Slap.
Zenjiro's hand struck Akira's face, the sharp sound echoing through the study. The force jerked Akira's head to the side, but he remained seated.
Mayumi flinched beside him, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt, knuckles white. Across from them, Zenjiro loomed, his face twisted in rage, while the carriage driver stood quietly in the corner, his face bruised and swollen. They were surrounded by bookshelves lined with numerous books, the scent of old paper thick in the air.
Slap.
Zenjiro struck him again, harder this time.
"You took a gun to college?"
He bellowed.
"Have you lost your mind? How dare you! And then you fired it?!"
Akira sat motionless, staring at the polished wooden floor. His chest rose and fell in controlled breaths. His fists curled at his sides, and his nails bit into his palms.
"You don't have time for all this,"
he muttered under his breath.
"So I didn't have a choice. Gun, bazooka, tank… I grabbed whatever I could."
Zenjiro's face darkened. He jerked forward.
"Come again?"
Akira lifted his head, eyes locking onto his father's.
"Gun, bazooka, tank—"
Slap.
Zenjiro's palm collided with his son's cheek again, sending his head snapping to the side.
"You could have gotten arrested,"
Zenjiro growled, voice shaking with fury.
Mayumi whimpered, her shoulders trembling. The carriage driver shifted uncomfortably, his swollen face downcast.
"You could have ended up in jail if I withdrew my support,"
Zenjiro continued his face inches from Akira's.
Akira exhaled sharply.
"Just do it, Dad. I don't mind going to jail."
Zenjiro blinked, momentarily taken aback by the calm defiance in Akira's voice. The room was thick with tension, suffocating.
Akira turned his attention to the battered carriage driver.
"Mr. Venis…"
Venis hesitated, his swollen eye flickering towards him before looking away. His silence spoke volumes.
"You got beat up because of me today,"
Akira said softly, his voice low but firm.
"I will never forget it."
Zenjiro turned to the door and shouted,
"Yuri!"
"Yuri!"
His voice rose again.
"We've raised a criminal!"
Akira's gaze snapped back to him.
"Don't call me criminal, Dad."
The door creaked open, and Yuri entered, her expression alarmed. "What happened?"
Zenjiro ignored him, turning to Yuri, his voice shaking with indignation.
"And I'm sure he doesn't even care if those boys are dead or alive."
"They're alive,"
Akira said, his voice steady.
"I only did what was necessary to scare them."
He shifted his gaze to Mayumi.
"Stop crying, Mayumi. Tomorrow, you'll notice a distinct change in how everyone treats you."
Zenjiro stormed forward, grabbing Akira by the collar.
"Who are you to scare them?! Who do you think you are?!"
Akira remained still, but he met his father's glare.
"Zenjiro, please,"
Yuri interjected, her voice laced with concern.
"What's going on?"
Akira turned to her.
"You want to know what happened?"
His voice carried a sharp edge.
"Mayumi has been getting bullied in college for the past two days. Does anyone in this house know anything about that?"
Yuri's eyes widened.
"What?"
Zenjiro's grip loosened, his posture stiffening as he took a step back.
Akira readjusted himself,
"Two minutes, Dad. Just for two minutes, forget about law and order."
He looked Zenjiro in the eyes,
"Do you really think I made a mistake?"
Zenjiro's shouted,
"You didn't make a mistake! You committed a crime!"
Akira didn't flinch. Instead, he took a slow, deliberate breath.
"Mayumi called you, but you were too busy. She tried to reach you at the factory. Then at the workshop. You weren't available, Dad."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Akira's voice lowered, but the weight behind it only grew heavier.
"After you, who is the man in charge here?"
He raised a finger and pointed at his own chest.
"I am."
His voice didn't waver.
"I am responsible for everything that happens in this house. Don't even call me a criminal, Dad."
Zenjiro's fists trembled at his sides.
"If the son of the richest man in the country can't even protect his sister, then what is the use of all this?"
His piercing gaze bore into Zenjiro's.
"Tell me, Dad. What is the use of all this?"
Zenjiro's gaze broke away from Akira as he turned his back, his shoulders tense. Yuri's eyes flickered between father and son, studying Akira as if seeing him for the first time.
