Kentaro's indifference towards the family meeting was palpable. Izuki's words seemed to pass through one ear and out the other, leaving him completely unaffected. Their problems held no significance to him.
Yet when Satoshi's announcement about marrying his mother reached his ears, Kentaro's world immediately turned upside down.
Was he hearing things? Or was Izuki playing another one of his tricks?
Izuki, misinterpreting Kentaro's blank stare, sneered with disdain. "You must be thrilled, finally getting the recognition you've always craved, huh? Disgusting."
"Are you kidding me?" Kentaro's previous arrogance vanished, replaced by disbelief as he shook his head slowly. "It's absurd. There's no way he said those words."
Izuki couldn't comprehend his younger brother's reaction, utterly confused as to why Kentaro appeared as if he had received the most devastating news of his life. "You think I would make up something so outrageous? My mother is still reeling from hearing that nonsense. Don't act like you haven't been plotting for this all along!"
"You're lying!"
Izuki grabbed Kentaro by the collar and forcefully pushed the petrified redhead against the wall. Towering over him, Izuki felt superior, as if Kentaro were still a mere child who could be easily subdued. "Think you're fooling anyone with that horrified pretense, you little shit! Don't make me laugh. You've wanted this all your life, haven't you? That's why you screwed us over in that little town. Too bad the people you sided with couldn't even lift a finger to help you..."
Kentaro stared blankly at the floor as Izuki continued to rage in his face. The buzzing in his mind drowned out most of Izuki's insults, and he struggled to comprehend what they were even arguing about.
His father intended to marry his mother. From an outsider's perspective, this was the most ordinary news to hear.
But for Kentaro, the world came crashing to a halt.
"... go."
Izuki was still in the midst of his tirade when Kentaro muttered something under his breath, catching his attention. "Huh? What did you say?"
Gripping Izuki's restraining wrist, Kentaro repeated, his voice low, "Let go."
This time, Izuki heard him. "What's this? Suddenly standing up for yourself, huh? You think what father said changes anything–"
Kentaro's head snapped up, and he growled fiercely, "FUCKING LET GO!"
Startled, Izuki released him, taking a step back instinctively. He couldn't fathom what had come over him, but the moment he met his younger brother's bloodshot glare, a chill ran down his spine.
Why did the person in front of him suddenly seem dangerous?
Without uttering another word, Kentaro turned and walked away, lost in a daze, never looking back.
Izuki stood there dumbfounded, watching his brother disappear into the distance. Slowly, he regained his senses, and his gaze shifted to his trembling hand.
What... What just happened?
Was he... afraid? Of Kentaro?
"Heh, no way," Izuki scoffed incredulously to himself. Kentaro had fled with his tail between his legs just now. There was no way that bastard had scared him.
It was merely a momentary startle, a glimpse of an unfamiliar expression on Kentaro's face that caught him off guard. The more Izuki replayed the events in his mind, the angrier he became.
How dare he... Izuki bit his lip until it nearly bled, the veins on his temples pulsating with fury. How dare that bastard talk back to me!
**
"You're finally out," Akihiro exclaimed as he caught sight of the ginger-haired teenager approaching. Learning that Kentaro had returned home, he rushed to greet him, though he had to bide his time as Satoshi Harada still held a private audience with him.
Underneath the shade of a certain tree near the house, Akihiro lingered, preferring to wait outside rather than stumble upon any of the Harada family members dwelling within. Dressed casually in a black light sweater and black jeans, he maintained his signature dark attire even on his day off. The only touch of brightness came from his brown leather sandals.
"What's wrong?" Sensing something amiss, Akihiro inquired. He couldn't help but notice the troubled expression that adorned Kentaro's face, cycling through shock, anger, and disbelief as he seemed lost in his thoughts. Kentaro seemed oblivious to Akihiro's presence, prompting him to gently grasp the younger boy's shoulder, halting his steps. "Ken, hey, what happened?"
