Kelly's demeanor morphed completely from the sinister and threatening lunatic into a loving ball of warmth. I sensed that she had realized that Tadashi was planning to execute something against her impulsively. She released my hand out of her tight grasp and smile cynically before facing her family members. She patted the dust off her kimono and let out a huge sigh.
"Let's be rational here, Tadashi. How ever hard you try to deny it, you know that I know you best. It's true that neither of your parents love you the most, but it didn't stop you from trying to prove yourself. You have the determination," she stood next to me with her hand on my shoulder.
Her long nails were digging into my skin again. I winced ever so slightly; not wanting to provoke a reaction from anyone. The atmosphere in the room was tense and heavy. A dark cloud enveloped our common sense; cramping our muscles and grasp of reality. Kelly was trying to get into her second son's head. Though he was a tough warrior, it was true that none of us knew much of his real personality.
It scared me how convincing she could be. With a flip of a switch, she turned into an entirely different person at will. I prayed to God that Tadashi could overlook the fake confabulation she was formulating. I knew nothing good would come from interrupting the two. Neither would any insight from Hiro who had his hands in his pockets to mask the trembling.
"Don't listen to her, Tadashi. You know it's not true. We love you so much!" Kenji gritted his teeth.
"Do you believe your brother's word? The brother whom controlled your action and future ever since you were just a child. The brother whom formed the person who you are today. He had always undermined your true talent and leadership.
"Listen to me and I'll grant you the freedom you sought all these years. It's about time that you get the recognition you deserve," the passion in her delivery sounded like a mother who understood the desires of her lost son.
"Tadashi!" Kenji fought.
"Shut up," Tadashi's eyes were glued to the floor. "Continue."
The corner of Kelly's curled up in amusement, "with me as the head of the Tanaka family, I can abolish those archaic rules your grandfather made. The constrictions he left us with; for us to suffer by. Together, we can build a utopia, a new empire with new rules. There will be nothing holding us back this time."
"What are you suggesting?"
"With all the information provided by the law firm, I will take down your uncle's dirty and impure business. Cleanse this family of pests and scums like him. Whose to say what he would do with the company after your father's passing? Can you really believe him after he went incognito for 20 years. You barely know him."
"And you do?"
"Oh, I'm sure he told you about how we were supposed to get married; despite loving another woman. But instead, I got the bigger and weaker fish of the family. Easier to control, lacks tenacity, abundance of compassion. He's not fit to be a leader anymore. Unlike him, I have the patience and humility to learn about people around me. I know everything about every single one of you; personally."
Tadashi looked up and the light in his eyes disappeared. Like a fuse blowing up a circuit, his eyes were dark and hollow. It almost seemed like he was brainwashed; controlled. With each second and word, my heart leapt faster and faster.
I fear that I wouldn't be able to control my emotion. This was not a situation I could imagine I would be in. My stomach twisted and turned inside; I felt my acid reflux worsening with anxiety.
The Tadashi I thought I knew, the bright, passionate, and strong young man I worked for, he was no longer in the room. Had the years of being the black sheep of the family taken a toll on his mental health and self-image? Did he force himself to act the way he did because he was told to? Was Hiro's loving big brother just a mirage of a non-existent character he had been playing?
"Tadashi! This is ridiculous. Do you actually believe in what she's saying?" Kenji held his brother by his shoulders and shook him.
"Stop that. Are you listening to yourself?" he replied calmly.
"Huh?" his big brother stopped; appalled.
"You were always her favorite. How would you have known how I was feeling? You were busy all these years being a substitute parent to both of us. You were so busy that you didn't bother to listen to what we really wanted. You don't actually love me, do you?"
Kenji let go of his brother, took a step back, and slapped him. The sound of the hit resonated throughout the empty walls of the hospital room. My eyes widened, but as I shifted my gaze to my friend, I saw how peculiarly composed he was.
Roberto looked uninterested, or perhaps he knew it was out of his hands now. And all I could do was sit quietly; tied to a plastic chair by Kenichi's bed.
His heart rate monitor was beeping monotonously, but steady. It rang in my ears, the light going through the window split its path before my eyes. The day could have gone differently, but what should we have done to make it better?
I wondered what would have happened if Hiro's bullet didn't miss this morning. I wondered if this would happen if I didn't help them with the case. I wondered if it could have been my fault somehow.