Akira's voice cut through the silence, steady and unwavering.
"If you think what I did is a crime…"
He lifted his hand, pointing between himself and Zenjiro, his movements slow and deliberate.
"Then what you're doing to me… is also a crime."
Without another glance, Akira turned on his heel and strode toward the exit.
"Couldn't you see that Mayumi is upset? You should've let me know!"
His voice thundered to the staffs of the house.
Zenjiro surged out.
"Where the hell were you? Get out. All of you!"
Yuri flinched and hurried out, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor.
"No one's going anywhere,"
Zenjiro barked, his glare fixed on Akira.
Akira turned back.
"You're the one leaving. For boarding school."
"That's it."
Akira gave a slow nod, unbothered by the decision, and then looked toward the room where Mayumi sat sobbing.
"Mayumi."
Inside, his sister sniffled, her shoulders shaking. Her small frame curled inward as if trying to make herself disappear.
Akira's voice was cold.
"Next time something like this happens, I won't just scare them."
His gaze darkened.
"I'll bloody kill them."
Zenjiro's fury boiled over. He stormed forward and struck Akira across the face, the slap echoing in
the silent room.
…
Evening draped the sky in shades of amber and violet. Akira sat on a wooden bench outside, his arm draped around Mayumi. He turned his head slightly.
"Mayumi, you know how much I love you, right?"
She didn't answer, her eyes locked on the ground. Akira exhaled and pulled her in, pressing a firm kiss to the side of her head. She didn't resist, but the frown on her face remained deep.
"I don't know that,"
She mumbled and turned to Akira.
"You just go and apologize to Masashi."
Akira's gaze shifted. A few meters away, Mina stood hesitantly, watching them. Akira lifted a hand and motioned her over.
"Mina, come here."
She stepped closer, her small hand sliding into his as she sat on his left. Akira turned to her, his expression lighter.
"You know how much I love you guys, right?"
Mina nodded.
"I know, Brother."
Mayumi turned, her red-rimmed eyes settling on Mina. The two sisters locked eyes.
Akira leaned over and kissed Mina's head just as he had done to Mayumi. His voice was steady when he spoke again.
"Do you trust me?"
Mina nodded.
"Yes, I trust you."
Akira's gaze flicked back to Mayumi.
…
Up on the terrace, under the glow of lanterns, Zenjiro, Yuri, and Masashi sat surrounded by guards. The cool breeze did little to ease the tension between them.
Akira approached Masashi. When he reached him, he lowered himself and touched his feet in a traditional gesture of apology.
"Masashi, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
His voice was even as he backed away to his sisters. He glanced at Zenjiro, then at Masashi, his expression impassive.
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
Masashi looked bewildered.
"What is going on?"
He turned to Zenjiro, who hadn't taken his eyes off Akira. His expression was unreadable.
"Dad, did you say something to him?"
"Hey, did I ask you for an apology?"
Akira's expression is unreadable.
"No, right? This is normal in families. There's no need for all this."
Masashi waved a hand dismissively.
"Dad, you tell him."
Zenjiro didn't respond, his sharp gaze still locked onto Akira.
Masashi's den den mushi rang, breaking the moment.
He sighed, excusing himself as he stepped away to take the call. Mayumi followed him, leaving the terrace.
Akira turned to Mina.
"Why does he call him 'Dad'?"
Mina blinked, caught off guard by the question.
Akira's eyes narrowed.
"Doesn't he have his own father? He should call him 'Sir.'"
Mina sighed.
"Bro shut up for a second."
Akira ignored her.
"No. I can call him Dad. He is my father, not his."
"He is father to you, Mayumi, and me."
He scoffed.
"Even our Dad, too… he called him Dad. And he just accepted it."
Mina exhaled, exasperated, then turned toward their parents.
"Mom, Dad, can we go and cut the cake now?"
Yuri nodded.
"Yes."
She cast a glance at Zenjiro before rising to her feet. Without another word, she walked toward them, resting a hand on Akira's shoulder before leading Mina away.
Akira watched them go, leaving only himself and Zenjiro behind on the terrace, the air thick with unspoken words.