Akihiro Kayame's anxiety grew with each passing moment of inaction, and the delay in Kentaro's return fueled his imagination with horrific scenarios. He didn't trust Izuki Harada and just knew the guy was probably up to no good.
What if he attacked Kentaro? Akihiro pondered on the possibility, aware that the disgruntled members of the Harada main family would likely dismiss it as an expression of anger. With Suguru and Nanako Harada spoiling Izuki, they would undoubtedly justify his actions as within reason.
Yumiko's words jolted him out of his thoughts. "Go check on him," she urged.
Akihiro sought clarification, doubting the course of action. "Are you sure? Misa and Izumi won't be here until later."
Nodding as she brewed tea, Yumiko affirmed their shared concern. "I'm just as worried. It would put my mind at ease if you were there with him in case something happens. I don't trust that Harada boy either."
Relieved that they were on the same page, Akihiro's declared, "I'll make sure there's no funny business."
He left the cottage and headed straight to the spot where they had parted ways with Kentaro. From there, he had no idea where to begin his search since he hadn't stayed long enough to gather any information earlier.
He explored the obvious places within the mansion, but found no one. Upon returning outside, he approached any passing staff, hoping for a lead on Izuki or Kentaro's whereabouts.
"I didn't see those two, but I saw young master Izuki's friends earlier," a kitchen staff member carrying groceries informed him. Akihiro had intercepted her on her way into the mansion, seeking information. "I overheard them mentioning something about the old storehouse. It made me wonder what they could possibly want from there."
The isolated old storehouse seemed like the perfect location for trouble. Expressing his gratitude, Akihiro hurried there, his suspicions finding further confirmation when he spotted two familiar colleagues standing guard outside the abandoned building.
The guards noticed him too and immediately succumbed to fear, bowing so low that their heads almost touched the ground. Despite them being a few years older than him, they still held Akihiro in awe, their reverence originating from his proximity to the chairman and his renowned strength, honed through intensive training abroad.
"What's going on here?" Akihiro's voice dripped with icy anger.
"I-It's the young master who ordered us to stand guard," Daijiro, the guard on the right, stammered. Relatively new to the job, he was more apprehensive of Akihiro than his colleague on the left.
"You guys really..." Akihiro's anger flared, his disappointment palpable. He moved closer, attempting to open the substantial doors. "You knew the kind of person Izuki Harada is, yet you still failed to report the situation!"
The colleague on the left, Hiroshi, felt ashamed. He had been working at the mansion for longer and knew exactly the kind of person Izuki was. Yet when faced with power, it wasn't as if he could have done something to prevent what had happened. "We apologize, boss."
Failing to open the doors after countless tugs, Akihiro almost lost him mind. "The hell, you even locked the place?!"
Daijiro anxiously shook his head. "We didn't lock the doors, sir!"
Hiroshi tried the doors as well, but they remained stubbornly shut. "I suspect they've been barricaded from the inside."
"Step aside," Akihiro commanded the two guards, his voice firm and resolute.
They complied, taking a step back, and Akihiro unleashed his frustration, kicking the door open with a powerful blow. The thick wooden plank barring the entrance snapped in half, the force from the kick pushing the doors wide open. Ignoring Daijiro's stunned expression, Akihiro rushed into the storehouse, his heart pounding with panic. During their time outside, it had been eerily quiet. If something had truly occurred within, it was likely over by now.
"KEN–" Akihiro's voice trailed off as he caught sight of Kentaro. The bodyguard had braced himself for a brutal encounter, expecting to find his young charge battered and bruised, cornered by Izuki and his friends.
Yet, reality shattered his assumptions.
Kentaro looked up from poking a random ant-hole he had discovered on the dirty, cracked cement floor. When he heard his name called, he casually waved the steel pipe in his hand.
"Hey, you came."
Unlike the two guards behind him, Akihiro masked his shock and approached Ginger composedly, trying to ignore the three 'corpses' the younger teen sat upon. His gaze shifted from the unconscious and bloodied Izuki to the semi-conscious Idiots A and C, who groaned in obvious pain. While they were beaten up, their condition paled in comparison to Izuki's.
Idiot B trembled in a corner, his knees pulled close to his chest. The sight of his friends' demise and his own black eye had shaken him to the core, rendering him incapacitated.
"Are you... alright?" Akihiro hesitated, unsure if it was the appropriate question to ask.
Kentaro shrugged nonchalantly and rose to his feet. "Can teeth be replaced?"
