My Young Husband, The Assasin-Chapter 41: Tetsuya’s Reluctant Start

The ringing of the alarm clock echoed throughout the room, disturbing the man nicknamed "Pale Face" by Fujimoto Saki, who was both his enemy and love rival competing for Issei's affection. Every day when they met, there would always be arguments, verbal spats, and mutual teasing. Yet, strangely, there was never any hatred, resentment, or hurt feelings. It all felt oddly normal.

"Ngh~" He groaned, feeling annoyed by the alarm clock's noise.

The persistent ringing of the alarm forced him to wake from his dream, though only his hand moved to turn off the alarm.

His eyes were still heavy with sleep, unable to open fully as if glued shut. His body felt sore and in need of a massage, so a trip to the salon for a scrub and massage would be added to today's agenda.

Before even half an hour had passed since he fell back asleep, someone entered the room without knocking.

The curtains were flung open wide, allowing sunlight to flood the room and illuminate his entire face, temporarily blinding him.

"Who dares disturb my sleep?!" he growled, sitting up in bed though his eyes remained tightly shut.

A short-haired, brown-haired man dressed in a neat suit smiled faintly as he observed his boss's irritated state. "Good morning, Young Master Tetsuya. I apologize for interrupting your rest, but today is the anniversary of the late Lady's birthday as well as her passing," he explained.

"I almost forgot," Tetsuya replied lethargically, struggling hard to open his eyes.

"What time is it, Yamato?" he asked, finally managing to sit up on the edge of the bed after a great effort to open his eyes.

"It's 8:00 AM, Young Master," Yamato answered, glancing at his luxurious wristwatch.

"Why didn't you come at 10:00 instead?" Tetsuya complained, still longing for a few more hours of sleep.

"Don't you usually wake up at 8:00 AM, Young Master?"

"I do, but didn't you know I only fell asleep at 4:00 AM because I was dealing with that chicken butt's issues?" he sighed wearily, his drowsiness dominating his mood and making him reluctant to leave the comfort of his room.

"Lack of sleep is common for adults, especially considering how busy you are with various tasks," Yamato said as he adjusted the curtains to let more sunlight in and opened the window to allow fresh air to circulate, as morning sunlight and air are very beneficial.

"All work can wait for me, but my rest time cannot, so don't disturb my sleep," Tetsuya snapped, still sitting on the edge of the bed, unmoving.

Yamato smiled faintly and shook his head slowly, observing his boss's somewhat childish behavior. Tetsuya always protested or got angry when his sleep was interrupted, especially if it was cut short, as he needed 5-6 hours of sleep daily. Due to his congenital heart condition, doctors also advised him to rest often and avoid overexertion.

Yamato picked up the bedroom slippers on the other side of the bed and slipped them onto Tetsuya's feet. "It seems you should wear socks to bed tonight."

"I'm not a baby," Tetsuya retorted.

"Your feet are cold, and that's not good for your blood circulation," Yamato said with concern. Recently, Tetsuya's health has been declining since he was discharged from the hospital after being poisoned some time ago.

Now, Tetsuya had soft black slippers on his feet. "Thank you for worrying about me. In that case, please have someone buy me running socks and hidden socks in black, gray, and white, six pairs of each color."

"Understood, Young Master."

Dragging his slippers toward the bathroom, Tetsuya suddenly stopped in front of the bathroom door, remembering something. "And please prepare breakfast, but no cereal with milk because that doesn't fill me up."

"That depends on what's in the fridge. If there's nothing, cereal isn't a bad option," Yamato replied. Tetsuya's face immediately fell.

"It seems I'll have to eat cereal this morning," he sighed sadly, knowing his fridge was always empty with no groceries.

Since moving into his new apartment two months ago, Tetsuya has always ordered food or eaten out. Even for coffee, Yamato usually made it for him or bought it from a café. Yamato took care of all household needs, working not only as his personal assistant but also as a part-time housekeeper. Given the multitude of tasks he handled for Tetsuya, it was no wonder the coffee-loving man received such a high salary.

While the young master showered, Yamato busied himself preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Twenty minutes later, Tetsuya arrived at the dining table, fully dressed in an expensive black suit with a tie neatly wrapped around his neck.

