Chapter 28: Visting Yuto

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Translator: Soafp

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[Nao POV]

“Hey, Nao. Long time no see.”

“Yeah, long time no see. How have you been, Nii-san?”

“Honestly, I thought it would be way worse. But they’re still providing education, and the food is edible, though it could be better.”

He replied casually, as if discussing the weather.

His nonchalant attitude perplexed me. How could he seem so unaffected by the consequences of his actions? Was he truly remorseless?

“But enough about me, how is Mom?

He inquired, shifting the focus of the conversation.

“Ever since the trial, Mom hasn’t been the same. She’s always depressed and sad, constantly questioning whether she failed as a mother.”

“What about Dad?”

“Dad… well–”

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal.

“He’s been more cautious after what I said during the trial, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, he has.”

I admitted, feeling a sense of unease at how well he seemed to understand the situation.

“You seem rather calm about it.”

“It’s because I’ve been doing some investigating of my own.”

“When did you start?”

“Since Onii-chan got kicked out of the house.”

“Ah, I see.”

“It was weird to me why Dad would choose you over Onii-chan, his blood son. It didn’t make any sense to me. So, I started digging.”

I glanced at Nii-san’s expression, torn between the impulse to confess my role in his incarceration and the fear of his reaction. Before I could gather my courage to speak, he began to address me.

“After some digging, you found out that I was the one framing him, right?”

His gaze piercing mine with an intensity that made me squirm.

My eyes widened in shock, my heart pounding with apprehension. I feared that my involvement might have closed off any chance of him confiding in me, given that he was now behind bars because of my actions.

“Aah, I guess family is really important to us. It seems it is in our blood.”

“What do you mean it’s in our blood? What you did has caused nothing but harm to our family.”

Nii-san placed his hand on his head, shaking it slightly in frustration. After a few moments, he met my gaze once more.

“Nao, do you have any idea why I did all of this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you think I would frame Ryota just because I hate him?”

“That’s not it?”

“Haa~ and here I thought you were my little sister…”

“…”

I fell silent, uncertain of what he was getting at.

He shook his head again.

“Nao, do you know what happened to our family?”

I shook my head, confused by his abrupt change in topic.

“No…”

“Figures…”

“Do you still remember our dad?”

“Not really. He was gone when I was five years old. Mom wouldn’t tell me anything, so I gave up.”

“Right. I guess you didn’t remember what happened to him.”

“Wait, something happened?”

“He got arrested by the police when I was 8 years old.”

“He got arrested?!”

Then the door opened, and a guard entered the room.

“Yuto Ken, your time is up.”

“I guess I have to go. But to sum it up, I did it because of what happened to Dad.”

“But what has that to do with Onii-chan?”

“There is a notebook in my room. Once you read it I think you will get the gist of it.”

“Your room is locked.”

“I am sure you can sure find you way in.”

The guard put the handcuffs on Nii-san’s hand and began walking away.

I could only stare at his back as they walked away. When the door finally closed, I found myself sitting there alone in the stark room.

I struggled to comprehend why Nii-san would go to such lengths because of Dad. Was there a deeper connection between Dad and Onii-chan that I wasn’t aware of?

Perhaps he framed Onii-chan as a form of revenge for Dad. But then, why did he claim not to hate Onii-chan? There were too many questions swirling in my mind, and no clear answers.

“Haa…”

With a heavy sigh, I stood up, feeling drained by the weight of the conversation and the revelations. It had been a lot to process in one day.

As I went through the security checks again, retrieved my belongings, and stepped out into the cooling evening air, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered within me.

During the train ride back home, my thoughts kept returning to the conversation with Nii-san.

[There is a notebook in my room. Once you read it, I think you will get the gist of it.]

Thanks to Nii-san, I now knew where to start searching for answers.

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[Hana PoV]

I cautiously opened the door and glanced around to ensure that no one had spotted me. Satisfied that the coast was clear, I stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind me.

“Phew.”

Turning around, I made my way toward the bed where Ryota lay.

“Hi, Ryota. I’m back.”

I gently ran my fingers through his hair, a gesture of comfort that I hoped he could somehow feel.

It had taken me quite some time to find Ryota’s room in the hospital. With no idea of his exact location, I had resorted to trying every door I could, hoping to stumble upon him.

Many doors remained locked, leaving me to hope that Ryota wasn’t behind one of them.

After what felt like an endless search, I finally opened a door and found him inside. The rush of relief and joy was overwhelming. All the effort and risk had been worth it just to see him.

Since that day, I had been secretly visiting him whenever I could. But it was risky. I nearly got caught by Kenji once, and I couldn’t risk it happening again.

To avoid detection, I had started observing Kenji’s routine. I noticed that he typically visited Ryota on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays right after school. On weekends, his visits were sporadic. So, to minimize the risk of being caught, I could only come during school days.

It was a sacrifice I was willing to make to continue seeing Ryota, even if it meant giving up weekends. In the end, it was a small price to pay for the chance to be with him.

As I sat beside his bed watching his peaceful face. His chest rising and falling with each breath. How different things could have been if I had listened to Ryota instead of believing the rumor. The guilt and regret I felt were overwhelming, but I couldn’t change the past.

But what I can change is how Ryota will think of me.

When he wakes up, I’ll be the first person he sees. I’ll tell him how much I regret not believing in him, and the pain I’ve endured for that mistake pales in comparison to what he’s been through.

That’s why this body belongs to Ryota and Ryota only. I’ll do whatever he wants.

Only then can my sin be forgiven.

As I stroked his hair, I glanced at the clock. It was already getting late. Time always seems to fly when I’m visiting Ryota.

I stood up and leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“See you next time, Ryota. Hopefully you will wake up soon…”

I opened the door cautiously, looking around to ensure no one was watching.

With no one in sight, I closed the door softly and made my way to the back exit.

As I walked home, a nagging thought lingered in my mind: the possibility that Ryota won’t forgive me.

Just thinking about it made me feel nauseous. But if it comes to that, I have to show Ryota my dedication, even if I have to force it.

If I explain everything to Ryota, I’m sure he’ll understand. After all, he’s always been a kind and forgiving person. There’s no reason for me to doubt his ability to forgive.

With a newfound sense of optimism, I approached my house. The night was quiet, and I knew my parents had likely already gone to bed. I tiptoed inside, careful not to make a sound as I made my way to my room.

Once inside, I closed the door behind me and let out a sigh of relief. It had been an emotionally exhausting day, and I was grateful for the chance to finally rest.

I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the day when Ryota would wake up and I could finally apologize to him in person.

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[Kenji PoV]

How…could…this…happen.

“He’s losing a lot of blood! We need to stop it!”

The paramedics rushed around, their urgency echoing in the chaos of the moment.

I felt paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch in horror.

It was like the same nightmare all over again, a cruel replay of the past.

Am I going to lose my dad as well?