Chapter 35: Truth Part 2

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Translator: Soafp

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[Nao PoV]

“Kenji-kun…”

I watched as Kenji-kun turned away, his expression heavy with pain. As he left the living room, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him.

Throughout his recounting of the events that had unfolded, I had seen the raw anguish etched into his features. It was clear that the revelations had taken a toll on him, leaving behind scars that ran deep.

“Haa…”

With a heavy sigh, I turned back to face my worthless step-father who was laying down on the ground.

“I-I’m sorry… for everything that I’ve caused…I knew if this ever came to light, everyone would be hurt. I’m sorry…”

My step-father remained on the ground, his sobs echoing in the room.

“Now, there are some questions I want to ask.”

“…..”

“Why did you start trafficking drugs?”

“…After I graduated, finding work was surprisingly easy. However, the jobs I landed paid poorly for the amount of effort they required. Then, I met someone who offered me the opportunity to start trafficking drugs. I became curious about how much money I could earn from it. While the pay wasn’t substantial, however the work was easy, so I continued.”

“And why did you stop trafficking drugs?”

“When Ryota lost his mother, I realized I couldn’t risk getting caught and jailed. I also didn’t want him to lose his father… How ironic.”

“Haa… Still fishing for sympathy, huh…”

“What do you mean?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“…”

“Mom I also have a question for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. During the time you two were dating each other. Have you never noticed this tattoo on his arm?”

I walked towards my mother and showed her a picture of the tattoo.

This question has been stuck for some time now.

“Well, I’m not sure. Maybe I did, but I wasn’t conscious of it. When we were still dating, there weren’t any activities where I would have seen his arm.”

“What about hot days?”

“He would only roll up his sleeves to the elbow, and the tattoo is on the upper part of his arm, look.”

She pointed to where the tattoo was located, on the upper part of his arm. Right, of course, she wouldn’t have noticed it. It made sense now; she had no reason to suspect anything when they were dating.

After a few second my mother stood up and looked at my step-father.

“Dear, I want a divorce. We can do this the easy way, amicably, or we can do it the hard way and fight it out in court.”

“….I understand. I will sign the papers. I’ll stay somewhere else tonight.”

With a heavy sigh, he stood up, grabbed his jacket, and walked out of the house, leaving a palpable silence in his wake.

“Is this really okay? Don’t want to say more things to him?”

“Nao, even if I did, nothing would change. I would rather use my energy for something else, like thanking you for uncovering the truth.”

As my mother embraced me, tears streamed down her cheeks, her body trembling with the weight of her emotions. In that moment, all the pain and turmoil of the past came rushing to the surface, overwhelming her.

However, amidst the tears and the embrace, I felt….nothing.

The truth I had uncovered wasn’t to save Mom; it was to tear this family apart. I couldn’t shake the memory of how Mom had turned her back on Onii-chan when he needed her the most.

That betrayal lingered in my mind, overshadowing any sympathy I might have felt for her now.

As my mother stopped crying, I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Opening the door, I found Kenji leaning against the wall, gazing up at the sky.

“Kenji-kun? You’re still here? I thought you already went home.”

“We made a promise, didn’t we? After all of this, we would visit Ryota together.”

“Ah, I totally forgot. I am sorry.”

“Given everything that happened today, it’s understandable”

“It was a long journey to uncover the truth, right?”

“Yeah, a painfull journey that should have never happened.”

Kenji-kun clenched his fist.

Seeing his tension, I hesitated, but I had to ask.

“Hey, Kenji-kun… Would it have been better if nobody knew about his secret? If we hadn’t uncovered it? Then Nii-san wouldn’t be in jail, Onii-chan wouldn’t be in the hospital, and you wouldn’t have learned that you’re his biological son.”

Kenji’s gaze remained fixed on the sky, his eyes reflecting the fading twilight as he spoke with a mix of introspection and resolve.

“Who knows, maybe it would have been better but lies and secrets—they rot everything from the inside out. It wasn’t just about me, or you, or even Ryota. It was about living in a web of deception, and that… that’s no way to live.”

His words hung in the air, carrying the weight of everything we had unearthed that day. I listened intently, feeling the truth of his words resonate deeply within me. This journey had torn apart the fabric of our lives, exposing the hidden truths that had shaped our identities.

