Daichi’s stiff expression changed to one of shock as he heard the news. His bag which was slung over his shoulder suddenly dropped onto the ground before he fell to his knees.
Ken quickly ran forward and embraced his brother, getting down to his level and holding him tightly.
“I’m sorry bro…”
While the two brother embraced, Chris continued to speak to the officer’s and got whatever details they had. After a few minutes they left the vicinity, leaving the house.
Daichi was in too much shock to realize what was happening in that moment. It took a lot of coaxing, but he eventually made his way into the house in a daze.
Mark and Yuki were filled in by Chris before the boys made it inside. Yuki took the news terribly, while Mark turned solemn. This was not something they were expecting at all.
When Ken brought Daichi in, Yuki came over and gave him a big hug, doing her best to comfort him. She didn’t ask for a response, merely showing her love and support in whatever way she could.
“Ken, why don’t you take Daichi to his room.” Chris said, giving him a look.
Ken nodded, “Come on bro, let’s take your stuff upstairs.” He said coaxingly.
Daichi merely followed along silently into the room.
Once they arrived, Daichi listlessly sat down onto the floor and held his head in his hands. It was clear that he was out of sorts.
“Are you okay man?” Ken didn’t want to put any pressure on his brother, but he felt like he needed to show his concern.
“I—I don’t know.” Daichi admitted, his thoughts in turmoil.
Ken slunk down to the ground next to Daichi and placed his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
“I’m sorry man…”
There was a stretch of silence between the two, yet no one tried to fill it. Ken kept physical contact with his brother, reminding him that he was there for him.
After a while, Daichi began to speak up.
“She was a horrible mother, the complete opposite of our Mom… But she didn’t deserve to die.” He said softly, clenching his fists tightly.
Ken didn’t respond. It wasn’t his place to comment.
Daichi took a deep breath and lowered his head before continuing softly.
“I wanted to prove to her that I could be something…”
“But now I’ll never get that chance.”
After feeling the hurt in his voice, Ken couldn’t help but pull him tighter. Daichi was probably dealing with a lot of mixed emotions right now, something that he couldn’t imagine.
Almost 10 minutes of silence later, Daichi let out a big sigh and stood up, shrugging Ken’s arm from his shoulder.
“I’m okay now.” He stated, though he still seemed a bit emotional.
“Did you want some time alone? I can tell Mom, Dad and Grandpa that you’re not feeling well.” Ken offered, getting to his feet.
“Grandpa’s here?” Daichi asked with surprise. He had been in such a daze that he didn’t even see his Grandfather on his way past.
“Mmm…” Ken felt a little torn. The reason his Grandfather was here was not just for a mere visit. He wasn’t sure if Daichi was in the right frame of mind to hear about what had happened.
Daichi seemed to sense Ken’s hesitation, even noting the odd expression on his face.
“You’re hiding something.” He said, though it was more of a statement rather than an accusation.
Ken didn’t want to lie to Daichi, especially in his vulnerable state. The last thing he wanted was for him to feel isolated within his own family, especially after what just happened.
“You’re right. We told you to come home so we can discuss it with you.” Ken said, nodding slowly.
Daichi felt a hint of apprehension. He wanted to know, but part of him felt like he didn’t want to hear what they had to say.
“Is it bad?” He asked softly.
Ken’s expression faltered a little, but he answered truthfully.
“It’s not great, but it’s not something that we can’t handle as a family.” He stated.
Daichi nodded. He trusted his brother after all.
“Alright, let’s go downstairs.” He said, heading for the door.
Ken placed his hand on Daichi’s shoulder, stopping him in place.
“Are you sure? We can always talk about this later.”
“I’m fine.” He said, brushing Ken’s hand off.
With that, he left the room and descended the stairs, garnering everyone’s attention.
“Daichi what are you doing? I was going to bring you dinner up in your room.” Yuki spoke out with concern.
“I’m fine now.” He responded, causing Chris to let out a frown.
“Daichi, I think you should g—”
“Don’t worry Chris, he can handle it.” Mark said, cutting his son off.
Daichi sent a thankful glance to his Grandfather and took a seat at the table, followed by Ken. There was a few moments of silence before Daichi got right to the point.
“Alright, what is it that you guys have to tell me?” He asked.
Both Yuki and Chris looked at each other, both filled with some worry and trepidation. This would be hard enough news without the untimely demise of Daichi’s biological mother, yet it added a layer of complexity to it.
Though his mother and father were hesitating, Ken was resolute. He spoke up, going into detail of what had happened in the past few weeks, sparing no detail.
By the end of the explanation, Daichi sat in silence. His mind was almost numb by this point, though his heart ached.
‘Why?’
That was the only question in his mind.
When he heard that his mother had wanted him back, he felt a part of him that was once dead, begin to show signs of life. It was only for a fleeting moment, but his emotions stirred.
Yet upon hearing that it was Tetsuhiro who orchestrated everything, anger filled him.
How could someone play with his life like that?
“There’s also a good chance that this man is behind the murder of your mother.” Mark said, causing both Ken and Daichi’s eyes to widen in shock.
Daichi is really going through a tough time. How will he react?
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