Chapter 24: Consequences

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Translator: Soafp

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[Father PoV]

Two months had slipped by like the falling leaves of autumn, and with each passing day, Nao made her way to the hospital to visit Ryota. I wanted to join her, to see my son and make amends for the mistakes I had made, but on my first attempt, I discovered that I had been placed on the block list.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Did I even have the right to see my son after everything I had done to him?

I made countless mistakes, each one more devastating than the last. I chose not to trust Ryota, even when I knew deep down that he was innocent.

Every time he and Yuto argued, I sided with Yuto without hesitation, further driving a wedge between me and my son.

And when things reached a breaking point, I made the unforgivable decision to kick Ryota out of the house, leaving him with nothing to survive in the cold. I know how hard it is and still kicked him out.

The list of my failures was long and shameful, a testament to my own shortcomings as a father. I had failed Ryota in every possible way, betraying his trust and abandoning him when he needed me the most.

Could I, in good conscience, call myself his father and demand access to him?

The answer was clear, and it filled me with a deep sense of shame. I had failed Ryota as a father, and now I had no right to intrude on his life any further.

So, I swallowed my anger and resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to visit him.

Instead, I relied on Nao to keep me updated on Ryota’s condition. But her responses were curt, almost dismissive, as if she were angry with me for the choices I had made. Each time I asked about Ryota, her answers were short and lacked any real detail.

[He’s doing fine.]

[Nothing’s changed.]

[He’s still breathing.]

Despite Nao’s evident resentment, I couldn’t fault her for it. After all, I had failed Ryota in the worst possible way, choosing to believe in the wrong person and betraying my own son in the process.

Now, I had to live with the consequences of my actions, even if it meant facing Nao’s justified anger.

As I was lost in my thoughts about the past, Yumi’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Dear…this letter is from the police.”

I glanced up, my heart skipping a beat as I took the letter from her hands. The sight of the official seal sent a shiver down my spine. Slowly, I opened it, my hands trembling slightly as I read the contents.

“It’s about Yuto.”

Yumi’s eyes widened in concern.

“What does it say?”

I read the police letter.

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Police Department

Dear Mr./Ms. Ken,

We are writing to inform you that a trial has been scheduled for the case involving Yuto Ken, scheduled for November 10th at 4:30 PM. The trial will be held at the court house, and Yuto Ken is being charged with multiple offenses, including:

-Possession of a switchblade

-Involvement in a physical altercation resulting in bodily harm

-Allegations of framing another individual

-Assault on a girl.

We request your presence at the trial to provide any relevant information or testimony you may have regarding these charges. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at XXX

Sincerely,

The police department.

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“…Is what being said.”

So they finally going to give Yuto his punishment for what he has done to Ryota.

“What are we going to do?”

“There is nothing that we can do but only wait till the day. Which is roughly a month from now on.”

“It feels like I am going through the same nightmare again…”

“Again?”

“N-no it’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”

Yumi started to walk away with anxiety however my anxiety also started to build up. Would Yuto reveal my secret in the trial, the secret I’ve been desperately trying to protect? Yuto was unpredictable, capable of doing whatever he wanted without regard for the consequences.

“I am going to my room to clear my head.”

I stood up from the chair and walked away from Yumi. I ascended the stairs and went to my room. I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contact to message someone.

[Today, I received a letter about my step-son’s trial.]

I contacted the person when I always was feeling down. After a few second the message was read.

[Really? You told me he was arrested.What are the charges?]

[-Possession of a switchblade

-Involvement in a physical altercation resulting in bodily harm

-Allegations of framing another individual

-Assault on a girl.]

[Uwaa, these are not light sentences… When is the date of the trial?]

[November 10th, at the court house.]

[What are you going to do?]

[What am I going to do…Of course I have to be there for Yumi, and knowing her she will definitely go. However, I am bit anxious]

[Don’t be, he is being charged for framing. I wonder if people ever will believe what ever he says.]

That person has a point. I shouldn’t be axious about it

[Yeah, you are right. Thanks]

[You are welcome. I have to go now, but I will speak to you later.]

[See you later]

I put my phone away and laid down in my bed.

I had always wondered what would have happened if I had never succumbed to my curiosity, if I had never felt the need to protect my secret. If only I had resisted, perhaps many people wouldn’t have been hurt, including that person…

I met her when I was 30 years old. At that time, my record wasn’t the cleanest. We struck up a conversation, exchanged contacts, and continued messaging each other. It was the first time I had ever felt such intense emotions, but I knew she had a boyfriend, so I tried to suppress my feelings.

Fast forward two years later, I was dating Ryota’s Mom. I thought I had finally moved on and that my life was taking a turn for the better. Then, she asked me to meet her at a café.

She revealed she was getting married to her fiancé, and I congratulated her. That’s where I should have drawn the line.

But she wanted one last encounter with me before tying the knot.

I should have declined since I now have a girlfriend but I agreed….

We ended up at a love hotel, and… we crossed a line that should never have been crossed.

I thought it would end there, that I would never see her again. But I was wrong. We continued our affair even after she got married, and even after I got married myself.

Around the time my wife was pregnant, she was also expecting. We decided to end things and vowed to keep it a secret.

However, this affair is just a piece of the other secret that I am desperately protecting.

So when I express fear that Yuto might expose my secret, I’m referring to the entire secret.

Yuto knows the full extent of the secret, and it weighs heavily on my conscience. The fear of it being revealed terrifies me, not just for the consequences it would have on my own life, but also for the impact it could have on others, especially Ryota.

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[Mother PoV]

As I stared at the letter, a wave of frustration washed over me, mingling with the bitter taste of regret. It felt like history was repeating itself, a relentless cycle of turmoil and chaos that I couldn’t escape.

Why did he have to follow in his footsteps? What had I done to deserve this? These questions echoed in my mind, taunting me with their unanswerable nature.

All I had ever wanted was a semblance of normalcy, a chance to live without the constant fear of police knocking on the door, without the looming threat of arrest hanging over our heads like a dark cloud.

But my hopes for a peaceful existence had been shattered once again, dashed against the rocks of reality. It seemed that fate had other plans for us, plans that involved going through this hurdle again.

I exhaled heavily, the weight of the letter pressing down on me like a leaden burden. It was a stark reminder of the choices that had led us to this point, of the mistakes I couldn’t undo.

With a trembling hand, I tucked the letter away, the words on the page burning into my memory. The trial loomed on the horizon, a specter of uncertainty casting its shadow over our lives.

Its contents etched into my memory like a scar, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that gnawed at my insides. The looming trial cast a long shadow over our lives, its specter of uncertainty growing larger with each passing day.

My greatest fear was losing my son, just as I had lost my husband. The thought of him being taken away from me, locked behind bars like his father once was, filled me with a bone-deep dread.

I had already lost so much in my life, endured countless trials and tribulations. But the idea of losing my son, of him suffering the same fate as his father, was a burden too heavy to bear.

As I pondered the contents of the letter, the sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet house, pulling me back to the present. It was Nao, her concerned expression mirroring my own unease.

“Mom, what’s going on?”

“We received a letter from the police department. It’s about Yuto’s trial.”

“Nii-san? When will it happening?”

“The trial is scheduled for November 10th, roughly a month from now.”

“Can I come?”

“Of course, your brother needs all the support he can get.”

“….Yeah”

After our exchange, Nao retreated upstairs, leaving me alone in the dimly lit living room. The weight of the situation settled over me like a heavy blanket, suffocating and inescapable.

“This feels like I’m living in the past again.”

The memories of previous trials and tribulations flooding back with painful clarity.