Chapter 7.5

To that man. – Noah looked at him like what are you and moved his dried lips.

“What if I have a business? Are you gonna give him my word?”

He wasn’t quibbling over about it. It was like he didn’t even have energy to do that. He just sighed lowly and slightly smiled.

“He’s dead anyway, that man.”

“……”

Mason closed his mouth. Noah just stared at that Mason and laughed like sighing. He put his head down and grabbed his two arms.

Mason got grabbed by him and flinched.

“……Um, Mister, Mr. Raycarlton…?”

“Why?”

He replied with calm voice, and Mason was nervous.

“…..”

No, um, I think you are crying…. Mason couldn’t say it and just turned his eyes away. Noah said, “Ah….” He just realized tears were coming out from his eyes and released Mason’s arm. The tears seemed to come out without his control. He had a perplexed face seeing his tears falling on his hands and sighed quietly.

On the beautiful face, tears were coming out like it’s unrealistic. Mason looked at the tears falling on his smooth cheeks for a second and wiped his tears with his hands.

“Are you okay?”

With Mason’s awkward question, Noah didn’t answer. Mason felt complicated because of Noah’s endless tear. Noah looked like he’s going to get dehydrated. Bunch of sweat and even tears, they were joking around like who dies getting trapped in the elevator, but that bizarre person might come out from here.

Mason saw overlapping of Noah who’s crying in his embrace with a blank face with a small child clinging on to him long time ago in a small restroom stall.

“I don’t know what’s wrong but…..”

Mason hesitated little bit and said it. He didn’t know why Noah came here, but he doesn’t look like he’s going to cause harm or trouble. No, he might do that but easefully thought first that ‘I might able to get away if the situation actually come. Who would think Haley is me?’ Anyway the people I’m worried about are not people who might noticed me, it’s the people who can break my peaceful life saying, ‘You know where Mason is, right?!’

“……So if it’s Mason, I think he’s alive.”

To stop a child from crying, who cares if it’s little bit of lying? Noah stopped with his tearful eyes wide opened, and Mason continued the word.

“Of course with some problem, he is not living as Mason.”

Mason said it ambiguously. If it’s like this, then it’s not even a lie.

“….He’s not….dead?”

Noah murmured blinking his eyes. Whenever he blinked his eyes, his art-like tear fell.

“Yes. So if you are worried about his well-being….”

Mason blurred his word. If he’s crying because his claustrophobia got worsen not because of worrying about Mason’s safety, then my safety is in danger. Actually there is no reason for this man to be worried about me? It was when he was thinking about this.

“-!”

Mason frowned avoiding to back. Noah who was calming crying with a blank face suddenly reached out to Mason like he’s going to grab him. When Mason looked at him, he slightly smiled.

“….Haley.”

He always coldly called Mr. Lusk suddenly called his name friendly.

“You, you know where Mason is? –You sound like you know…”

Can you tell me? Noah smiled sweetly like he’ll melt a person. Teary eyes and innocent eyes about to be, but Mason didn’t get fool this time. Definitely a moment ago, he had a startled look after he fail to attack. If Mason didn’t avoid it, he would definitely grab again and question after he slapped his face.

“-That’s little difficult.”

“Why? You think I might harm him?”

Noah laughed like he’s talking nonsense, but instead of answering him, Mason fidgeted and stayed back. He got one step closer. Unluckily, this small elevator didn’t have a place to get away.

“I wouldn’t harm him at all. I just…. Yes? Haley? I just… want to know where and what he is doing….”

No, you are already trying to harm him. Mason swallowed his lingering word in his mouth and tightly leaned against the elevator wall. A weak crying claustrophobic man disappeared and in front of him, it was a man with a violent eye. ‘Mason is alive.’ Must have been a magic spell.

Noah put his hands next to Mason and trapped him. He got really close to him and asked.

“….Were you lying, perhaps?”

Should I say it was a lie? Mason thought about it for a short time and thought if he’s going to tell him that, he should tell him when they are outside. If he says that Noah’s health problem is second, the thing that he’s most concern is his safety.

Noah’s eyes were dangerously glowing. They are probably like that because of the tears a short while ago, but Mason watched out for Noah’s fist that looks like it might fly at him any time and asked, “….It’s not a lie. But you, didn’t you say you are claustrophobic?”

“I told you I have light fear.”

Noah’s eyes were smiling. Mason glimpsed at his arm again. He did get better like it can look as a slight fear…..

“I told you it doesn’t look that light.”

Noah looked curious for a second and tried to grab Mason’s collar saying, “You are changing the subject.” Before Noah was able to grab Mason’s collar, Mason moved his head to his embrace and strongly pushed him with his head.

Bang! Noah slam into the wall and the elevator strongly shook. Mason didn’t miss Noah’s arm slightly shivering like he’s fine. Noah was frowning and Mason hold on to his arm. Although Haley is weak, somehow do something to this full of fear and shivering man might….

“Ugh!”

Mason changed his thought ‘might be possible.’ With Haley’s weak and fragile arm strength, he won’t be able to block a seven year old child. Noah easily shook away Mason’s arm and threw a punch, and Mason sloppily avoided and clung onto his arm. Even though he clung on to him with all his strength, it took a second to get pushed away. Did not know fighting with weak strength was this tiring. Noah pushed him like he’s annoyed at him keep running away, and Mason pulled and rolled on the floor. And quickly flipped his body. If he gets topped by Noah in this situation, he won’t be able to escape and will get slapped until his cheeks burst.

He fell on the floor and bumped his head on the elevator door. Mason went on top of him and grabbed his collar and pushed him down so he can’t get up. During that short time, he’s body was covered in cold sweat.

“….!”

On top of Noah’s body, Mason’s body shook. He used his long arms to choke Mason’s neck with incredible power. Haley’s thin neck fit perfectly to the man’s hands, so in a second, he couldn’t breathe right away. Mason sweated cold sweat and strongly pressed his elbow area.

“……”

Instead of weakening his strength, he smiled, and Mason gulped in nervousness. His pretty eyes were seriously dangerously glowing. It was full of emotion ‘don’t care about claustrophobia I will kill this annoying bitch.’

“Wait, Noah, Mr. Raycarlton!”

Mason called him with desperate voice him pressing on him with all his strength. The strength is not everything while fighting, but in the situation where you got caught, strength is everything. Noah grabbed Mason’s two wrists that were pressing on his shoulders. In that moment…

Bang! Bang! Something banged the elevator, and there was a sound of air going out. Mason put his head up and with a sound of screeching sound, a light came in in the dark elevator.

“Mr. Raycarlton, are you….. Haley?”

Noah's secretary Phil and the manager Floke was standing outside of the elevator door and staring at them with rotten faces. Oh my god, somebody murmured, and Mason stared at them with a stupid face and dropped his head. Underneath Mason, Noah was smiling with a strange face.

On top of a man who is sweating and looks weak, Mason moaned quietly.