Kyoko stared silently at the commotion happening in front of her—a scuffle that had even escalated to physical altercations, as Yui retaliated against Ryu's annoyance with another chopstick strike.
Kyoko stood speechless, too shocked to respond. She couldn’t believe how wrong her assumptions had been. And of course, she could easily trace the reason.
It was because she had drawn conclusions with her heart, not her mind. Kyoko had rushed to conclusions without weighing evidence or considering other reasonable possibilities.
She had easily believed that Yui was Ryu's girlfriend, or perhaps even his wife, despite many things that should have raised questions.
Ryu had previously mentioned having an older sibling, but he didn't specify the gender, so the possibility wasn't completely ruled out. It was a rare mistake for Kyoko to make. Ryu was the culprit behind that mistake.
Kyoko knew well that Ryu didn’t just unsettle her
"Where are you going?" When Kenji saw Akiko following him outside, dressed neatly, he asked. Kenji went to work, and Akiko usually stayed home."I'm delivering this to Miura-san." Akiko lifted the macramé she had finally finished making."She’s going to tease you again. Just watch." Kenji chuckled softly as he sat on the chair by the door to put on his shoes.Akiko instantly sulked as she realized the truth. Miura never got bored of teasing her every time they met. The wedding ceremony had been almost three weeks ago, but Miura still kept bringing up the kiss Akiko had shared in public.Many guests had taken photos and videos of the event, so Miura had no trouble showing Akiko's daring act back then."You should have stopped me instead of making it worse!" Akiko sulked, sitting next to Kenji. She noticed how Kenji had actually cupped her head, prolonging the moment.Kenji laughed and flicked Akiko's nose. "I did it on purpose. I
"Wait! It’s probably nothing. It’s stopped!" Akiko tried to stop Kenji, who was running fast towards the clinic next to the village head's office.But Kenji wasn’t listening anymore. He rushed into the clinic, startling the female nurse sitting at the reception desk. The clinic was already quiet."Kenji-kun? What’s going on?" She asked in surprise, glancing at Akiko, who immediately turned to look at her as well. The use of "Kenji-kun" made Akiko feel an unpleasant twinge of dislike.Akiko glanced at the nurse to gauge her age. She was probably in her thirties, older than herself, but she was clearly the only young woman Akiko had seen since arriving in this village."Nosebleed," Kenji said as he lowered Akiko onto a waiting chair. His breathing was ragged, and he was drenched in sweat from carrying Akiko for quite a distance."One moment. I’ll call Saito-sensei." The nurse went inside to get the doctor."Are you close with that nurse?" Akiko asked, still holding her fingers under her
Kenji chuckled softly as Akiko placed the bowl on the table with a loud clatter as soon as they got home."Don't tell me you're still mad," Kenji said."Hmm..." Akiko responded with a huff."I don't care about her at all. I don't even know her first name—just that she's Nishimura." Kenji had never bothered to ask because he didn't see the need.Akiko narrowed her eyes at Kenji, but then turned away toward the sink, cleaning the vegetables she would use for the soup.Kenji also squinted his eyes, trying to guess what Akiko was thinking. "Now why are you mad?" Kenji asked.Earlier, he had understood that Akiko was jealous, but now she seemed upset about something else. Something Kenji couldn't figure out.Akiko sighed. She was usually amazed at how well Kenji could read her thoughts, but this time, she was annoyed because it felt like he was invading a part of her mind she didn't want to dwell on."You laughed," Akiko said, covering the pot of boiling water and adding the vegetables."I
“Excuse me, who are you here to see?”Of course, a nurse would stop them as they walked toward Dr. Hayashi's practice room. There was no way they could walk in without being questioned, especially since his practice hours were already over.“We're Dr. Hayashi's nieces and nephews. We had an appointment earlier, but it seems he forgot. We had no choice but to come here directly.” Kenji put in all his effort to be as polite as possible. Akiko, standing next to him, tried to offer a smile, mixed with an apologetic look.“Oh? But Dr. Hayashi didn’t mention anything about an appointment.” The nurse looked puzzled.“Yeah, that’s the issue. He forgot. If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell him we're here? Just say Kenjiki, his nephew from Karuizawa, has arrived.”With that code, Kenji hoped Hayashi would understand who he was and not cause any trouble.“Of course. One moment.”The nurse knocked on Dr. Hayashi's office door and entered. Kenji squeezed Akiko’s hand again and quickly glan
“What do you mean you can’t? I’m only asking for a list of apartments that are currently available or for sale. I will use your agency,” Kyoko didn’t understand why Kudo was refusing her request.“Sorry, but I can’t give out information to someone outside of Shingi Fusaya right now. There are new, very strict regulations about this. I can’t break those rules.” Kudo sounded very regretful.“What regulations? You helped me get an apartment yesterday!”Kyoko clearly didn’t believe it. She wasn’t even an employee of Shingi Fusaya when Kudo helped her a few weeks ago. Kudo had easily secured an apartment for her without considering any rules. It seemed strange that he now felt he had to be careful.“Actually, this regulation has been around for a long time, but it was very loose because the marketing department’s priority is to sell the units. But earlier, HR announced that there had been a leak of information to a competitor. Because of that, they asked all employees to be cautious. I can