With his right hand, Tetsuya pulled out a chair and sat down comfortably. Shortly after, Yamato came over and served a large bowl of oatmeal topped with an array of toppings.

Tetsuya was both surprised and impressed by the special breakfast menu. Contrary to his expectations of cereal, Yamato had prepared a hearty bowl of oatmeal.

The oatmeal was made with whole grains, rich in fiber, and free of saturated fat. Numerous studies have shown that consuming fiber-rich, low-saturated-fat foods is effective in preventing weight gain. Unfortunately, Tetsuya was already quite thin, so Yamato intentionally added plenty of toppings like fruits and nuts, not only to enhance the flavor of the otherwise bland oatmeal but also to provide additional vitamins from the fruits.

"Didn't you say earlier that you'd prepare cereal for me?" Tetsuya asked, looking up at Yamato, who stood beside him.

"This morning, I wanted to make something special for you," Yamato explained, knowing Tetsuya was tired of always having cereal for breakfast. Besides, the oatmeal recipe was recommended by Renji, who insisted that all of Tetsuya's meals from now on should be nutritious and healthy, with no fast food or junk food, as they were bad for his heart condition.

"Not bad at all, and I like it. Thank you," Tetsuya said, happily starting his meal.

"What's on my schedule today, Yamato?" Tetsuya asked between bites.

Yamato opened a medium-sized black notebook to review the schedule he had prepared for the week.

"After visiting the Lady's grave, at 11:00 AM, there's a meeting with foreign investors to discuss the mega-project of building a luxury resort in Hawaii. At 3:00 PM, there's a luncheon with the executives of Glory Company at a sushi restaurant. At 5:00 PM, you need to visit the art gallery to check on the painting commissioned by Mr. Luise. And in the evening, there's the birthday party of the daughter of Miracle Company's owner at a five-star hotel," Yamato explained, listing Tetsuya's activities one by one.

"Please arrange for me to go to the spa. My whole body feels sore, and I want to get a body scrub too."

"Understood. I'll rearrange today's schedule. We should hurry, though, as your schedule is packed until tonight," Yamato reminded him, even though Tetsuya had only taken a few bites of his oatmeal.

"So, today I can't go to Asahi Café to see Issei-chan?" A hint of sadness was evident in his voice, as he wouldn't be able to meet his beloved or cause some chaos there.

"Is it Tuan Issei or Nona Saki you're missing?" Yamato teased, knowing a bit about the cat-and-mouse relationship his boss had with one of the employees at Asahi Café.

"Honestly, I also miss the pony girl. It's been a while since I last argued with her," Tetsuya sighed, imagining Saki's annoyed face, which unconsciously made him smile.

Seeing Saki's utterly irritated expression always brought Tetsuya joy, as if her unique antics never failed to entertain him.

Yamato quietly observed his boss's reaction, which was quite unusual. Although Tetsuya claimed to have feelings for Issei, whenever he talked about the beautiful, long-haired blonde woman, the corners of his lips would curl into a genuine, soft smile—not the fake one he often showed to others.

Without realizing it, Tetsuya found that around Saki, he could truly be himself without pretending or putting on a facade to appear perfect in others' eyes.

The large white bowl and spoon had been cleaned and neatly placed on the dish rack. Accompanied by Yamato, Tetsuya began his day as Tetsuya Ishikawa, carrying out his duties in place of Renji for the time being. Though the responsibilities were heavy and exhausting, Tetsuya never let them weigh him down. He tried to enjoy life as much as possible, especially since his congenital heart condition meant his life might not be long. Just reaching nearly 30 years old was something Tetsuya was deeply grateful for, as it meant God had given him more time to stay in this world and accompany Renji.

But Tetsuya was utterly shocked when he was about to leave the house.

His dark eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door to his apartment. Just as he was about to step outside, he was startled by the presence of a woman with long purple hair dressed entirely in black, complete with a hat, as if attending a funeral.

"Good morning, Young Master Tetsuya," she greeted warmly, her face adorned with a soft, alluring smile and heavy makeup.

Yamato stepped in front of Tetsuya, trying to shield him. "Good morning, Miss Keiko," he replied, returning the greeting as his boss didn't dare utter a single word.

