraid of him.
Once everything was eaten down to the last crumb, Haruka packed up the tray and left with the kids to return to Kotoha. Even after the door had closed, Umemiya could still hear Maru loudly announcing that they had completed their mission.
Umemiya chuckled as their voices faded. Feeling recharged, he sank back into his desk chair and thought about the preparations he still needed to make.
He grabbed his phone and messaged his team, instructing them to come to his office immediately. They needed a plan, and Umemiya needed his friends to ensure everything went smoothly.
His top priority had always been to preserve the laughter of those around him, and as the boss of Bofurin, he would continue to do so for as long as he could.
___
It had been nearly two weeks since Haruka had taken on his job as caretaker for the children.
He loved his new role more than anything.
It wasn’t always easy to get them out of bed, but he managed a little better every day. Sometimes, they were in a terrible mood, refusing to get up or go to bed. But Haruka had discovered that cuddling with them and soothing them with his scent helped immensely—they would calm down and practically cling to him.
It seemed he had become a mother figure to them.
And Haruka loved that feeling. He absolutely thrived on how the kids followed him around like little ducklings, always wanting his attention.
He felt needed and some kind of complete. It was hard to describe that feeling, but he really loved his new role.
He had lost count of how many times Kotoha had scolded him, insisting that he needed to take breaks and reminding him that his job wasn’t supposed to be 24/7. But he couldn’t help it. Time flew by when he was with the little ones, and before he knew it, evening had come again, and he was tucking them into bed.
No matter how tired Haruka was when he fell into bed at night, he always went to sleep with a smile.
Umemiya had promised him that nothing would happen to him and that they would protect him. Haruka truly felt safer with each passing day in this place. He could even imagine staying here at Bofurin permanently and making it his home.
Haruka also felt like he was becoming more aware of his surroundings. He noticed more and more little details about the people he interacted with. He could tell when they were teasing him and when they weren’t feeling their best. There was still so much to learn about the people who had welcomed him so warmly, and he had made it his mission to understand everything about them.
So that they could rely on him as much as he relied on them.
He still couldn’t believe that just a few weeks ago, he had been ready to end his life. It felt so distant now, almost unreal.
No matter where he went or what he was doing, the others’ gazes always followed him. Yet, those looks weren’t hostile, cold, or even lustful. The expressions reflected the smiles on their faces.
No one looked at him with ulterior motives.
No one wanted to touch him just because he was an Omega.
He was valued.
Haruka had never experienced anyone treating him like this before.
Kotoha, Akihiko, Kiryu, and Hayato were almost always by his side, though not constantly. Taiga would also join in from time to time, but he had other responsibilities to handle. Together, they laughed a lot, looked after him, and were always there when he needed advice or help.
For the first time in his life, Haruka had found friends, and somehow, Hayato had become his anchor.
Since the evening he had thanked Hayato, something between them had shifted. Haruka no longer felt as guarded around Hayato and found it easier to talk to the Alpha. Even though he had been deeply embarrassed the next day about how he had acted, something had changed for the better.
He even felt safe in Hayato’s presence. To the point where Haruka admitted to himself that Hayato’s scent calmed him whenever panic started to rise within him. He had kept the sweater and felt a pang of sadness as Hayato’s scent slowly began to fade from it.
This fact saddened him more than he expected.
He caught himself more and more often seeking out Hayato’s presence, even voluntarily sitting next to him at meals. When Hayato sat too far away, Haruka felt a sense of unease creeping in.
He had no idea why he was behaving this way.
But something inside him seemed to need Hayato. Was it because Hayato had saved him and he was simply grateful for everything? Or was it because Hayato was always kind and took care of him?
Honestly, it wasn’t a thought Haruka was thrilled about. He managed just fine on his own and didn’t need anyone to look after him.
“Hurry up, Haru-chan!” Eri called as she grabbed his hand to drag him toward the chicken coop, where Akihiko, Mitsuki, and the other children were already waiting.
Haruka had been talking to Kotoha, who was a little stressed with various preparations. Apparently, some guests were coming that day—guests no one seemed particularly eager to deal with. But before Haruka could ask who they were, Eri had already grabbed his hand and was pulling him along.
Not that it really mattered. He had nothing to do with the guests; his responsibility was the children.
Still, Kotoha looked so stressed that he decided he’d help her once they were done with the chickens. Akihiko and Mitsuki were there to keep an eye on the kids, after all.
“Are you really going outside without a jacket, Haruka?” Hayato’s voice suddenly came from behind him. “It’s not exactly cold, but it’s still chilly. You’ll catch a cold.”
Haruka glanced down at himself; he was only wearing a T-shirt since it was quite warm inside the building.
Eri was still tugging on him, and taking the time to grab a jacket would surely push her patience to its limit.
“Darn, you’re right. Sorry, Eri-chan. I’ll grab a jacket really quick,” he apologized to her.