“Is my sister inside?” Ryu inquired as soon as he reached home. He only saw Kyoko sitting there, staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest.“No. She left with her shinai. I don’t know where she went,” Kyoko replied curtly.“Ah... she's training.” Ryu wasn’t affected by Kyoko’s cold tone and responded to the news with relief. He wasn’t in the mood for a fight tonight.“Yui Onee-chan most likely went to one of Kuryugumi’s dojos nearby,” Ryu said as he took off his jacket and sat down.It was a simple movement, but Kyoko averted her gaze before feeling any more foolish. Ryu wasn’t trying to look more handsome, but the way he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves was oddly captivating.“So, why are you sitting out here?” Ryu assumed Kyoko was in the front room chatting with Yui.“Did you stop me from getting an apartment?” Kyoko looked at Ryu with determined eyes. She asked, but the answer was already in her mind.Ryu sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Kyoko wasn’t e
"Hmm… Maybe I need to clarify it. It seems like you’re having trouble processing this."Ryu stood up and approached Kyoko, who had also stood up, shocked. Kyoko's eyes were still locked on Ryu, who was now smiling, but her body seemed frozen.Ryu voiced his feelings aloud, and her mind suddenly became a mess. She couldn't form a sharp reaction, let alone a rejection.On the other hand, Ryu never took his eyes off Kyoko, barely blinking. He wanted her to understand that there was no hesitation in what he was about to say."I love you. Is that clearer now?" Ryu asked, reaching for Kyoko’s cheek. He wanted to gently stroke it, hoping for a reaction—anything to break her silence. But the reaction he got was far from what he expected.SLAP!Kyoko slapped Ryu's hand away the moment his fingertips touched her cheek. Ryu hadn’t even had a chance to caress it. Kyoko immediately stepped back, her face pale."No! You can’t say that! Those words are disgusting!" Kyoko hissed, clutching the cheek
"I hate working for other people," Kenji suddenly muttered while tightening his embrace around Akiko.“What?” Akiko, still groggy from sleep, didn’t catch what he said. She turned to face Kenji and pulled up the blanket to ward off the cold, her back exposed without showing any clothes.“I said, I hate working for other people,” Kenji repeated as he opened his eyes, gently stroking Akiko’s cheek, who was now fully awake as well.“What’s with this sudden statement?” Akiko frowned.“Because I actually just want to stay home today and do nothing." Kenji sighed, "Be with you."“You mean you want to skip work but can’t?” Akiko chuckled softly as she understood what Kenji meant.“Yes, unfortunately, I can’t.”“Have you ever skipped work?”"I do, but no one will scold me. Right now, Ono wouldn’t scold me, but he would make
"Yuto-kun? Where are you? Have you seen the news? You have to see it!"Karin's panicked shout left Kenji feeling slightly disappointed. Karin didn’t recognize his voice. She kept talking, thinking she was speaking to Yuto."That’s Otou-san, right? What happens now? Will that position be lost?" Karin was panicked, and naturally, Kenji smiled.It was better this way. She couldn’t recognize his voice because she didn’t expect him to be involved in all the misfortunes that had occurred. Kenji had answered the phone because he wanted to give Karin a little hint about what was coming her way next. But perhaps it wasn’t necessary. Surprises always produced more satisfying results."Yuto-kun?!" Karin shouted again, having received no answer.So, Kenji crouched down and covered the phone’s mic."Answer, but don’t say anything about me," Kenji whispered, commanding and threatening.Yuto clearly wanted to
[For the next news. We were taken aback by the unexpected news that arrived today. We have confirmed that this case is currently under police investigation as we release this report.]The opening of the news made Yuto glance back at Kenji. He couldn’t understand why Kenji had come over just to invite him to watch TV. It couldn’t be that simple.But Kenji wasn’t paying attention. He continued to watch the television, smiling.[This morning, it was reported that a man with the initial 'K,' who was recently appointed as the Minister of Education, has committed a criminal act.]At that point, Yuto's face went pale. Although the news only mentioned an initial—not a full name—the title mentioned was enough to clarify the identity. Since only one person on Earth had been appointed Japan's Minister of Education, the narrative fit perfectly.Yuto could easily imagine what had happened because he had spent half his life knowing
“What’s wrong with you?”Kenji held back Akiko’s hand, which was about to feed her a large piece of roasted fish without removing the bones. Akiko was just going to eat it as is.“Oh.” Akiko looked at the fish on the end of her chopsticks and put it back down.Kenji moved his chair closer to Akiko, took the plate, separated the fish meat from the bones, and then returned it. Now it was safe to eat.“What were you daydreaming about?” Kenji asked.Earlier, Kenji thought Akiko was just sleepy, so he didn’t pay much attention to the food in front of her. But Akiko didn’t look drowsy; her eyes were just vacant, lost in thought.“I… Oh, never mind.” Akiko shook her head and proceeded with her breakfast.“If you don’t like today’s activities, cancel everything and rest.” Kenji was unable to recall what Akiko had planned to do next.&
"Let go!"As she got closer, Akiko began to hear the conversation between Shibata and the foreign man.The man appeared to be struggling, trying to free himself from Shibata. His hands were tied behind his back.Akiko instinctively hesitated to approach, not understanding what was happening. The rope binding him was concerning, but she still wanted to know what was going on."Shibata-san, what’s happening?" Akiko called out a bit loudly to get Shibata's attention.Both Shibata and the man arguing with him turned to her in surprise. At first, Akiko focused solely on Shibata—the person she recognized more—but the foreign man drew her attention more.This was because Akiko noticed how the man was staring at her with unblinking eyes. He was scrutinizing her from head to toe, making Akiko feel uncomfortable. She instinctively took two steps back, wanting to avoid his gaze. She disliked that look; it felt wrong—disgusting.