"As always, you're so polite, but I'd like Young Master Tetsuya to greet me too," Keiko said shyly, glancing at Tetsuya, who was hiding behind Yamato's broad back.

The pale-skinned man was both scared and threatened by Keiko's presence, which had become a major disruption in his life. If Renji hadn't hired her as a bodyguard and spy for an indefinite period, Tetsuya was certain the sweet-toothed woman's body would already be lying cold on the ground with horrific wounds.

It seemed the woman wasn't giving up at all, even though Tetsuya had gone so far as to lie about being in a relationship with Saki and even planning to marry her this year. His actions were life-threatening, as it wasn't unlikely that the girl he always called 'pony girl' would beat him up mercilessly.

Tetsuya thought that this might make Keiko give up and stop pursuing him, but it seemed that Keiko was not one to give up; in fact, she became bolder.

What should Tetsuya do to make Keiko give up and stop chasing after him, hoping that her feelings might be reciprocated? Because, honestly, Tetsuya had no intention of having a relationship with anyone, let alone getting married. To Tetsuya, liking someone did not mean you had to own them or bind them with a label like a girlfriend, fiancée, or wife.

It wasn't that Tetsuya didn't believe in love or relationships, but he didn't want to hurt the person he loved. Tetsuya couldn't promise to stay with someone until old age. Rather than leaving deep sadness and wounds when he passed away, he thought it was better to avoid that, even if his thinking was often considered selfish. Keiko maintained her smile, waiting for Tetsuya to respond.

"Come on, say something, young master," whispered Yamato, urging Tetsuya to speak.

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Tetsuya sighed softly and then turned his face to Keiko. "Ah! G-good morning too," Tetsuya said nervously, greeting Keiko, whose appearance resembled a Victorian noblewoman who had apparently dressed wrong because Halloween had already passed.

A rosy hue spread across Keiko's face, feeling pleased with Tetsuya's kindness, even though it was forced.

"I know you're going to the cemetery today, so I came here this morning to accompany you," she explained, revealing her purpose for coming to Tetsuya's apartment.

"I'm impressed by Miss Keiko's kind intentions, but I'm sorry, young master is very busy today."

"Let's go, Yamato," Tetsuya suggested, signaling that they should leave.

"We're off, Miss Keiko. Have a nice day," Yamato said, representing Tetsuya.

"Wait!" Keiko yelled, feeling upset about being left behind after she had come so early to accompany them.

"Yes, what is it, Miss Keiko?" Yamato asked, still maintaining his polite attitude.

"How about I join you? I really want to pray at the grave of young master Tetsuya's mother," she said with a pink blush as if she were about to pray at her future mother-in-law's grave.

"Sorry, but I'm going with my girlfriend today, so you don't need to come along," Tetsuya lied, hoping Keiko would believe him and leave.

However, Keiko reacted differently. She smiled happily, not feeling upset or angry. "If that's really the case, I want to go even more. Consider me your special escort," she said enthusiastically.

"No need. I'll be here to accompany and protect him," Yamato said, trying to help his boss avoid further trouble.

"But your martial arts skills are far below mine. Besides, my job is to protect people," Keiko teased Yamato's abilities, unaware of the true identity of the short-haired, brown-haired man.

Without feeling insulted or angry, Yamato smiled and then said goodbye, leaving Keiko behind as he escorted his boss out of the apartment. He ignored Keiko, who was heard shouting after them.

Tetsuya rushed towards the elevator, hoping that the crazy woman wouldn't follow him. What a dream Tetsuya had this morning—Medusa showed up, it was terrifying. He should have sprinkled salt in front of the house to keep that woman from bothering him again.

Tetsuya quickly strapped himself in, still feeling afraid. His eyes scanned the basement area, fearing that the woman's figure might appear, and sure enough, his fear was proven right.

"Quick, go, Yamato! Go before that Medusa girl comes!" Tetsuya yelled in panic inside the car, tapping Yamato's shoulder.

"Hold on tight, young master. We're going to speed up," Yamato immediately floored the accelerator, speeding away from Keiko.

"Annoying!" Keiko shouted, stamping her feet in frustration.

As Yamato had said, Tetsuya was taken speeding through the city streets, which were very crowded with vehicles on this busy morning.

...