Chapter 13: Chapter 12.5: A promise for a better tomorrow

[author: This a pretty short chapter....]

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Kentaro Nomura stopped at the entrance of the now familiar private study, draped in a simple casual outfit and open sandals, with his hands stuffed in his pant pockets.

His appearance seemed simple but everything that currently belonged to him had always been of the very best quality, being made the exact same Clothing Company which made all the Harada family’s clothes. Including the pair of glasses thin-rimmed spectacles that currently rested on the bridge of his nose.

He stood there at the entrance, contemplating on what he’d say to the man inside, and what that man, in turn, had summoned him for.

After much hesitation, he drew in a deep breath before knocking lightly on the door.

“Come in,” a rather deep yet pleasant voice from inside.

He swallowed his nerves before entering.

The man inside, who was seated on a very comfortable armchair at a large desk, looked up at him and smiled, obviously very pleased to see him.

Kentaro offered the man a bow in greeting, “Mr. Harada.”

Satoshi Harada chuckled as he stood from his desk, setting aside the book he’d been reading, “Still with the formalities. Don’t you think it’s about time you began addressing me with the proper term.”

“I apologize. I haven’t grown familiar which the term yet, so I’m having a little trouble keeping up with it,” he gave yet another bow, “Forgive me.”

Of course the man simply gave a helpless shrug and wouldn’t bicker about it. Despite being Kentaro’s father, the relationship they shared was rather distant. The kid had grown up pretty much knowing him as the famous Chairman to Interactive Entertainment Ltd.

Straightening to a proper stand, Kentaro asked, “Mr. Harada summoned me?”

“Indeed,” Satoshi clasped his hands behind his back and approached his large French windows to gaze out in the distance. “I’m sure you’re aware of my plans for you?”

Kentaro glanced at the floor, “I’m aware.”

He’d been very aware for more than half his life.

“Unlike your brother, you show greater potential in becoming my successor Kentaro. Keep that in mind,” the man told him.

“Yes, sir.”

Izuki Harada was Ken’s half-brother, the legal heir in the Harada family.

Problem was, he seemed a little… irresponsible.

“I’ve grown to realize how much I’ve spoiled him, so he’s a whole lot slow-minded than you,” Satoshi’s disappointment was evident. “He’s eighteen this year, yet he can’t make mature decisions yet. I have no time to waste on grooming him all over again. You’re three years younger than him and yet your visions are vivid, and your decisions mature. You know what you want, which is why I hold such high expectations from you.”

Kentaro’s fists lightly clenched behind him.

“I understand that you recently moved to Chiba Prefecture, is that right?”

At the sudden mention of that, Kentaro tensed a little.

He was lucky he’d made his accounts seem as if he’s been living his past few years in Tokyo, avoiding all sorts of trouble for him and Akihiro. There was no doubt that he’d be found out sooner or later that he was living in another town the older her grew, which was why he’d finally come out in the open and mentioned it in his accounts recently.

“Yes, sir,” he responded.

“Why?”

“I plan on finishing my final Middle School term and attending my entire High School there,” he knew why he’d asked that question so he went on and added, “Rest assured, none of this is going to affect my performance in school.”

Mr. Harada went silent for a moment before suddenly suggesting, “How about not attending High School at all?”

Kentaro’s brain ceased processing for a moment, “Sir?”

Satoshi turned to face him, his hands still behind him, “I think it’s about time you came back home, Kentaro.”

The fifteen-year-old stared at the man for a while, at a loss for words.

His father raised a brow, “Do you not want to?”

Ken snapped back to reality, “But… father, I will not have any purpose here if I return so soon.”

Satoshi was delighted to finally hear that term of address, “What do you mean, you have lots of purpose. You are my son after all.”

Screw that, what are you really planning, Ken held back the urge to cuss at the man. Up until recently he hadn’t been wanted. It hadn’t been long since his father had started showing a bit of interest in him, so of course Ken was furious.

It was so obvious from the way the man had even failed to notice how his son had been living in a completely different town this entire time.