Fixated on the ground, Kentaro muttered, "The meeting yesterday... Is it true?"
"What's true?" Akihiro, now perplexed, was aware of the private meeting held by the main family the previous evening but remained ignorant of its contents. Only the family members were privy to the discussion.
Witnessing Kentaro's genuine distress, Akihiro grew concerned. "Tell me what happened, Ken. What did the Chairman tell you?"
Shaking his head, Kentaro replied, "It wasn't him."
"Then who?"
Kentaro proceeded to recount everything that Izuki had revealed earlier, and as Akihiro listened, the incredulity of the situation intensified.
"There's no way! Are you sure Izuki wasn't just trying to provoke you? Tsk, that punk will regret it if he caused this..." Akihiro rolled up his sleeves instinctively, but before he could act, Kentaro tugged at his clothes.
"I... don't think he was lying," Kentaro's voice quivered. His brother may have been many things, including a prodigious liar, but he never dared to meddle with matters involving their father. The man instilled fear in him.
Akihiro was well aware of this, causing his initial intention to pummel Izuki Harada to diminish slightly. He asked Kentaro, "Did the Chairman mention any of this during your conversation?"
The young boy shook his head. Yet, as Kentaro recalled Satoshi's overconfident demeanor during their brief exchange, realization dawned upon him.
Marrying Yumiko Nomura meant condemning her to a lifetime in this place. It wouldn't matter if Kentaro grew older and gained his freedom—he would still be powerless to help his mother if she were wedded to Satoshi.
Kentaro had hoped to wait until he matured, enabling him to make his own decisions and, with hard work, liberate his mother. However, it seemed Satoshi had seen through his plans, swiftly quashing any possibility of escape.
Being legally acknowledged as part of the Harada family would seal their fates—both Yumiko's and Kentaro's. In other words...
"He got me," the ginger-haired teen whispered.
Akihiro was uncertain of the meaning behind Kentaro's words and was taken aback as the boy emitted a hollow chuckle.
"It's over. There's nothing I can do now," Kentaro's voice was barely audible, yet Akihiro understood him all too well. He didn't need explicit confirmation—he already knew this had always been Kentaro's lifelong ambition.
"It's not over yet. There must be some way we can stop this," Akihiro reassured him, his voice brimming with determination.
"Like what?" Kentaro stared blankly at the young bodyguard, open to any suggestions.
However, Akihiro couldn't respond immediately because, truthfully, he also didn't know. They couldn't simply report the matter to the authorities, as the police and investigators could easily be swayed by Satoshi Harada, rendering their efforts futile. Acting on their own, without sufficient backing, would undoubtedly lead to dire consequences.
"Let's take our time and think this through, Ken. We need a plan," Akihiro proposed, trying to instill hope.
"Time?" Kentaro emitted a feeble, bitter laugh. "That's the one thing we don't have, Hiro."
Unaware of when the Chairman planned to announce their existence to the world and proceed with the union to Yumiko Nomura, the situation grew increasingly dire.
"For now, let's keep this from Mom," Kentaro suggested, and Akihiro nodded in agreement.
With that, the two of them made their way toward the rose garden, where the cottage stood, silently vowing to never broach the subject again.
**
Misa Hirano raised her head, her gaze catching two figures approaching from the corner of her eye. A warm smile graced her lips as the guests drew closer to the house.
Cradling a three-month-old infant in her arms, Misa sensed the baby's restlessness, disturbed by the interruption of her soothing lullaby. Whispering softly, Misa gently rocked the child, assuring her, "There, there, I'm still here. It's just your godbrother and uncle who have come to see you."
As if ready to rise from her seat on the porch, Misa halted at Kentaro's gesture, his steps bridging the distance between them. "Has Kaiya grown again? I'm sure she wasn't this big when I last saw her," he remarked.
Chuckling, Misa accepted Kentaro's light embrace and playfully greeted Akihiro, whom she encountered almost daily. "Are you off today? You're normally never apart from your suit," she teased.
