kotaru arrived home and found his sister sitting on the couch, silently looking at him. He walked up to her without hesitation and hugged her tightly, speaking in a quiet voice heavy with regret:
"I’m sorry… all of this happened because of me. I’m really sorry, don’t be mad at me… you’re all I have."
Yoko couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She broke down in tears, holding him tightly as if she was afraid of losing him too.
After a few moments, kotaru stood up and gently wiped her tears, then said in a serious tone:
"I promise you, starting today… I won’t touch that sword again… no matter what happens."
Yoko looked at him with eyes full of doubt and fear, but in the end, she nodded and said:
"Alright… keep that promise, kotaru."
He took a deep breath and told her:
"I’m going out for a bit. You should rest and eat something."
She hesitated before asking:
"Where are you going?"
He replied in a reassuring tone:
"To meet a friend. Don’t worry, I won’t take anything with me."
Yoko sighed anxiously and said:
"Don’t stay out too long. I’ll start making dinner."
kotaru nodded, then left, his expression carrying suppressed anger.
---
When he arrived at Ryo’s neighborhood, he began observing the place from a distance. The house was large, surrounded by a well-kept garden—clearly a sign of wealth.
But before he could get any closer, he spotted Ryo standing near a shop, holding his phone, looking tense as he muttered angrily:
"Damn it! Answer, you idiots! I didn’t give you that money for nothing!"
As he tried to call, a strange feeling crept over him… the sense that someone was watching. He quickly turned around, but found no one.
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He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But the more he moved, the more he felt that terrifying presence drawing closer… as if something dark was creeping toward him.
Then he finally turned—
kotaru was standing right in front of him, staring with completely cold eyes.
Ryo froze in place. His phone slipped from his hand as his body trembled uncontrollably.
"Y-You…"
He couldn’t even say his name.
kotaru slowly bent down to his level, closing the distance until only a few centimeters remained between them. Then he whispered in a low voice, carrying a clear threat:
"It seems your target has come to you on his own."
Ryo felt the air grow heavy. His body stiffened, unable even to think about running.
kotaru continued in the same calm, deadly tone:
"Listen carefully… this is your first and last warning. Stay away from my family, and don’t even try to find out what happened that night… otherwise, I will find you. And when I do, don’t expect any mercy."
He didn’t wait for a response. He stood up and walked away with calm steps, leaving Ryo sitting on the ground, unable to speak, his breathing uneven and sweat pouring down.
---
kotaru opened the door and stepped inside, his voice calm but clearly tired:
"I’m back."
---
After entering, he found Yoko in the kitchen preparing dinner. She immediately lifted her head when she heard his voice and hurried toward him with worried steps.
"You’re finally back… I was worried about you!"
kotaru gave her a small reassuring smile, but he felt exhaustion creeping through his body. He tossed his bag onto the couch and sighed.
"There was nothing to worry about."
But Yoko wasn’t convinced. She stepped closer, carefully examining his face, noticing his tense expression and the worry in his eyes that he hadn’t spoken about.
"kotaru… did something happen?"
He tried to change the subject, pointing toward the food:
"It smells good. What did you make?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly, but decided not to push further.
"Soup and some rice… sit down, I’ll finish it quickly."
kotaru sat at the table, resting his head on his hand, his thoughts still scattered… his encounter with Ryo wasn’t the end—it was just the beginning. Now he knew there was someone else involved, someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
"Ryo was just a chess piece."
He muttered those words quietly, but he felt Yoko’s eyes on him. He lifted his head and found her staring at him with concern as she placed the food in front of him.
"You’ve been thinking a lot lately…"
He smiled again and said:
"Just school stuff."
She didn’t reply, but sat across from him and started eating in silence.
After dinner, Yoko decided to go to sleep first, while kotaru remained sitting in the living room, staring at the ceiling, his mind analyzing everything he had been through.
"If Ryo hired those people… then who’s behind him?"
He stood up, went to his room, then took out his phone and began searching for any information that might lead him to an answer.
He opened the class list on the school website and scrolled through the students’ names. When he reached Ryo’s name, he tapped on it to view his profile…
"Son of a wealthy family. His father runs an investment company, and his mother is a hospital director…"
Nothing seemed unusual so far. But when he looked at the friends list, he noticed a familiar name…
"Hiroto?"
His eyes widened slightly.
"Why is his name here?"
He closed his phone and tossed it onto the table.