“But everyone’s already there!” Eri protested indignantly.
“I know, I’ll be fast!”
“Wait, Haruka,” Hayato said, pulling off the sweater he was wearing. “I need to head to my room and study a bit before our guests arrive anyway. Take this for now, or Eri-chan might explode from impatience,” he said with a smirk.
Haruka caught the sweater, Hayato’s scent immediately filling his nose. He quickly pulled it on and nodded at Hayato.
He gave Hayato a smirk. "Stinks like you."
"You will never admit that my scent isn't stinky at all right?", he laughed.
“Nope never! I’ll give it back to you later—thanks!” he called as Eri tugged him forward impatiently.
“All good! See you later!” Hayato called after him. Haruka could hear the smile in his voice.
___
Inugami thought of the bag filled with everything he had prepared for the Omega. They were currently driving there with three vehicles: two passenger cars with five seats each and a small van, which would be parked slightly out of sight. Everything was arranged just in case the Omega was actually there.
He had prepared as much as he possibly could, and everyone knew their roles.
He and the boss would enter the meeting with four other members. Three would wait near the van, two would discreetly search the premises and seize the Omega on sight, and three additional members would remain stationed by the cars. The setup was designed so that no one would suspect anything in case of an emergency.
Inugami grinned.
Soon, he would have his peace of mind back.
They arrived at Bofurin’s headquarters. An orphanage.
Inugami would never understand why Bofurin, as a clan, forsook prestige, money, and women, choosing instead to throw themselves into charity work.
It was foolish. They could have so much more than this. Especially considering Bofurin’s relatively young average age. If he remembered correctly, Umemiya was only 22 years old.
He glanced over at the boss, who looked more or less expectant. Ever since Inugami had floated the possibility that the Omega might be with one of the clans, the boss’s mood had improved.
Significantly, in fact.
The old man was even humming!
The minivan had parked a street away, while they themselves stepped out into the courtyard of the orphanage.
"Do you think my little cherry blossom is really here?" the boss asked expectantly.
"If he is, they'll find him," Inugami replied. "An orphanage would be kind of fitting for that little bastard."
The boss shot him an angry glare.
"Don't you ever dare speak about my bride like that again," the boss growled. "When I have him back, I'll bind him to me permanently," he added, baring his sharp teeth.
"Apologies, boss. It won’t happen again," Inugami said. "We've also made every preparation to ensure he can never escape again."
He didn’t feel the least bit sorry for what he had said.
If it came down to it, he’d cut off that damn Omega’s feet to keep him from running away again.
As the last car door slammed shut, two men from Bofurin came out to greet them.
"Welcome," Hiiragi said. "Umemiya is waiting for you inside."
Hiiragi had also been present at their last meeting. With him was that guy who constantly had a lollipop in his mouth. He looked at them like a beast ready to pounce at any moment. If Inugami wasn’t mistaken, the man’s name was Kaji.
And all he’d ever heard were the wildest stories about Kaji’s outbursts.
In general, alongside the praise for Bofurin’s charitable deeds, there were just as many tales of their violence and combat prowess against their enemies.
That said, Shikigami was no less formidable in terms of raw strength.
"Thank you for such a warm welcome," Inugami said with a polite smile—or at least as polite as he could manage.
Hiiragi nodded at them. "Six of you may come in. The rest will wait here."
A tall man with long, dyed hair and women’s clothing appeared, flanked by twins. They positioned themselves at the entrance, offering a cool smile.
"We’ll keep an eye on you. After all, we wouldn’t want the children to get scared," the man in women’s clothes said with a wink.
A cold shiver ran down Inugami’s spine.
He hated people like that.
With the main entrance blocked, his team would need to find another way in.
Together, they walked inside, guided by Hiiragi and Kaji to Bofurin’s boss. It was their first time inside Bofurin’s headquarters, and the child-centered décor made it hard for Inugami to muster even a shred of respect for Umemiya or his clan.
Back at their own headquarters, it wasn’t unusual to see scantily dressed prostitutes wandering around, regularly hired by the boss for their entertainment.
Finally, they arrived at Umemiya’s office and stepped inside.
"Welcome to our headquarters. I trust your journey was pleasant?" Umemiya said kindly, wearing that naïve grin he always seemed to have plastered on his face.
In the room with him were a slender man with glasses and a ponytail, a tall guy with long blue hair, and another man with reddish hair and an eyepatch.
They entered and took the seats assigned to them.
The information took a moment to register in Inugami’s mind.
A guy with an eyepatch?!
His head snapped toward the man. Sure enough, there he was: reddish hair, a red eye, and an eyepatch. Yellow tassel earrings swung gently from his earlobes. The man met his gaze with a questioning look. Inugami quickly looked away.
If someone like that was part of Bofurin, then the chances of the Omega being here were indeed very high!
