Domenico De Santis, a name whispered in fear across the streets of Italy, was the embodiment of ruthlessness. His cold, calculating demeanor, and utter lack of compassion made him one of the most feared mafia bosses. The trail of bodies left in his wake served as a testament to his merciless nature. But beneath the surface of this fearsome figure lay a story of deep-rooted pain and neglect, a tale shaped by a childhood devoid of love.
Domenico was born into a family steeped in the dark traditions of the mafia. His fate was sealed from the moment he took his first breath. His parents, powerful figures in the underworld, had little time for their son. They were too consumed by their empire, too focused on their own ambitions to care for a child. The responsibility of raising Domenico fell to the servants, none of whom showed him any affection, except for one—a young nanny named Ruby.
Ruby was Domenico's only light in an otherwise dark world. She played with him, attended his school functions, and made him feel valued in a life that otherwise ignored him. For a few precious years, Domenico knew what it felt like to be loved. But that light was cruelly snuffed out when Ruby's obsessive ex-lover murdered her in a fit of rage. Domenico's world, once touched by warmth, became cold and barren once more. The boy who had once known laughter and joy was replaced by a man hardened by loss and betrayal. His training to become a mafia boss only deepened his cruelty, turning him into the feared figure he would later become.
Years passed, and Domenico's power grew. Seeking to expand his empire, he moved to Japan, where he planned to forge alliances with the local yakuza. He purchased a mansion in Sakura-Machi, a town known for its serene beauty and cherry blossoms. It was there that Domenico encountered someone who would stir emotions he had long thought dead.
In the shadow of a luxurious estate lived Hiroki, an adopted child of the corrupt politician Shinji Tanaka. Shinji had adopted Hiroki not out of love or a desire to help, but to clean up his image as his corrupt dealings began to surface. Hiroki was paraded as a symbol of his generosity, but behind closed doors, he was nothing more than an afterthought. Shinji already had a family, and Hiroki was the outsider, the child who was always neglected, always ignored.
From a young age, Hiroki had been starved for affection. Desperate for love, he became known as "clingy" and "annoying" to those around him. His classmates grew tired of his constant need for validation, and his so-called friends only tolerated him out of pity. They would roll their eyes when Hiroki tagged along, wishing he would just leave them alone. But Hiroki couldn't help it; all he wanted was someone to care for him, someone who would stay.
As Hiroki grew older, his longing for love led him into relationships where he was often mistreated. His partners would complain about how demanding he was, how he always needed more attention than they were willing to give. "You're too clingy," they would say. "You suffocate me." They grew frustrated with his constant need for reassurance, his desire to be held, to be loved. It didn't matter if he dated men or women, or even older men in search of a father figure he never had—every relationship ended the same way, with Hiroki being abandoned, left alone to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart.
The only constant in his life was a worn teddy bear, a gift from his late mother before she passed away. Hiroki would often talk to the bear as if it were a person, pouring out his feelings, seeking comfort in its silent presence. It was his only friend, the one thing that never called him annoying, never pushed him away.
One day, after achieving a significant academic milestone—first place in his college—Hiroki found himself alone once more. He bought a small cake to celebrate his success, sitting on a park bench with his teddy bear as his only company. As he quietly ate his cake, sharing the moment with his bear, Domenico happened to pass by. The sight of Hiroki, so alone and yet so desperately trying to find joy in his achievement, struck something deep within Domenico. He saw a reflection of his younger self in Hiroki—a boy lost in a world that refused to care.
Despite years of emotional detachment, something within Domenico stirred. He approached Hiroki, offering a rare, gentle smile.
"Hiroki Tanaka, isn’t it? You won a gold medal? That’s impressive. I’m Domenico—I live in the mansion next to yours. Let’s go celebrate, shall we?”
For the first time in a long while, Domenico felt something other than anger or apathy. He took Hiroki to a restaurant, where they shared a meal and, unexpectedly, laughter. Domenico found himself drawn to Hiroki’s innocence and vulnerability, and before long, he was in love.
Their relationship blossomed quickly. Domenico, who had never known how to express love, found himself giving Hiroki the affection he craved. He allowed Hiroki to cling to him, to be as close as he wanted. For Hiroki, it was a dream come true—a relationship where he was finally loved for who he was, where his need for affection was met without judgment.
But life is never so simple, and happiness can be fleeting.
The yakuza, whom Domenico had planned to partner with, betrayed him. They sold vital information to his rivals, leading to a significant loss for Domenico’s empire. The betrayal hit him hard, and he returned home one evening, his mind a whirlwind of anger and frustration.
