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
“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
"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.
"Damned woman! You've cut off our family's lineage with your infertility!"Akiko wiped her tears, not daring to show herself. She continued hiding behind the wall as her mother-in-law passed by in the corridor. Her expression made it clear that she was furious.Her anger had been simmering all day, from before Akiko's husband left in the morning to the afternoon. Akiko had only suggested that her husband see a doctor to check his fertility because she had done it several times and the results were normal. This suggestion was received as a disaster: her mother-in-law was enraged, and her husband refused and left her."Where are you? You are nothing but a barren, sickly woman!" Another shout echoed, making Akiko jump. She feared her mother-in-law might truly harm her. She had never been this angry before.Akiko sneaked towards the door as quickly and silently as possible."You only use our family name to gain respect. But you are useless!” The shout was followed by the sound of someth
Kenji held Akiko’s hand, his remaining common sense reminding him to prevent Akiko from undressing.“Akiko, stop! What are you doing?”His noble intentions did not align with Akiko’s desires, as she pushed Kenji’s hand away and fully removed her thin nightgown, along with everything else. No fabric remained on Akiko’s body, and Kenji could only watch, wondering if it was all a dream—it seemed too impossible.“Hot—” Akiko’s soft moan was audible as she lay down. Her eyes closed, as if asleep, but her hands kept caressing her own body, as if trying to dispel the heat enveloping her.A pair of eyes had been unblinkingly watching Akiko's every move, swallowing several times. No man could maintain his sanity after witnessing this. Kenji, who had intended to do the right thing, had forgotten that intention. He tried to remember that the enticing girl was Akiko, but his lust and clouded mind started pushing away the remnants of his common sense.“Come here...”As if writhing wasn’t enough,
"I don't know, Aunt. Truly, it's a mistake. I don't understand." Akiko whimpered and begged for forgiveness. Though she had no memory, she knew her actions were disgusting."I pity you! I try to understand your burden! As your mother's only family, I've tried to help! I arrived here with the expectation of reestablishing a connection after an extended period of time apart; however, you struck me in the back. You're disgusting!"Karina kept hurling insults, and all of them were true. Akiko knew she deserved it. As a child, Akiko left her mother's homeland—Indonesia—to seek treatment for her illness in Japan, after her parents died. Akiko had only met Karina again as an adult, when she married Kenji.Karina was the only family Akiko had left besides Kenji, but now her disgusting actions have shattered that relationship."You don't deserve to cry! I do!" Karina pushed Akiko's shoulders, causing her to stumble.Fortunately, Akiko managed to lean against something to avoid falling. Hearing
But Kenji's hand was quicker; he grabbed Karina's arm and pulled her back inside while pushing the shoji* door shut.“Don’t you dare do that!” Kenji hissed. He didn’t care about Akiko’s marriage, but he didn’t want Karina to do something that would make Akiko cry for days.“Oji-san!” Akiko cried out in panic, as Karina now screamed in pain. Kenji was squeezing her arm hard, not just pulling her.“Don’t hurt her, Oji-san!” Akiko pulled at Kenji’s hand, trying to free Karina. Slowly, Kenji’s grip loosened, not because of Akiko’s pull but because of her tears.“Oji-san, I don’t want to be separated from Yuto. I don’t want to lose him. Please grant Auntie’s request.” Akiko then pleaded.A few seconds ago, her heart was still in turmoil, but the nightmare of being separated from Yuto was scarier to her. Akiko knew her request might be more than just impudent—asking her uncle to let go of his wife was crazy.In Akiko’s mind, they were married and happy. Kenji refused to grant the divorce r
