Just a few thousands kilometers away from Japan. While Luvi was having a time of his life by embarrassing his academy.
Miriam was going through some other things in her mind.
'Its that boy, I am sure of it.'
Miriam thought while looking at Andy, who had become the talk of the academy once again. But this time for different reasons than before.
But what actually made her interested in him was the few messages she had received in her own group which she built in an attempt to spread her connections.
And Andy seemed to be one of the earliest entrants into it.
As for how she knows it is him?
LadyFingers: My nails still keep falling, does anyone have some recommendations? I am practicing the claw technique.
LadyFingers: The poison seems to have seeped into my nails, they now look purple.
LadyFingers: Nails are not curling any…..
He kept asking questions and rarely did anyone answer him, because they were as much as new to this as he was. The most they did was support each other if possible.
And if Miriam has to say something, it would be that Andy had some humor for using the derogatory name others used to bully him as his username.
Though, it was also why she found him odd.
'He grew too fast.'
Even Miriam, who had direct contact with DreamMachine was slow on the uptake and still a bit far from White star hunter.
Which made Miriam even more curious about this guy who was deemed untalented by the academy and left to rot in a corner.
And if possible, she even planned to support him with new techniques that would suit his situation.
'He would be perfect.' She thought.
The only reason she didn't approach him on the internet directly was simple.
'He is friends with that weird guy.'
And that's it.
She didn't know how deep the friendship between the two were. But having a guy like that beside him, made Andy a bit of a liability in himself.
So, she plans to take the wait and see approach.
*****
"What is this?"
"A toy-gun… you want this one as well?"
"There is no need, young master." The guard said after checking the gun for a while and then handing it back to him.
Aoto stood in front of a familiar building while going through a body check.
Something he was very used to whenever he met his father. Which went to show how to his father, he was nothing more than a stranger. Someone who can't be trusted.
Of course, he was right to not trust this son of his at this very moment. Because the toy gun which the security ignored was actually a dangerous weapon.
And if it was before, this might have been taken away by them as well. But after checking for a while after firing it… nothing happened beside a few sounds coming out of it, like a normal toy. So it was given back to Aoto, even though it looked weird for someone his age holding onto a toy like this.
Not to mention, Aoto has previously thrown his guns at their feets. And they were real guns at that time, not toy ones like this.
Walking in, he was followed by few others, each holding more strength than he was capable of ever achieving. And when he eventually reached his father's office, he saw there was someone else standing beside his father.
'Mister Musashi.'
That man was a Purple star bodyguard and his father's most trusted aide. Aoto even started to wonder if he pressed that button now, would FIX really be capable of rescuing him?
And even if he did. Wouldn't that also be the end of his relationship with his father?
There was also the fact that the toy gun might just be a toy and do nothing. And if did something drastic after putting his faith into it, his situation might just get worse.
"I am here, Father." Aoto said while giving a traditional salute to his father, which was rare to see these days.
But this was the Fuji family and his father was a traditionalist that hasn't abandoned the old ways. It was also for this reason why Aoto, even though being better than his older brother in every way possible, had no chance to succeed his family business unless his older brother died.
Neither was he crazy enough to kill his own brother for power and money.
So he just existed in a limbo, unable to do much. That is until DreamMachine gave him the chance of life.
"Who were you convening with before? What did you give them?" The tone Hiroto Fuji took with his son was that of indifference. It was as if he was not talking to his son, but asking for a report from an employee of his.
A tone that Aoto is very familiar with. And Aoto knew that if he didn't answer in the next ten seconds, he might just be fired like those employees or in his case, be reprimanded and thrown away.
"Speak now, Aoto!" Hiroto ordered in a stern voice.
"Father, I… " Aoto stopped, wondering what to say and how to explain his situation.
Should he tell the whole story?
Should he explain to his father the chance of a lifetime he got?
Should he try to use this opportunity to show that he was not as useless as he had assumed?
Many questions came to Aoto's mind, but then he calmed down.
'Yes, it doesn't matter.'
"I wish to leave the family."
It was not the answer that Hiroto wanted. Insead it was something absurd he never thought about. A request that seemed impossible for his son to ever consider.
So to make sure if he listened to his son's words clearly, he asked. "What did you say? Speak loudly!!" His tone, stern and his gaze heavy, almost made Aoto put his head down once again.
But he didn't.
Since joining the Heavenly stains, he understood that his life had long left the tracks his father had planned for him. And he found it interesting and fulfilling.
To him, who was not able to ever pursue or do anything that his father didn't like, he found it fun to be part of something so big, that even his father might not be aware of.
Not to mention, being able to access the knowledge that none in the world were aware of.
This was his rebellious period which came after a long delay.
He enjoyed rummaging through records of disgruntled employees and finding people to work for him, behind his father's back.
He loved to cook weird serum which might change the world, while his father dealt with magical skin care creams.
He loved making his own EMP machine and buying guns from black market as he readied to meet up with FIX.
This feeling of acting against his father.
This feeling of little freedom he was able to grab due to the ignorance and lack of interest of his father.
He loved it.
But, if he tells everything now and gives him the recipe to earn some minute appreciation from him.
He might lose this feeling.
So he got up from the ground, standing at the same height as his father, before saying. "I am leaving the family Father. I just wish for you to know this."
Seeing the light shining in his coward son's eyes, Hiroto felt the change in presence of his young child. Which is why he asked with a simple smile. "So instead of telling me who that drone belonged to, you chose to abandon the family. "
"This is why your brother will always be better than you." To him, Aoto's attempt to stand up to him didn't look like anything other than a childs tantrum. He even looked down on Aoto for choosing to abandon his family over a bunch of strangers who he met who know where.
But he was not ignorant. His men kept a tight watch over Aoto's actions and knew what he did.
And although he didn't care until learning that Aoto convened with an advanced drone and handed them something, he learned the process of how Aoto reached that level soon enough.
Right this very moment, while Hiroto was having a talk with his son. Hiroto has sent some of his men to check what is going on in Aoto's home and under Hiroto's order, they would leave nothing unturned.
"Not my brother?..." Hearing those familiar words Aoto wanted to put forward some profanity that he learned over the internet, but all he said was. "That brother of mine is a fool that only passed due to you bribing the college. He is a fool compared to me and nothing else."
Aoto knew that his brother had more talents than just studies. But he can't just do nothing while his father compares him to someone he considered inferior to himself.
"Lacking manners as well. Lessons would be needed to deal with that." His father still cared none of his son, his claims or his tantrums. He was just waiting for the report which would inform him of what was going on in Aoto's home.
So he denegraded him, put him down with simple words and looked down the inferior bloodline of his that couldn't even awaken with their family's hereditary ability.
And as he expected, Musashi who was looking over this drama received some information from his earpiece and then walked next to Hiroto Aoto's ear and spoke some words.
Words that caused Hiroto to be annoyed for the first time.
"Aoto… what kind of deal did you have with those people… what were you making for them?"
"?"
There was finally a break in his father's face, an emotion that he was unfamiliar with. But Aoto didn't answer his father.
"Father, I would be leaving the Fuji family and this is not a request."