“When the truth came out, it hurt.”

Kenji continued, his voice tinged with the pain of revelation.

“It shattered everything we thought we knew. But living with the truth, no matter how painful, is better than living a lie. At least now, we can start to heal, to rebuild from the ashes of all this.”

I nodded slowly, acknowledging the harsh reality we now faced. The veil of deception had been lifted, revealing the stark truth beneath. It was unsettling yet necessary for us to move forward.

“I spent my whole life believing in something that wasn’t real.”

Kenji confessed, his tone heavy with regret.

“I thought I knew who I was, who my family was. But that was all a lie. Discovering the truth… it’s like ripping off a bandage. It stings, it hurts like hell, but it’s the only way the wound can heal.”

His gaze shifted from the sky to the ground, his thoughts lingering on the turmoil of the past.

“I used to believe that ignorance was bliss, that not knowing the truth was better. Perhaps there’s some truth to that. But facing the truth, painful as it may be, is liberating. It frees us from the shackles of deceit, from the burden of pretending.”

I looked at Kenji, seeing the conflict etched on his face. It was clear that despite the pain, he was grappling with a newfound sense of clarity. His journey of self-discovery had unearthed truths that demanded to be faced head-on.

“Well, the past is behind us now. Let’s focus on moving forward. Shall we go and visit Ryota?”

“Yes!”

I hurried inside to grab my jacket and then made my way to the hospital. I couldn’t wait to see Onii-chan again.

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[Father PoV]

Where am I?! It is so dark. I can hardly breath here.

I struggled to move, but my hands felt restrained. Panic surged through me as I realized there was something over my head, like a bag. My heart raced with fear and confusion. What had happened to me?

I strained to recall the events leading up to this moment. After leaving the house, everything was a blur. I remembered a sudden shock to my head, and then darkness enveloped me. Had I been attacked? Kidnapped?

My mind raced with possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. The air felt heavy, making it difficult to think clearly. I strained my ears, hoping to catch any sound that might give me a clue about where I was and what was happening.

Then, I heard it—a faint sound, like footsteps on a hard surface.

Clack, clack, clack.

My heart skipped a beat. Was someone approaching? The sound stopped abruptly, plunging me back into uneasy silence.

I tried to call out, but my voice caught in my throat. Fear and confusion held me captive, along with the darkness that seemed to press in from all sides. I had no idea how much time had passed since I first woke up in this unsettling place.

As I lay there, struggling against the restraints and the suffocating darkness, a sense of dread settled over me. What was going to happen next?

“I think it is about time.”

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short, frantic gasps. The bag over my head was suddenly yanked off, and I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the dim light.

“Hello, long time no see.”

A voice I hadn’t heard in years. My stomach churned as I looked up, my eyes widening in recognition.

“Boss…”

Standing before me was my old boss from my days trafficking drugs. His presence was as commanding and unnerving as I remembered. He looked older, lines of age and stress etched into his face, but the steely glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

I glanced around the room, taking in the sight of several men surrounding me, their expressions cold and hostile.

Their eyes were filled with thinly veiled contempt, a mixture of anger and disdain that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Kuahaha, at least you still remember who I am.”

“Where am I?”

“This, this is the place where it all started. The place where we got punished because of your action. Now, do you remember what you did?”

“I-I don’t know…”

“Playing dumb huh. Well being dumb is also one of your traits. So, this is as expected.”

He stood up, his towering form casting a shadow over me. His footsteps echoed ominously as he walked a few steps away, his back turned to me. I could feel the tension in the air, the anticipation of what was to come. My heart pounded, and I braced myself, trying to prepare for the inevitable.

Suddenly, he spun around and, in one swift, brutal motion, drove his fist into my stomach. The impact was like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind out of me.

“Guuaaah!”

I gasped, doubling over in pain. My vision blurred as I struggled to breathe, each inhale a torturous effort.

The room seemed to spin around me, the faces of the men standing guard blurring into a grim haze.

“Playing dumb will get you nowhere. I will ask again, do you remember what you did?”

“…”

“No answer, huh?”

“Ghaaa!”

I got punched again. The world spinning faster now, pain radiating through my skull.

My head swam as I blinked against the stars dancing in my vision, trying to focus. I could feel the blood trickling from my nose, mixing with the sweat and fear that drenched me. His men watched impassively, their expressions hard, unyielding.