Such a lackadaisical man, no wonder his son wanted nothing to do with him or the family.

“Since it’s decided that these will be your final months in that town, perhaps it’s time I introduced you to the company—”

“Pardon my crudeness father but with all due respect, I’m not ready to work at the company yet,” Kentaro suddenly stated and offered an apologetic bow. “Please understand.”

Satoshi’s smile vanished but he didn’t frown either, “Didn’t you used to hate being away from home. What has changed?”

Oh, so you noticed?

Kentaro looked up and expressed incessantly, “It’s true that I do want to come home, but my goal of a few years in the outside world has yet to be complete. It’s too soon. I am still too inexperienced to be around people. You’ve always told me that to be a dependable and trustworthy person, I must trust people in turn. I still lack very important social characteristics, so I’m afraid that if I join your company now, I’ll only earn negative favor from those around me. I will fail as the person you expect so much from, so please let me continue with school.”

I see, by travelling a lot he’s also learning about the new environment he’s living in. Truly the expert judgment of someone determined to become great. And his grades are excellent as well, I’m sure he’s words are worth considering.

As the man was embedded in his thoughts, cold sweat continued accumulating on Kentaro’s hair-shielded forehead.

This isn’t good. What will happen if he’s against it?

And Haruki. Will I have to leave…

No, that can’t happen. I’ll keep pestering him until…

But to his surprise, the man told him, “Very well then, I’ll trust your judgment.”

The breath Kentaro had been holding was finally released.

“However, I’m only giving you three years.”

The small smile that’d started to form on Ken’s lips froze after he heard the latter half of his father’s decision.

“After finishing your high school, you are coming back.”

It wasn’t a suggestion, nor was he asking for Ken’s opinion.

He was simply telling him.

But what would happen after those three year, Kentaro chose not to think about it for now.

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He offered an appreciative nod, “Thank you, father.”

***

Yumiko Nomura’s eyes lit up when she saw a familiar figure approach her in the flower garden located a distance away from the main mansion, but closer to cottage she’d grown accustomed to calling her ‘home’ for the past fifteen years.

Although she was alone most of the time, only receiving casual visits from her close worker friends and some people who cared for her, Yumiko enjoyed the times she spent with her son the most.

The moment she spotted him headed in her direction, a gentle smile on his lips, she dropped the rose she’d just picked up and immediately raced to meet him.

Kentaro opened his arms for her, but he hadn’t expected her to suddenly pounce on him, causing him to stagger back a step. Luckily the mother-son pair didn’t fall, thanks to Ken’s solid stability.

“Oh, my sweet baby boy…” she called him a bunch of different names, too happy to see him, “I missed you.”

Kentaro felt both embarrassed and emotional while resisting the urge to tear-up like her, “Hey, you know I’m no good with sappy words, mom.”

The woman refused to move from his embrace immediately, seeming as if she never wanted to let him go.

“You know,” Ken started with a small laugh, “You running like this almost scared me. You’d certainly win in a marathon.”

Yet he knew how glad he truly was that she was still so full of energy despite her setbacks.

“I can’t be happy to see my little Ken-chan anymore?” Yumiko finally removed herself from the hug, but kept holding her son’s hands as she examined him. “Or perhaps I should stop calling you little now. Did you have another growth-spurt? You’ve gained a bit of weight too…”

Yumiko wasn't a tall woman, and during these past two plus years it only made sense that her son had already out-grown her. However, Kentaro was really growing up too fast. She knew for certain that the last time she’d seen him more two months ago he hadn’t been this tall.

Looking at him now, she found it hard to believe that there was a time she could lift this person with one hand.

“And it seems like you’ll continue to grow bigger and bigger,” she smiled, feeling relieved for some reason, “You’ve come a long way, my son.”

“It’s because I was lucky enough to have met some really good people,” Kentaro felt genuinely happy as well. 