Akihiro grumbled, "Come on, I'm not always in a suit, you know."
Kaiya Ogawa, Izumi's firstborn, was treated like a princess. During the pregnancy, Izumi had kept the baby's gender a surprise, but if it were a boy, she had planned to name him after Ginger. Kentaro had found it odd, relieved when the child turned out to be a girl. He kept his thoughts to himself, knowing his mother would disapprove.
"Oh, that's right, congratulations on graduating," Misa suddenly interjected, recalling it was around this time of the month that the ceremony would be held. "Wish we could've been there."
"Yeah, me too. And thanks for that," Kentaro replied, before inquiring about his mother and Izumi's whereabouts.
"They're inside prepping brunch. If it weren't for Akihiro telling us yesterday, we wouldn't have known you were coming so soon," Misa explained.
After a few more exchanges, the boys were finally released from Misa's talkative clutches and entered the cozy kitchen. They slipped off their shoes at the cottage's entrance and into comfortable house slippers waiting for them by the door.
Yumiko's face brightened as her favorite boys entered the kitchen. Their monthly visits had become routine, and her initial exaggerated reactions had mellowed over time. Yumiko expressed her satisfaction with a brief hug.
"We heard your arrival a while ago, but it seems Misa held you up again," Yumiko chuckled, returning to her task of cutting greens on the counter.
Izumi, working at the stove, scoffed, "That woman does talk a lot."
"Was that an insult? Are you making fun of me right now?" Misa's voice boomed from outside, accompanied by Kaiya's displeased cries. Misa frantically apologized, "Shh, shh, sorry, so sorry. I'm singing..."
Laughter filled the kitchen as everyone moved on from the incident.
"So, Mr. Graduate," Izumi addressed Kentaro with a grin, "Have you decided which high school you'll be attending?"
Akihiro, already seated, tensed at the question, waiting for Kentaro's response. However, Kentaro maintained his smile, taking his seat on the other side without an immediate answer.
Not noticing the silence's peculiarity, Yumiko replied on his behalf, teasingly, "Knowing him, it'll probably be the same high school as Haru-chan."
Izumi laughed, "I've always wanted to meet this 'Haru' and see for myself the person who has successfully wrapped our stubborn Kenta around their little finger. Is it true you chose the same school as him?"
Kentaro nodded lightly, ignoring the tightening in his throat. "Yeah."
"I knew it," his mother snickered.
"You know, if you're not careful, Kenta might bring you a son-in-law instead of a daughter," Izumi joked, causing Akihiro to almost choke on air.
"I wouldn't mind. Although, if that were the case, I'd have to meet Haru-chan and judge for myself before accepting him as a son-in-law, right?" Yumiko chuckled, leaving uncertainty as to her seriousness.
As the others continued chatting happily, Kentaro's mind drifted, struggling to keep up with the conversation. His hands clenched lightly in his lap as he fought the urge to dwell on the fact that everything they discussed was now in the past. He wouldn't be returning to Ichihara anytime soon.
Leaving that place had once held a glimmer of hope, a chance to find a way to improve his and his mother's situation. Even when facing Satoshi earlier, his resolve hadn't wavered. It was only after his encounter with Izuki that his hope dwindled. Now, when he saw his mother's radiant face, all he could think of was the impending misery that awaited her. He wanted to feel happiness in her presence, to truly be happy, but it felt impossible now.
His teeth clenched, and a wave of regret washed over him.
He regretted sharing his secret with outsiders, knowing that this reckless decision had led to their current predicament. He shouldn't have opened up to anyone, and he shouldn't have chosen to live in that town.
He should've remained a puppet, blindly following his father's instructions. Perhaps then, he would have had a better chance of turning the tables in the future.
"I'll find a way..."
The moment the memories of those familiar words resurfaced, Kentaro's composure shattered. Tears welled up in his eyes, silently spilling down his cheeks.
No, Haru, you won't. It's already too late.
We've failed.
~~~~~~