Akiko quickly retreated to the corner of the bathroom, clutching her phone tightly. There was nothing she could do. Her body was tense as her eyes remained fixed on Kenji, who looked extremely angry.With a trembling voice, Akiko whispered, "Oji-san...""Oji-san!" Akiko screamed as Kenji's rough hand snatched her phone away.Without blinking, Kenji threw the phone against the bathroom wall, shattering it into pieces."Why did you do that?" Akiko wailed as she fell to the floor, gathering the fragments of her phone that were irreparable. The phone wouldn’t turn on, and the screen was cracked."I told you to stay here! You don't deserve to go back to that family!" Kenji hissed and tried to force Akiko to stand, but she pushed his hand away."No. I want to go back. I need to be with Yuto!"Kenji pulled Akiko’s face close, gripping her cheeks with his hand. "What do you like about him? He's weak! And he doesn't make you happy at all!""He's not weak. I’m happy with him! I’m---""LIES! If
Akiko wiped her tears away, taking two suitcases near her feet and using them as support to stand. She felt she had no more strength left. With vacant eyes, Akiko walked away from the gate. She didn’t know what to do or how to handle the situation. She didn't understand how Kaede knew what had happened.Karina shouldn't have spoken again, since she had already received the money she wanted and had her wish to leave Kenji fulfilled. But now it didn’t matter who had informed Kaede; Akiko’s worst fears had come true.Akiko sighed deeply, trying to hold back her tears as she staggered along. Physically, her body wasn’t in pain, but her heart was bruised and bleeding. She couldn’t even stand up straight.Akiko walked without looking anywhere, but she stopped when she noticed a familiar car stopping beside her. It's Kenji's car.Kenji hadn’t left. Kenji had been standing in front of Yuto's house earlier, clearly observing how Kaede had driven Akiko away. He had been following her the whole
"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
"You are too calm for a pregnant woman."Kenji didn’t scold her; he was simply amazed by how easily Akiko went about her usual activities.Akiko did not experience any nausea, dizziness, or vomiting. Akiko ate all her meals well, slept peacefully, and hadn’t requested anything strange so far.Kenji had prepared all the foods Akiko once liked, but none received any special reaction. She ate them, but never excessively. She followed her usual eating habits, not consuming boxes of mochi in one sitting. Her normal state surprised Kenji."She’s---or he calm because she’s very smart." Akiko placed the book she had been reading on the table and moved her hand to her belly, which had finally shown significant change. It appeared as though it had been hidden, and once Akiko became aware of it, it began to grow rapidly."Smart? How?" Kenji, who had been sitting cross-legged near the window, scooted closer and placed his hand on Akiko&
“What happened?!”Yuto shouted as he approached Karin, who was pacing in front of the ER—holding Kenzo, who was fast asleep in her arms. She was alone. There was no sign of Kaname nearby, not even in the distance.“Okaa-san, she suddenly collapsed. I don’t understand why. She... she was scolding me about the bad food I made, and then she just collapsed.”Karin spoke while tears streamed down her face. She sobbed and rushed into Yuto’s arms, but he held her shoulders and pushed her back slightly. With just two fingers—his index and thumb—as if brushing off something disgusting.“What are you doing? There’s no one here.” Yuto looked around. The area in front of the ER was quiet. They didn’t need to put on a show for anyone. Yuto wouldn’t touch her if he could help it.“I...,” Karin wanted to pretend she needed comfort, but Yuto would never give it. So she
"Ken, don't eat that!"Kaede turned when she heard the shout. She saw Karin rushing toward Kenzo, who was crawling across the tatami mat, trying to put a red Lego piece into his mouth. Karin lifted him from the floor, snatching the Lego, now wet with drool, from his hand."He's so clever. I just left him for a moment, and he's already off on an adventure." Kaede smiled happily as she approached her assistant to collect the letter."Ken will choke if this keeps up." Karin's tone was neutral, but it was clearly a complaint.Kaede had said she'd look after Ken while cooking but had easily left him on the floor, as though abandoning her responsibility."Are you scolding me?" Kaede looked at Karin, who was now placing her grandson beside the dozens of toys scattered across the floor."No, Okaa-san." Karin bowed before starting to remove the numerous toys that could pose a risk to Kenzo's safety.Kaede didn't consider whether the toys were su