Inugami grinned as the negotiations began.
___
"Are the chickens getting fatter?" Haruka asked curiously. "They’ve really gained weight over the past two weeks."
"Fatter, you say?" Mitsuki mused. "Hmm, now that you mention it... maybe we should think about slaughtering them soon!"
The children gasped in horror, shouting over each other.
"Kiryu-san!" Akihiko exclaimed indignantly. "You can’t just say something like that!"
"I quite like chicken," Mitsuki said with a laugh.
Eri tugged on Haruka’s pant leg.
"What’s wrong, Eri-chan?" Haruka asked with a gentle smile.
"Is Mi-chan really going to eat the chickens?"
Haruka glanced at Mitsuki, who was still laughing, and smiled. "Maybe we should be more careful with how much we feed them so he won’t want to eat them anymore," he said with a chuckle. Then he turned to Ai and the other three kindergarteners. "So that’s your job now, okay? Especially you four."
Maru looked at him, aghast. "Maru will make sure!"
Ai was just as shocked. "Ai will too!"
The other two didn’t seem particularly interested.
"Great! If we’ve got two of you on the case, nothing can go wrong," Haruka grinned.
They reached the common room, and the children scattered, running off to put away their jackets and shoes. Akihiko and Mitsuki helped them.
"I’ll check if Kotoha needs any help!" Haruka called, heading toward the kitchen.
"Got it!" Akihiko replied.
In the kitchen, Kotoha was pacing back and forth, clearly stressed. She had several snacks prepared, along with drinks.
"Do you need any help?" Haruka asked.
Kotoha dropped a plate in shock.
"Damn it," she cursed quietly. "Oh, no, it’s fine, Haruka. I was just about to take everything upstairs before that cursed plate fell."
She knelt down to pick up the shards but ended up cutting her finger.
"Ow!" she muttered, sticking her finger straight into her mouth.
"Are the guests here already?" Haruka asked.
She nodded while inspecting her finger, which continued to bleed.
"Yeah, they’re here. Damn it! Why does this stuff always happen to me?!" she groaned. "Akihiko was going to help me take everything upstairs. Can you take care of the kids and keep them busy? I’ll be right back."
She rushed off, presumably to get a bandage. Kotoha looked so frazzled that Haruka couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She gave her all every single day to make sure everyone was well-fed, and she’d always been so kind to him.
It was time for Haruka to return the favor.
Smiling, he walked over to the tray. The warmth of the building was making him feel overheated. Had they turned the heating up too high? He fanned himself a little and immediately caught Hayato’s scent.
Oh right, I’m still wearing his sweater, Haruka thought, smiling as he sniffed the fabric. The sweater was a bit too big for him, like most of Hayato’s clothes.
"Smells like him," Haruka muttered softly, a smile playing on his lips.
He decided he would take the drinks to Umemiya and the others to help ease Kotoha’s load, then take off the sweater afterward. Until then, he’d just have to deal with being warm. Or maybe, he thought, he just wanted to enjoy Hayato’s scent a little longer.
Grabbing the tray, he said with a grin, "Sorry, Kotoha, but this time I’m going to help you," and headed off.
He didn’t get far.
“Here, let me take that; it looks heavy,” said someone he didn’t recognize. The guy took the tray from Haruka’s hands. Haruka stared at him in confusion.
“What? Uh, thanks?”
Before he could process what was happening, someone grabbed him from behind. A cloth was pressed against his face. Haruka instinctively held his breath and fought back against his attacker, kicking out wildly. The only thing he managed to hit was the tray he had been carrying to Hajime and his guests.
The guy holding the tray cursed softly as the glasses shattered on the ground.
“Just put him out already! Can’t you do anything right?!” one of them hissed.
The man restraining Haruka swore under his breath. “He’s moving too much; I can barely hold him!”
Haruka’s lungs burned; he couldn’t hold his breath much longer.
What did these people want with him?
Why were they kidnapping him in broad daylight? In the middle of the orphanage, where someone could walk in at any moment?
“Is everything okay, Haruka?” Kotoha’s voice called out.
“Nothing’s wrong!” one of the men replied.
Bastards!
“Haru-chan?” Ai said, running into the kitchen.
No, no, no! Not Ai!
“Ai! Run aw—” Haruka shouted, but then he inhaled whatever was on the cloth. Darkness began to consume him.
He felt his body growing weak and sluggish. He had no strength in his legs and he couldn't even lift a finger.
His eyes were closing on it's own, even though he tried to keep them open.
“Is Haru-chan tired?”
Yes, he was very tired.
“Very tired. We’re just taking Haru-chan to bed; go on and keep playing,” one of the men said. Shooing her away.
“Okay!”
Through blurred vision, Haruka saw Ai turn and leave.
At least Ai is safe...
“Let’s get him out of here before anyone else shows up.”
"We should better be quick."
And then everything went black.