Hiroki, unaware of the turmoil inside Domenico, had baked cupcakes to cheer him up. He greeted Domenico with a smile, holding out a cupcake, but Domenico, lost in his thoughts, didn’t respond. Concerned, Hiroki sat on his lap, nuzzling his cheek and gently asking what was wrong. But in that moment, Domenico’s anger boiled over. The constant need for reassurance and affection that had once comforted him now felt like a burden.
Without thinking, Domenico grabbed the plate and hurled it across the room, the cupcakes scattering as the plate shattered. He then turned on Hiroki and punched him causing Hiroki to slam his head on the wall — It started bleeding but Domenico didn't know, he was too angry to notice this.
"Do you have any idea how suffocating you are?"
Domenico's voice was harsh, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at Hiroki.
"You're always there, always needing something, clinging to me like I'm your lifeline. It's pathetic, Hiroki. Do you even realize how annoying you are?"
Hiroki froze, the sting of the words hitting like a physical blow, but Domenico continued, unable to hold back.
"You want to know why your partners never stay? Why every relationship ends the same way? It's because you smother them! You suffocate them with your neediness, your desperation for validation. They can’t breathe around you, and neither can I! You drain the life out of everyone who tries to care about you."
And there it was, Hiroki hearing the same words again, he never imagined he'd hear them from Domenico—but life's quite unpredictable.
"No wonder why you don't have any friends, they don't need a pathetic leech like you around them."
The final words hit Hiroki more hard than anything, and Domenico didn't even know about the damage he had inflicted.
"D... Domenico I.. im sorry"
Hiroki trembled, his voice quivering as he clutched his worn-out teddy bear tightly. The wound on his head didn't matter; it didn’t hurt nearly as much as those three words he dreaded hearing again: "Clingy," "Annoying," "Pathetic." If he could, he would endure a thousand deaths just to avoid hearing those words again.
"Get out!"
Domenico roared, grabbing Hiroki by the collar and throwing him outside, even snatching away his cherished teddy bear.
"I bet even this teddy bear is tired of you, the way you cling to it."
Domenico said coldly before slamming the door shut.
Hiroki stood there, stunned. How could he have fallen in love with someone like this? But then again, it wasn’t new to him; everyone left him eventually. But no one had ever taken his teddy bear before. Desperate, he knocked on the door, harder and harder.
"Please, please give me my teddy back. Please, I beg you. I... I will never bother you again, just please give it back."
He sobbed, his voice full of desperation.
"Please, he's the only one I have, Domenico... I beg you."
"No."
The cold reply came, piercing through the door like a dagger.
"I bet if he could talk, even the teddy would say you suffocate him. I'm just helping him out, can't you see?"
A sudden realization hit Hiroki. Maybe Domenico was right. Maybe even his beloved teddy was tired of him.
"Please..."
His voice trailed off as he waited for the door to open, but it never did. Hiroki looked at the house that had once held so many good memories and then turned away, walking down the path that felt like it was leading him nowhere.
Why? Why was he like this? Why did he suffocate the people he loved? Why couldn’t he just be normal? He hated himself. He hated himself so much. If only he hadn’t been born... He looked up at the sky, watching the snow fall gently on his blonde locks.
"The weather is beautiful tonight, isn’t it, Teddy?"
He murmured, a small, sad smile on his lips. But the smile disappeared as he realized he no longer held his teddy bear. He was so used to talking to it, and now, even it was gone.
"Even you left me, didn’t you?"
He wiped away his tears and walked away, not towards Domenico's house or his adoptive father's, but towards the endless road. It was a bleak, cold night, with snow falling heavily around him.
"Wouldn’t it be beautiful if I died here?"
He whispered to himself.
"The world would be cleansed of a clingy pest. They wouldn’t mourn for me; they’d be happy that Hiroki, who only wanted love, was gone."
Tears streamed down his face as the snow began to fall more heavily. He sat down under a tree, accepting whatever fate awaited him. If wild animals found him, he would thank them for ending his misery. If a thief robbed him, he would be grateful that he was useful to someone. And if nature claimed him, he would be content to die on such a beautiful night. So he closed his eyes and let the snowflakes fall on him.
Back at the mansion, Domenico finally snapped out of his anger, noticing the emptiness in the house, an emptiness that reminded him of his childhood when his parents left him alone.
"Hiroki, baby?"
He called out, but there was no response. He looked at the teddy bear in his hand, and the events of the past few minutes flooded his mind.
"Goddamn it, I fucked up."
He grabbed his jacket and rushed outside, calling his men to search for Hiroki. They searched everywhere but couldn’t find him.
"No, no, no. Please, Hiroki, I'm sorry. Please."
Domenico followed Hiroki's footsteps in the snow, calling out his name desperately.
"HIROKI! HIROKI, WHERE ARE YOU?"
