ORION.
As the door closed behind Aki, Harro's gaze locked onto mine, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand. Telling you anything would have spoiled the surprise, but I promise, no more secrets." He apologized reaching for my face, we kissed briefly before pulling apart.
"I understand." I told him, "But can you at least tell me what this place is now?" I pressed, still puzzled.
Harro's smile broadened as he declared, "Oh, this is Akeno's guest house." He declared, like that would explain everything and I raised an eyebrow, still confused, and he chuckled, recognizing my confusion.
"Well, it's more like a wellness facility, if you think about it. It's a place where you can unwind, recharge, and indulge in oriental treatments. There's plenty to keep you entertained, from romantic getaways to shopping excursions in town. Plus, there are tons of activities to do here on the property, like soaking in the tub and sauna. Overall, this island is a fantastic vacation spot," he explained with a warm smile.
"While I can agree that this island is beautiful, I can't help but wonder how it functions as a business," I voiced my concerns. He smiled knowingly, realizing I was curious — as a businessman himself, he understood.
"It might not look busy, but this place makes a lot of money. As a matter of fact, it's fully booked all year round," Harro said matter-of-factly.
My eyes widened in astonishment. "You're kidding!" I exclaimed, and Harro shook his head, his expression confident.
"Aki worked with my family as a traditional healer before she became my nanny." My eyebrows arched in surprise, and I let out a soft "ah" of understanding. Harro nodded, pleased that the pieces were falling into place.
"Yes, she met many influential people through her medicinal services," he continued. "A lot of them prefer traditional medicine, but they want to keep it discreet." He paused, studying me to ensure I grasped the implication. I nodded, and he went on.
"I think she got the idea for this place from her years of interacting with them. When she wanted to retire, this was her retirement gift from my family." The puzzle had finally come together, and I was impressed by the cleverness of it all. A vacation spot and a treatment facility – it was a genius concept.
"Did you come here often?" I asked him, genuinely curious.
"I've only been here once since it officially opened," he replied, avoiding my gaze. My curiosity piqued again.
"Why? It seems you're really close with Aki," I probed, noticing his sudden awkwardness.
"I couldn't find the time to come back," he replied a bit too quickly, heading for the back door. "Come on, let me show you around," he said, picking up the pace, leaving me in amused confusion. What was making him so flustered?
"You're acting a bit strange, you know?" I called after him, following his lead.
"What are you talking about? I'm acting like I always do," he insisted, his tone a tad too defensive. I chuckled, knowing better. He was definitely acting strange, but I decided to let it slide – for now.
"I'm not going to ask about why you're acting strange anymore," I said, choosing to drop the subject. "Just stop walking so fast." Harro slowed his pace, and I fell into step beside him, my curiosity still simmering, but my desire to enjoy the moment won out.
Harro began showing me around, and he was right when he said this place was usually booked throughout the year. Every unit we passed was occupied. Honestly, the property was so big we had to ride one of those little golf carts to get around. There was a common area filled with guests chatting, a bar, and a dining area, even though he told me most people had meals brought to their units. The hot baths infused with herbs sounded delightful, too. Okay! I was sold – spending two weeks here sounds like the perfect vacation idea.
We'd just rounded the corner of one of the units, when a surprised voice called out, "Junior? Is that you?" Before I knew it, Harro was enveloped in a tight hug by a guy who planted a peck on his cheek. My eyebrows shot up, and I felt a pang of possessiveness. Who was this person, and what was their relationship with Harro?
Harro removed himself from the hug when I raised my brows at him, but he maintained a small smile on his face. "Oh, hey Kai. It's been a while, how are you doing?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual, but I know him better and my curiosity was piqued. I waited patiently for them to finish exchanging greetings.
Kai's eyes sparkled with excitement as he exclaimed, "I'm great! Akeno didn't tell me you were coming. I would have picked you up!" His enthusiasm was obvious in the way he spoke, he was genuinely happy to see him but Harro's discomfort was equally evident. I watched with interest, I'm sensing something more between them that I couldn't quite decipher.
Kai's gaze shifted to me, and he asked, "Who's your friend?" Harro's eyes widened slightly, when Kai's attention was suddenly on me.
"I'm Orion," I chimed in trying to ease the tension.
"Hi! I'm Kai, nice to meet you," he said brightly.
"Nice to meet you too." I replied, still feeling an uncomfortable knot in my stomach.
"Kai is Aki's nephew." Harro filled in the connection, I nodded, understanding the familial link. But before Kai could delve deeper into conversation, Harro hastily intervened, citing our need to explore the grounds. Kai's face fell, and I sensed he was eager to spend more time with Harro.
As Harro practically dragged me away, I couldn't help but notice his urgency. This was the second time he'd acted strangely since our arrival, and my curiosity was truly piqued. What was behind Harro's behavior, and what is it about Kai that made him so uncomfortable?
As we walked away from Kai, I turned to Harro with a curious expression. "I thought Azalea was the only one who called you Junior?" I asked, recalling Aki's earlier endearment and now Kai's similar familiarity.
"Almost everyone in my grandmother's estate called me Junior as a kid, but now they mostly call me Harro. Only my dad still calls me SJ," he explained, referencing him being named after Sabastian. I hummed quietly, filing away this new insight into Harro's life.
Instead of continuing our tour of the place, Harro walked back towards the direction of our unit and I followed behind. "Come on, we should head back inside." he said and I nodded in agreement even though he couldn't see me.
"I could use a bath," I replied, deciding not to comment on his strange behavior with Kai and our unfinished tour. I'm sure he'll talk when he's ready.
Harro's smile returned, and he proposed, "Perfect, we should hit the sauna before dinner, it'll help us relax" I nodded, content to follow him back to our new room.