The atmosphere in the headquarters was thick with tension, a palpable weight that seemed to press down on everyone present. Kazu had consciously tried to distance himself from the bustling main areas, retreating to the balcony or wandering through the less-frequented corridors. Despite the well-meaning encouragement from Hanzo and Unmei, the burden of accusations and Atama Kaku's judgment loomed large over him like a dark cloud, casting shadows on his thoughts.
As evening descended, Atama summoned him to her office. Kazu hesitated at the door, taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart before stepping inside. The room was dimly lit, and Kaku sat behind her desk, her posture rigid and her expression inscrutable. She gestured for him to take a seat, but he chose to remain standing, unwilling to yield to the oppressive atmosphere.
"I've been reviewing everything," Kaku began, her voice steady yet cold. "And I cannot overlook your history, Kazu. Your recklessness, your inability to follow orders, your tendency to bring chaos wherever you go—it's not just this breach; it's everything, including... Kami."
At the mention of her name, Kazu felt his heart skip a beat; it struck him like a knife twisting in his chest. "What are you talking about?" he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You've always been a problem," Kaku continued, rising from her chair as she spoke with increasing intensity. "Kami was disciplined, responsible—everything a child should be. And yet, because of you, she's gone! You were always the one causing trouble—the one our parents had to apologize for. She went missing because of you! You ruined everything—our family, her life—everything!"
Kazu froze at her words, each syllable slicing through him with brutal precision. For years he had carried the weight of blame that his parents had placed upon him; guilt had become an unwelcome companion. But hearing it from Kaku—his sister—was unbearable.
His hands balled into fists as anger surged through him like wildfire. His breathing grew heavier, and his vision blurred with a mix of rage and sorrow. It was as though something inside him snapped for the first time in his life.
"Enough!" he bellowed, his voice reverberating off the walls and shaking the very foundations of their confrontation.
Kaku stepped back in surprise at his sudden outburst. The soft-spoken brother she knew was gone; in his place stood someone fierce and unyielding—a fiery intensity radiated from him that sent an involuntary chill down her spine.
"You think it's my fault?" Kazu said, his voice low yet trembling with fury. "You think I wanted this? That I wanted Kami to be gone? I loved her more than anyone! She was the only one who ever cared about me when the rest of you treated me like garbage!"
Kaku opened her mouth to respond, but Kazu cut her off again, stepping closer as he unleashed his pent-up emotions.
"You were manipulated! Just like our parents were!" he shouted, eyes blazing with passion. "They needed someone to blame! It was easier to make me the scapegoat than to accept that they failed to protect her! And you—my sister—believed them! You hated me without ever questioning why! You never even asked how I felt!"
Kaku's composure began to crack; her lips trembled as she struggled to find words that would suffice in this moment of raw honesty. But no words came.
Kazu's voice softened but remained heavy with pain as he continued, "Do you know what it's like to be locked away? To be blamed for things you didn't do? To watch the people you love turn their backs on you? I've carried this alone for years—and I'm done! I'm done taking the blame for something that was never my fault!"
Silence enveloped the room like a thick fog as Kaku stood frozen in disbelief. Her brother's outburst shattered any remnants of her usual dominance; she now faced a side of him she had never imagined existed—a side that forced her to confront truths she had buried deep within herself for far too long.
With a heavy heart and trembling shoulders, Kazu turned toward the door, ready to leave this painful exchange behind him. "If you want to believe I'm the villain," he said over his shoulder, "go ahead. But don't expect me to stay silent anymore."
Kaku was left alone amidst a whirlwind of emotions as he stormed out of the office with purpose, slamming the door behind him with a force that echoed throughout the headquarters. For the first time in years, she found herself questioning everything she thought she knew about her brother—and herself. The confrontation had unveiled wounds that ran deeper than she could have anticipated and set into motion a storm that neither sibling could ignore any longer.