"Damn! I can't believe he'd just bashed his head once he saw you! Are you a monster in his eyes?"
Toshiro's voice came from behind once he stepped outside the room where Yagi Takashi was confined. He looked at the back of his friend. Ren was standing opposite a table, his right hand was holding a wine glass. The red liquid swirled as he raised the rim to his lips.
The question went unanswered.
Toshiro sighed inwardly. He pulled the white medical gloves from his hands. They were bloodied from the wounds he treated for Yagi Takashi. After throwing them inside a bio-hazard bag together with the cotton balls stained with red color, he went to the sink and started washing his hands with soap.
"He looked really terrible," Akashi glanced at the closed door, his mouth was busy munching on potato chips. "I think it's the price for always sneaking around hiding like a street rat."
Akashi still remembered how Yagi Takashi looked like the first time he caught him. The older man's outer appearance was totally unkempt like a homeless person. Yagi Takashi tried to fight him back but his thin body couldn't stay the blow coming from him.
"He's malnourished," Toshiro replied. He wiped his hands using a paper towel.
After finishing the wine, Ren lazily turned his head toward Toshiro who had already stood beside him. The man was pouring a glass of wine for himself.
"How is he?" This was the first time he spoke since Toshiro returned from treating that man.
"The wound is quite serious, I'm afraid we need to scan his head," Toshiro answered casually as if he was discussing the weather. "I've treated his superficial wound for now but it's best if we could move him to the hospital. Or to my private lab."
"Just do it."
Toshiro nodded.
Ren placed the empty wine glass down on the table. The light fell on the rim of the glass, reflected a beautiful arc in his sight. His lips were pursed into a straight line. At this moment, he appeared so indifference and detached from the world.
"I'll speak with him," Ren spun on his heels, he walked his way toward the room for the second time.
"Don't let him have another injury!" Toshiro yelled from his back. "I don't want to deal with your bloody mess again."
Ren ignored his remark. Once again, he entered the room.
Yagi Takashi was sitting on the bed with a white bandage around his head. He flinched once he saw the man dressed in black from head to toe standing a few feet away from him. The man's gaze fell on his beaten up face. Since the man was so tall, he couldn't help but shrink in timid.
"Do you remember me?"
Ren began to speak. His whole demeanor was languid while facing the older man. Both of his hands were in his pockets while he stared at Yagi Takashi with an impassive gaze. He looked as if he was talking to an insignificant person.
"You're... Shouto. Gensai Shouto..." Although he was still afraid he managed to throw out some words. His hands were grasping his knees tight, his fingertips turned white, devoid of any color.
Ren's eyes darkened. He asked again. His voice turned a several degrees colder. "Do you know my real identity?"
The question laced with a hidden threat made Yagi Takashi shuddered. He quickly nodded his head.
"Yes! Yes! You're Fuse Ren! I know your real identity!"
Ren pulled a chair and sat on it. He stared at Yagi Takashi wordlessly until the other man felt his scalp tingling under the nonchalant gaze. He'd rather be his punching bag instead of being judged with the pair of dark eyes in silence.
It was so suffocating!
"When did you know me?"
Yagi Takashi cursed inwardly as he heard the short question. Did this man want to have a question and answer session with him? What was with his short questions? It was obviously he tried to anger him to death.
But, as someone who understood the difference in their power, he could only display his weak appearance.
"I knew your real name...." He gulped. He shut his eyes, his lips continued to tremble. "Since... 5 years ago. I saw your original ID... once."
Once he was done answering, the temperature inside the room suddenly dropped under an unseen force. Yagi Takashi opened his eyes, they widened in shock when he saw the languid expression on the younger man's face turned hostile.
Ren's lips curled up into a sneer. The whites in his eyes gradually turned red as he suppressed the growing anger in his heart. His clenched his hands tightly, the veins on his hands popped as well as the ones on his temple. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, his face grew darker.
"You sold me out! Isn't that right?!" Through gritted teeth, Ren spat out the words laced with venom and hostility.
