Fighting for a future we're not aware of can be tiring. But I'll do it if that's the only way to make sure I won't lose you... -- Florence Joyce
xxxxxx
[Rinako]
From what I knew, I didn't walk that far. So how come it felt as if I've walked for miles with the way my heart was pounding at the moment?
Great! Just great!
Why in the world did I have to feel this again?
"Rinako, are you okay?"
I looked at Yushiro who asked me that question. I just nodded.
"You looked like you're not yourself for quite a while now. I couldn't help noticing."
I could only show him a forced smile. "I'm okay. It's quite a hassle at the school a while back." Especially when that Mitsuta Setsuji was the one to blame for me to be like this again.
Seriously! This was frustrating.
"I have to apologize to you, Rinako... for everything," Yushiro started.
It was more than enough to catch my attention. He wasn't looking at me. His head was raised and he was looking at the sky. He had that melancholic look on his face, truly emphasized by the red-orange color of the setting sun coming from the seaside.
"You know that... just an apology won't fix what you've broken. You left me hanging... and crushed when you ended everything between us that time..." Once again, I felt a surge of pain in my chest upon remembering all that had happened at the time.
"I know. I was aware of the pain I inflicted on you that day. I wasn't asking for you to forgive me that easily. I just... want to apologize to you so badly... and also to explain. As you said, I left you hanging. But I did those things for a deeper reason, Rinako," Yushiro said in a grave tone.
Okay... What the hell was going on?
"I had to protect you, Rinako. That's why I did it."
I was frowning when I looked at Yushiro. "What do you mean?"
"It was Kakita Otoe-san... She was the reason why I was forced to give you up, the person who made me happy, just so I could protect you."
Kakita Otoe...
Wait a minute! It seemed that her name was familiar. Hold on... Where have I heard it before?
Jeez! Why couldn't I remember?
"She was your brother's ex-girlfriend. They were together, but only for a short while because what your brother hated most of all when it comes to girls were the clingy ones."
And it hit me!
That was right! Kakita Otoe was my half-brother Makiminato Kazuya-oniichan's ex-girlfriend!
"Don't tell me, that was the reason why she even included us?" I asked him when I thought of something. What if Otoe was doing this just to exact her vengeance because of what my brother did to her?
"That was just a part of the reasons, Rinako. It was true that she wanted to get to your brother but she had no idea where to find him. His current location was kept a secret. She just discovered your true relation to Kazuya-san. I played a different role to her, though."
"A different role?"
Yushiro nodded. "Are you familiar with the murder case of Izumi Kira?"
Izumi Kira... Murder case...
Wait! "Are you talking about Izumi Kiho's twin brother Kira?"
"You know her?"
I nodded this time. "But why are you asking me about that case? Don't tell me Kakita-san was also involved there? As far as I know based on what they told me, only Kiho and... Mitsuta knew that. What was the reason that made you involved in that?"
"A lot. I gave the investigators a breakthrough with that case. I was the witness to Kira-san's death. But neither Kataoka Yuka-san nor Mitsuta Setsuji knew about it. Our family once owned the abandoned building where Kira-san was killed. It so happened that I was hiding there somewhere when it all occurred," Yushiro explained.
"But I know that case doesn't connect to Kakita-san at all."
"That's what I thought of, at first. I managed to locate Kataoka-san's hiding place after the incident. It so happened that I learned about Mitsuta Setsuji-san also conducting his investigation with regards to that girl. On their investigation, they also learned the truth that Kira-san was killed and didn't commit suicide, therefore contradicting the police's initial conclusion. I decided to tell the truth because keeping it all hidden didn't sit well with me. And that includes mentioning Kataoka-san's location at the time. After that, I didn't have any news about Kataoka-san. That is, untilー"
"Until the news came out that she killed herself..." I added to the words that Yushiro probably wanted to say about the aforementioned case. "Are Kakita-san and Kataoka-san related to each other?"
It was the only connection I could think of about the two girls that got Yushiro and me caught up in this mess.
"They're not merely related, Rinako. They're biological sisters separated at birth," Yushiro revealed in a grave tone that made my heart stop beating for a few moments. "And Kakita-san threatened me that she would hurt you if I didn't break up with you. The guys who tried to rape you that, it was Kakita-san who hired them. The moment I broke up with you, she inflicted on you the same pain and heartache she received from your brother. As for me, my actions made me live in pain and guilt because I hurt you without even telling you any reason at all. That's what Kakita-san wanted to happen since it was the same pain that Kataoka-san received from Mitsuta-san. Aside from that, I was the reason why Mitsuta-san was able to finally locate Kataoka-san. Kakita-san wanted to include everyone involved with me, that's why I ended our relationship just so I could protect those people important to me. And you're one of them, Rinako."
So now it came to this... My mind was running in circles, it was getting harder and harder for me to think properly.
Should I say that this was serious information overload? Definitely.
But at last, I became aware of the real reason why Yushiro and I broke up years ago. But then, I still couldn't believe it. And a sudden thought hit me!
What if...?
"So there's a possibility that Kakita-san will also try to exact her vengeance on Setsuji?" It took some time before another thought hit me. Did I just blurt out Setsuji's name out loud like that? Without honorifics, at that. I was just referring to him by his surname just a while back.
Yushiro shook his head. "I'm not sure. But if she does have a plan to do something like that, maybe it's not going to happen right away. It might not be obvious but the security with regards to guarding the members of the Miyahara clan and the Nakashima clan was tight. Kakita-san could be doing all that she can to make her plans a success that would be undetectable by the police or any of the agents of the Twin Rose Agency."
Oh, no!
"So I'm requesting you now."
"A request?" I asked with a frown. He couldn't possibly be requesting about...?
"Don't leave Mitsuta-san's side, Rinako. Right now, you're the only person who I entrusted with this information. And Mitsuta-san had been keeping an eye on you since the day you two started here. We had to do what we can to protect him at all cost from Kakita-san."
What the heck? Are you freaking kidding me, Yushiro? Did you want me to lose my sanity sooner than expected, huh?
I could've shouted those words at him. Seriously!
Just what kind of trouble did Yushiro want me to plunge myself into right now?
Waah! This was total torture! I hated this!
"Can you do it, Rinako?"
To be honest... I don't know.
Could I do it?