There was no response. Finally, he found Hiroki leaning against a tree, his body pale and blue, a sign of frostbite. But Hiroki was smiling.
"H-Hiroki,"
Domenico stammered, falling to his knees. He quickly took off his jacket and tried to warm Hiroki's freezing body.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're not annoying or clingy. I love you, Hiroki. You're my sunshine. I'm sorry I said those awful things. I was angry, and I took it out on you. Here, here’s your teddy. I'm sorry."
Hiroki smiled weakly, shushing Domenico with a trembling finger.
"It's... it's alright,"
Hiroki stammered, taking the teddy and holding it tightly to his chest.
"You... you made my life b-beautiful. You gave me love... It's just me... I wasn't normal... I was selfish, wanting more."
Tears filled Domenico's eyes as he hugged Hiroki tightly.
"No, no, no. It's my fault. You're normal, Hiroki. Please don’t say that."
Hiroki, with trembling hands, caressed Domenico's cheek and kissed his lips softly.
"Life... with you... wasn’t so bad, D-Domenico. It’s just... me... I wasn’t normal." Hiroki smiled faintly. "I love you."
With those final words, Hiroki's body went limp, his hand falling from Domenico's cheek, and his heart stopped beating. The teddy bear slipped from his grasp and fell onto the snow, where a single droplet of water formed, as if even the teddy was crying.
"NO, NO, NO! HIROKI, WAKE UP!"
Domenico cried out, shaking Hiroki's lifeless body.
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STANDING AROUND? CALL AN AMBULANCE! HURRY!"
He ordered his men, and Hiroki was rushed to the hospital. But when the doctors inspected him, they shook their heads sadly.
"S-Sir, why did you bring him here? He passed away minutes ago."
Domenico's world came crashing down. Hiroki was gone. His Hiroki was dead because of him, all because he couldn’t control his temper, all because he said those horrible words.
"Hiroki... Hiroki, sweetheart, wake up. Hiroki, my love, remember we planned to get married and go to Paris for our honeymoon? We planned to adopt a child and raise them together. Hiroki, look... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Please, please open your eyes."
The doctors began to take Hiroki's body away for preparation for burial, but Domenico snapped. He grabbed one of the doctors and threw a punch at him.
"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TAKING MY HIROKI? HE'S JUST ASLEEP! HE'S GOING TO WAKE UP! STOP SAYING MY HIROKI IS DEAD! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL BURN DOWN THIS HOSPITAL IF YOU SAY MY HIROKI IS DEAD!"
He yelled, pulling out his gun. The doctors flinched, trembling in fear.
"S-Sir, he's dead. Please... please get a hold of yourself."
"HE'S NOT DEAD! STOP TOUCHING HIM! HE DOESN’T LIKE IT WHEN SOMEONE TOUCHES HIM! HE'S ALIVE, HE'S ALIVE!"
The doctors had no choice but to sedate Domenico.
A few hours later, Domenico regained consciousness, the harsh reality setting in—Hiroki was gone. He stepped out of the room and began making preparations for the funeral.
At the funeral, Hiroki's adoptive father, Shinji, shed crocodile tears just to garner media attention. Domenico hated him, but he knew deep down he was no better. He whispered softly as he placed the teddy bear beside Hiroki's body.
"Hiroki, my love, I'm sorry. I know I'm a monster."
He kissed the teddy bear, as if kissing Hiroki one last time, and placed it beside him.
"I took it away from you... for that, I'm sorry. Here, he’ll stay with you forever, my love."
He kissed Hiroki's cold hand and picked up the shovel to bury him. After the funeral, as people offered their condolences, Domenico returned home, where the silence was deafening. It was as if whispers surrounded him.
"Murderer, murderer, murderer."
"Monster. You killed Hiroki. He died because of you."
The whispers haunted him.
"No, no, I didn’t kill him, I didn’t, I didn’t," Domenico yelled, but wasn’t it the truth? He had driven Hiroki to his death. If only he had controlled his temper...
To drown out his thoughts, he turned to alcohol, but it didn’t help. The whispers only grew louder.
"Murderer, you murdered Hiroki. You killed him. You’re a monster."
Domenico threw the glass against the wall, shattering it.
"No, no, I'm not! I'm not! I didn’t... I didn’t kill him... Y-you’re right... I am a murderer... he died because of me... I..."
He sobbed uncontrollably. Out of misery, he took out his gun and, in his despair, shot himself, praying to God for another chance to make Hiroki happy. Domenico’s men rushed to the room when they heard the gunshot, but when they entered, they found their boss dead. Word spread quickly that the ruthless mafia boss had died alongside his lover.
Perhaps, in another life, they could find happiness.
The End.