Akihiro's panic spiked at the mention of that. "What happened to your teeth?!"
Kentaro remained cool, his demeanor unfazed. "Not mine."
Oh?
Ken concluded his business with a casual flick of the steel pipe, nonchalantly discarding it as he made his exit. The two individuals who had been shadowing Akihiro silently cleared a path for the fiery-haired boy before joining their bewildered superior, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
Akihiro was beyond astonished. He had never fathomed that his seemingly innocent young master possessed such formidable fighting skills. When had Kentaro grown strong enough to single-handedly take on four assailants?
"Actually, boss," Daijiro finally regained his composure, tearing his gaze away from the injured figures sprawled on the ground to meet Akihiro's gaze. "It was Young Master Kentaro who instructed us not to intervene earlier."
Akihiro's eyes widened in disbelief. "Huh?"
Hiroshi nodded in agreement, his voice carrying an undertone of admiration. He, too, recalled Kentaro's words, spoken with unwavering determination:
"Don't interfere, no matter what you hear."
Initially, both Hiroshi and Daijiro had found their young master's command perplexing, even irrational. But now, witnessing the outcome of his actions, they realized the true depths of Kentaro Harada's strength.
**
It soon became apparent that Kentaro's condition was far from "fine".
Initially masked by his stoic demeanor, the true extent of Kentaro's injuries became apparent upon closer inspection. Akihiro's eyes fell upon the fractured arm, prompting him to rush the young master to the clinic without hesitation. Although his face and body were adorned with minor bruises, the real concern lay in Kentaro's arm—a small break that required realignment but not surgical intervention. However, the road to recovery demanded at least four weeks encased in a cast.
News of the brawl spread like wildfire throughout the mansion, and the tale of Kentaro Nomura—or rather, Kentaro Harada—subduing opponents larger and older than himself was met with awe and admiration. Regardless of personal opinions, the majority relished in the fact that the little prick Izuki Harada, who enjoyed flaunting his power and wealth, had finally been taught a lesson.
"Did you hear? The young masters got into a fight earlier," the workers whispered in hushed tones.
"They did! I saw the injured boys with my own eyes. Young Master Izuki bore the brunt of it!"
"It was high time that arrogant brat faced the consequences. He brought it upon himself, along with those three ungrateful goons."
"Shh! Lower your voice, or we'll get in trouble. But four against one? Unbelievable..."
"Who would have thought young master Kentaro possessed such strength? He's not one to be trifled with."
"Haha, when did you start addressing him so formally? Not that I'm complaining. I'm starting to like our new young master too."
"This is quite the spectacle. It's anything but your typical family drama..."
One could almost say that the incident had unexpectedly garnered Kentaro Nomura a legion of newfound admirers.
*
Satoshi's temples began to throb as he absorbed the harsh reality of what had truly transpired during the brawl. Idiot B— no, Ichiro Fujimori had been summoned to the chairman's study to provide an explanation for his involvement. Initially, the young man had intended to fabricate a story, placing most of the blame on Kentaro. But under Satoshi's piercing gaze, Ichiro couldn't bring himself to conjure up any falsehoods. He confessed, laying bare the truth, recounting in vivid detail how Izuki had initiated the violence and manipulated them into attacking his own brother, despite their group ultimately losing the fight.
Only after the unvarnished truth was revealed did Ichiro receive his dismissal, leaving the mansion without so much as a backward glance, whisked away by his chauffeur. He didn't even dare to check on the well-being of his companions, aware that they would never forgive him for exposing them, especially the vengeful Izuki. Why bother taking the risk? New friends could always be made.
The two guards who had been assigned to watch the storehouse were also summoned to give their statements, and all evidence pointed to Izuki Harada as the instigator.
Satoshi rubbed the fatigue from his forehead, feeling utterly drained. He wasn't even surprised by his eldest son's actions anymore.
The Harada elders were far from pleased, and Kohana, in particular, seethed with fury over her son's injuries. Even the families of Izuki's friends weren't pleased, but Satoshi couldn't punish Kentaro, who had been the victim in all of this. Frankly, he believed that Izuki and his cronies deserved the beating they received. They had messed with the wrong person, and the consequences were entirely their own doing. It was laughable that the adults suddenly wanted to intervene, simply because the outcome of the brawl hadn't been in their favor. Let the children settle their own disputes—why play favorites now?
As Satoshi pondered this, there came a knock at his door. He let out an exasperated curse.