Yagi Takashi almost fell on his back once he saw the devil's face. He couldn't help but nodded his head repeatedly like hen pecking grains.
Ren closed his eyes, he was trying to calm his anger down. Instead of giving this man a beating that would lead to an unfavorable result, he needed to keep his cool.
Breathe...
Just breathe...
He shouldn't act like this.
Suddenly, her sleeping face appeared in his mind. It was at that moment his muddled head turned clearer.
It was right. He needed to settle this and went back home to her. She was waiting for his return.
As he opened his eyes again, the malice vanished. Once again, he appeared calm and indifferent to Yagi Takashi. After a moment, Ren spoke a sentence, his gaze was fixated on the older man.
"You know hell awaits you if you dared to lie to me."
His gaze was fiery and his voice was bone-chilling, it made Yagi Takashi felt like he was splashed with ice-cold water and boiling water at the same time. Beads of cold sweat started forming on his forehead. His heart was beating loudly due to his fear.
"Y... Yes!"
Ren leaned back to rest against the chair. He crossed his leg over and propped up one elbow on the table. His chin rested on his hand, he eyed Yagi Takashi from head to toe.
It was just 5 years since their last meeting but he seemed like he had aged tens of years.
His impression of Yagi Takashi wasn't good. When he first met him during the early time he stayed with the Hanada siblings, Yagi Takashi always came to extort money from them. He was a labor worker at one of the development sites near the village yet his paycheck would always go to drinkings.
He remembered the time he punched this older man out of anger when Yagi Takashi shoved Tsubaki until she fell down because she refused to give him any money. Since that time, he didn't show him any mercy whenever they met.
"Tell me, who else did you tell?" Ren started questioning him. He carefully planned out what he should do in his mind. He didn't want this interrogation gone awry.
"I... actually... I told Mr. Kurosawa! One day, he asked about you from me!" Because he knew this man wouldn't spare him if he caught him lying, Yagi Takashi knew it was better to be honest from the start. He would drag the old man down with him! "It seemed like... he has known about you even before he asked me."
Ren's pupils dilated once he heard the name. He had a hunch that the village head was involved in the matter yet he didn't expect Yagi Takashi was his direct accomplice.
"From whom did he know?"
If Mr. Kurosawa knew about it, the village head might have been approached by someone from Mr. Sagara's side. But, as he had firmly believed, Mr. Sagara was just a pawn directed by the mastermind.
It was already clear who was the mastermind but since he hadn't gotten the motive behind this incident, it was too reckless for him to confront him.
"I... don't know... it's the truth!" Desperation was plain to be seen on Yagi Takashi's face. He was doomed if he took one wrong step in front of this imposing man. "Mr. Kurosawa said to separate you and Tsubaki that night! He said someone from your family would come to get you! He... promised me money..."
Ren narrowed his eyes, he carefully took in Yagi Takashi's fearful expression. He was searching for any signs that betrayed his trembling gaze. Anger had suddenly resurged in his heart when he heard his wife's name came out from this man's scum mouth. He clenched his jaw, trying his best to keep his emotion in check. The hand that was gripping his knee went white due to the pressure.
"Then, how about Tsubaki?" His calm voice was a contrast to the malice he felt within him. "Do you have anything to say to me about her? Well, about her origin?"
Yagi Takashi gulped. His eyes widened in terror.
He... knew?
Ren gave him a knowing look. Once again, Yagi Takashi shuddered.
"I have already known that Tsubaki wasn't the real daughter of the Hanada couple," Ren pushed the chair back as he stood up, he rounded the table and went to stand in front of the sealed windows. He raised his eyes, the night sky came into his view.
The moon was full tonight.
He hoped she was still deep in her sleep, in the comfort of their home.
"From your reaction, you have known it too. Tell me everything about it."
Ren glanced back over his shoulder, his dark gaze stabbing fear to the older man. Yagi Takashi was stunned, once he snapped out of his senses he nodded his head.
"Ye... yes!"