Yumiko suddenly felt a little guilty and glanced at the ground, “I’m sorry you didn’t get the life you deserve. You deserve so much more love, Ken. Not this hell…”

“Mom,” he nudged her and shook his head, still smiling gently, before he pulled her to another small hug. “I’ve got all the love I need right now. And when I’m not here, I’ve also got people waiting for me outside. I don’t need any more than this.”

That warmed up Yumiko’s heart, and she wiped a few threatening tears from the corner of her eyes, “Liar, you said you weren’t good with sappy words.”

“I’ve learned a little bit.”

She clicked her tongue before remembering something else. Her mood dimmed again, “This time when are you going back?”

“I’ve got two days left,” Kentaro sounded furtive. “I’d have spent the entire week with you if it were my decision to make. But that man seems to always think otherwise. I hardly have free time whenever I visit.”

Of course it was rare for Kentaro to be given permission to visit his mother most of the time, and the only times he did, it would be for a small period of time. Yumiko understood that all too well.

“Mom, wait for me to grow a little older,” he suddenly grabbed her attention again by saying this, a reassuring smile on his face. “When the time comes, I’ll take you away from this place. I’ll take you somewhere where there’s all the love in the world, away from this prison. I'm sure the Fukudas would love meeting you.”

Yumiko stared at her for a while before suddenly letting out a chuckle.

Kentaro was surprised.

“What? W-what is it?”

“Just now, you totally went out of character,” Yumiko laughed on and on but then ended up coughing, causing her embarrassed son to suddenly feel concerned.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt as much right now,” she said, giving him a sense of relief. After that, she wore a genuine smile and stared out at the distance, “You’re really fond of that Fukuda family. They’re all you ever talk about, and you look so happy doing it.”

“I…” he glanced down, shame filling him again, “I don’t mean it as a way of replacing you.”

“Of course I know that,” Yumiko turned and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, “I just meant that you really like them, that’s all.”

Ken hesitated then nodded in agreement.

“You found people you could open up to other than me and Hiro. I’m just so happy,” she grinned at him.

The thing is, Haru’s the only person I’ve really opened up to so far. His parents still don’t know about my real family or identity.

Still, he agreed with her, “Yeah, and I’m sure you’d get along with Aunty.”

“Considering the way you talk about her, I bet I will like her,” Yumiko gave him a thumbs-up, “She reminds me so much of the person who saved me.”

Kentaro gave a helpless smile. Would it be too much to hope that Mrs. Fukuda really was the person who’d saved and taken care of his orphan mother once?  

You and Mrs. Fukuda are basically cut from the same cloth, he thought.  It’s a little scary…

As he and his babbling mother made their way to the cottage, Ken couldn’t help but think to himself:

One day, mom, you’ll be surrounded by people who deserve to see your smile too.

“Aunt Izumi and Aunt Misa aren’t around today?” he suddenly asked as they made their way towards the cottage.

These were the only two other people who’d earned Ken’s genuine respect in the entire estate. As his mother’s only real friends and the maids who’d voluntarily taken care of her for these past fifteen years, Kentaro saw them as family and liked them very much. Other than that, they’d also played very important roles when Ken was sent away, and had contributed a lot in Ken’s game of ‘deception’. 

These actions had practically risked their livelihoods, and for that, Kentaro had always felt immense gratitude towards them.

“It’s just Misa these days. I sent Izumi on temporary leave,” his mother told him.

Kentaro raised a brow, “Did something happen?”

Beaming, Yumiko exclaimed, “She’s pregnant!”

“???”  Ken was surprised. “How far along is she?”

“Eight months, and get this,” Yumiko nodded her head in pride, “She says her child’s middle name will be little Kentaro Junior if it turns out to be a boy.”

“Eh? Why my name???”

Yumiko swatted him on the back of his head, “What do you mean ‘why’? Don’t you want to be a godfather?? Izumi really likes you, boy! You should feel honored.”

Kentaro rubbed at his spinning head as he nodded crazily, “Of course, very, very honored. Be honest, are you even sick anymore? What kind of slap was that?!”

 

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[author: We finally catch a glimpse of Kentaro's parents. Oh, you did notice the time-skip, right?]

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