Kohana had been pestering him relentlessly, demanding justice for her son's misfortune. If he had to endure another word from her, he feared he might lose his sanity.
"What is it?" he responded brusquely, his tone lacking warmth.
However, the voice that emerged from behind the door didn't belong to his wife. It was someone entirely unexpected.
"May I have an audience with Chairman Harada?"
While Kohana Ishihara's voice was loud and cutting, the voice behind the door was soft and melodious, instantly recognizable to Satoshi. Still taken aback, he straightened in his seat, adopting a more formal posture, pretending to be engrossed in important documents with a pen in hand.
His voice softened as he granted permission, "Please, come in."
The door clicked open, revealing Yumiko Nomura's petite figure adorned in a flowing blue floral dress. Contrary to her usual gentle and radiant demeanor, her brows were slightly furrowed, conveying a hint of indignation—a rare expression Satoshi had never witnessed before. Yet, her hands trembled ever so slightly as she stood before him, a clear sign of her unease.
She was undoubtedly displeased, yet still visibly nervous.
Offering the man a small nod in greeting, Yumiko spoke, "Sorry for bothering you."
"No worries," Satoshi put his pen aside and gestured to the nearby chair, "Take a seat."
"Thank you, but I'm not staying long."
Well, Satoshi wasn't about to insist if she didn't want to.
"First things first," Yumiko offered another nod, this time deeper than before, "I apologize for Kentaro's behavior. I know it reflects poorly on your family's reputation and probably disappoints you. He would have come personally, but I told him to rest due to his injuries."
Satoshi hadn't anticipated Yumiko coming to see him herself for this matter. Before he could respond, she surprised him with her next words.
"However, I won't apologize for the outcome of the incident. Honestly, I couldn't be happier. Those kids provoked my son first, so they got what they deserved," Yumiko's determination shone through as she raised her chin. "There are rumors that Kentaro might face consequences for his actions since some family members aren't pleased. I think it's ridiculous, considering my son got hurt too. So I came to hear the truth from you."
Earlier, Yumiko nearly had a heart attack when her son returned home with a broken arm. How could so much change in such a short amount of time? Weren't they all fine and well when they parted ways?
She nearly lost her cool upon hearing how displeased the other family members were because of Izuki's injuries. But whose child hadn't been hurt in that brawl, huh?
Satoshi rested his cheek in his hand, intrigued by the woman standing before him. Tapping lightly on his desk, he said, "It's true that the others are furious, but the part about Kentaro being punished is false. He's the victim here."
If the Chairman said it, then it had to be true.
"I see, then I have nothing to worry about. Thank you for taking the time to meet me," Yumiko offered a final nod before turning to leave. "I won't keep you from your work any longer."
"But I am curious," the man suddenly spoke up, causing Yumiko to pause at the door, "If Kentaro were actually going to be punished, would you have done something about it?"
Of course, he was only testing her reaction, but the way Yumiko turned to him with a cold, piercing gaze made his heart skip a beat, and not in a pleasant way. Her face was so unreadable that Satoshi had no clue what she was thinking. Even her previously somewhat nervous demeanor vanished as Yumiko continued to stare at him as if he were the most alien creature she had ever encountered.
Satoshi couldn't help but feel a little uneasy in her presence.
When Yumiko eventually spoke, her voice held a hint of steel, "Chairman, you know the only reason I've listened to you and kept quiet is because you promised to protect my son and ensure his safety all those years ago. Despite countless disappointments, I've never crossed the line and agreed to marry you like the obedient dog I am."
The faint smile that had danced on Satoshi's lips instantly faded.
Yumiko's lips curved up, but her next words sharply contrasted her pleasant expression, "Kentaro isn't the only one who knows how to make a scene. I sincerely hope you speak to your son so he stops harassing mine because I assure you, if something like this happens to my Kentaro again, a few lost teeth and broken bones won't be the only things you'll have to worry about."
~~~~~~
[Mini Theatre]
*Back at the cottage*
Ken: "That's the angriest I've seen mom in years."
Aki: "What are you talking about? Sure, she seemed shocked at first, but once we assured her you were fine, she was all smiles again."
Ken: "Check out the cutting board she was using before."
Aki: "Where is it? I don't see it."
Ken: "It's in the trash."
Aki: "Huh?"
Ken: "Split in half."
Aki: "What?!"
Ken: "Reminds me of someone. Sigh~ I miss Haru."
Aki: *Dude, that's so random..*