“What happened in the front room?” Akiko asked curiously as she entered Kenji’s office and approached him, sitting in a chair and staring at his laptop.Akiko had seen a few people fixing the shoji door, which had earlier been split by a blunt katana.“There was a stray cat that came in, and there was a bit of a scene getting it out,” Kenji said, closing the laptop and extending his hand. As usual, Akiko took his hand and sat on his lap, resting it on his thigh.“Where’s the cat? Was it cute?” Akiko inquired as she settled in, craning her neck to look around the room.Kenji felt a pang of regret upon witnessing Akiko's intense passion for cats. He gave the first excuse that came to mind—a mild one, hoping to end the conversation quickly. He forgot that Akiko had always been fond of cats and fluffy animals.“It’s gone, and you shouldn’t try to find it,” Kenji said, gently
Yuto tried to escape by opening the sliding door, but someone was standing right in front of it, looking startled as the door suddenly opened.Relief washed over Yuto, hoping for help from the person. He grabbed the man's hand."Please… he…"Before he could finish his plea, Yuto's body was pushed back into the room, and the door slammed shut.Of course, Kojima wouldn't dare interfere with whatever Kenji was about to do. He wasn't Ryu, who was empowered to stop Kenji from killing. Kojima himself could become the target if he got too involved.Panicking, Yuto turned around and collapsed to the floor, his legs giving out as Kenji approached closer. Kenji's eyes were locked onto him, not wavering for a second."I didn't know at first! Really! I only found out after Akiko left. I only did the test after she left the house!"Yuto raised his hands, trying to block the impending strike. He pleaded for Kenji to reconsider w
"Sandaime, the guest you’ve been waiting for has arrived."Kojima met Kenji in his office and reported who had arrived. Kenji slammed the documents in his hand on the desk.He was furious, as the arrival of that trash man was a sign that something had gone wrong. Kenji was already aware that something was amiss, but he was unsure of the specific cause.Ever since he received the report about Yuto’s strange movements—disappearing into a foreign car for a while, then emerging to visit his home in Tokyo—it had raised questions. But the next report angered Kenji even more: Yuto had gone to Osaka—to the grand house of the Kuryugumi.The sequence of visits—first to Tanaka's home in Tokyo and then in Osaka—clearly demonstrated Yuto's familiarity with him. Kenjiki Tanaka, known as the Sandaime, was indeed the same Kenjiki Tanaka who resided in Akiko's uncle's home.However, Kenji's plan to destroy Nakam
Yuto glanced at the man sitting next to him. He looked friendly, slightly past middle age, with a smooth bald head.At first, Yuto had been surprised when he saw the man, expecting to meet someone much older or perhaps physically disabled. When the two men now seated in the front row mentioned that the person they were serving couldn't get out of the car, Yuto immediately had that image in mind.A misleading statement immediately put Yuto on guard, and sitting next to the man only increased his suspicion. The man appeared to smile kindly, but his smile was actually a probing one. He kept observing.“Sorry, but what is this about?” Yuto asked, slightly annoyed. He needed an explanation, not scrutiny.“No need to panic. I'm just going to take you for a short ride. It won’t be far,” the man explained,still smiling.Yuto could see the truth in the man's words, as the car was merely circling the school area.
"Are you sure you don’t want to hire anyone else to help?"Yuto asked the question again, for what felt like the hundredth time—ever since his mother had returned from the hospital about two weeks ago—to Karin."No. As long as it's limited to cooking for Okaa-san and attending to her other needs, I can manage. I’m happy to do this because I can finally repay her for everything she’s done for me."Karin answered emotionally while feeding porridge to Kaede. But the porridge trickled out again as Kaede spat it back out.It kept happening, and Karin repeated the process over and over. Only two of the ten spoonfuls actually made it into Kaede's body. Even though her face was slightly tilted, her lip muscles could still muster the energy to spit. Sadly, she could only make faint grumbling sounds."Okaa-san, why don’t you want to eat? You need to keep eating. I’m sure Okaa-san will recover." Yuto knelt besid