“Last chance. What did you do?”

Boss growled, his voice a dangerous whisper.

I knew there was no point in lying. Not anymore. The truth was my only chance, slim as it might be.

“I… I didn’t pay back the money. My last job… I stole it. I took the money and ran.”

The boss leaned back, a grim smile spreading across his face.

“Well, was it so hard to admit?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. I could only stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest, a mixture of fear constricting my voice.

His expression darkened, the brief amusement vanishing.

“I was in a lot of trouble because of you. I was lucky to get off with just a beating. But next time?”

He paused, letting the threat hang heavy in the air.

“Next time, I might not be so lucky anymore.”

I felt a chill run down my spine as he turned away, his gaze shifting to the men standing guard. His voice was calm, almost casual, as he gave the order.

“Boys, it’s time he learned what real trouble looks like. Make sure he understands the consequences of his action.”

A boot connected with my side, and I curled into a ball, instinctively trying to protect myself from the onslaught. Each kick, each punch, was a brutal reminder of the price of my actions. The men showed no mercy, their strikes methodical and relentless.

The taste of blood filled my mouth, and I struggled to stay conscious, my vision blurring with each new wave of pain.

The room echoed with the sounds of my torment—grunts of pain, the dull thud of fists against flesh, the boss’s voice, cold and unyielding. Time seemed to stretch, every second an eternity of suffering.

Finally, the blows ceased, and I lay on the cold floor, my body a mass of bruises and cuts. Every breath was a struggle, and my vision was blurred with tears and blood. I could hear my own heartbeat, a frantic drumbeat in my ears, drowning out the silence that had settled over the room.

I barely had time to gather my thoughts before I felt a rough hand grip my hair, yanking my head up with a sharp jerk. I cried out, the pain shooting through my scalp and neck, my eyes forced open to meet the boss’s cold, unyielding gaze.

“Where’s my money?”

“Gone, it’s all gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

I swallowed hard, the taste of blood bitter in my mouth.

“I… I spent it.”

“On what? What the hell did you spend it on?”

His grip on my hair tightened, and he shook my head violently.

“On… on a ring. For my second wife. I spent it on a ring.”

He stared at me, disbelief and rage warring on his face. Then, with a disgusted snarl, he released my hair and shoved me away. I fell to the floor, my body crumpling with a painful thud.

“A ring? You stole my money for a damn ring?”

I could barely respond, my body aching and my mind reeling from the pain and fear. The room seemed to spin, and I struggled to focus on the boss as he turned away from me, his shoulders tense with fury.

“You think you steal from me, and spend it on a ring? You think there are no consequences?”

He turned back to face me, his eyes cold and calculating.

“You’re not worth the dirt under my shoes. But I’ll get my money back, one way or another.”

A chill ran down my spine as he looked me over, his gaze assessing.

“You know, there’s always a market for scum like you.”

He continued, a cruel smile curling on his lips.

“Human trafficking. You’ll fetch a decent price. Maybe not enough to cover what you stole, but it’ll be a start.”

I froze, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. Human trafficking. The horror of it sank in, and a wave of panic surged through me.

“No, please! I can get the money. Just give me more time!”

“You had your chance.”

He said coldly, turning to address his men.

“Take him. Find a buyer. I want him gone by morning.”

The men stepped forward, their faces hard and unyielding. They grabbed me roughly, hauling me to my feet. I struggled weakly, but it was no use. Their grip was like iron, and I was too battered and weak to resist.

“No! Please!! I’ll pay you back, I swear!”

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. The boss merely watched, a look of cold satisfaction on his face, as his men dragged me away. The realization of my fate hit me with a crushing weight, and a sob tore from my throat.

As they pulled me out of the room, the last thing I saw was the boss’s cold, pitiless eyes watching me go. Then the door slammed shut behind us, and that was the last time I ever saw daylight.

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[Kenji PoV]

We were currently making our way towards his room.

“I wonder if he’s awake. I have so much to talk to him about.”

“Haha, I’m sure you do. But if he’s asleep, let’s come back next time.”

“Yes. I want him to recover as soon as possible.”

As we stood in front of his room and opened the door.

“Onii-chan, are you awake?”

“Ryota, as promised, I am back.”

But when we arrived at his room, he disappeared.