Chapter 307 - Akihiko & Kaoru Suzuki

"Did she call?"

Kazehaya Gin had just entered the room when Ryuu's question welcomed him. He should have known he'd ask something like this, but he was still taken aback that he was rendered speechless. It's not because he didn't know the answer, but mostly because he didn't know how to explain the answer.

Well, how would you tell the husband that his wife didn't want to talk to him to the extent of switching off her phone so nobody could call her?

He had debated how he'd answer for the longest time, that it was already obvious that his answer would be a negative one. Ryuu didn't need to hear anything specific. He already knew.

"I see," the Koutaishidenka murmured emotionlessly, and there was silence afterwards.

Homura Ryuu lay on his futon as he played with his phone. When Gin entered, he did not even look at him and just asked his question.  Everyone who'd see him would know that the Young Master was very troubled. Since Ara left, he couldn't even practice archery which he normally did to calm down, as his heart was too chaotic that he couldn't even hit the target.

"Give her time," Gin advised him as he crossed the room and sat by the low table. "She'll call us when she's done thinking about her life."

The Wind God would normally be dying of boredom as they had nothing to do except wait for Ara to come around. If Emi was not there, he'd have died of ennui. Since recovering his powers as Stribog, even business lost its interest for him. In a matter of a day, he had clinched too many deals for Homura International that they're now a third richer than they were before.

He had nothing else to do that he even dropped by Suzuki Raiden Group to bother Aki and 'worked' there for a few hours as well – which was a good thing as he had discovered something big.

"Ryuu, did you know that Aki's investigating his parents' deaths?"

For the first time since he came there, the Koutaishidenka finally turned to him, his blue gaze narrowed.

"What do you mean? Didn't they die from a car accident?"

"They did. All the reports said so as well," Gin answered enigmatically. "But we all know records are just records. They're not entirely foolproof. Our clan's an example of that."

The Homura House could manipulate anything under the sun. Well, they could even manipulate people's memories when they wished, what more records?

"Are you saying there's foul play?"

Homura Ryuu never thought about the Suzuki couple's deaths as such. They were a good couple who didn't get into trouble. It was unthinkable that someone would want to try and harm them. But then again…

His blue eyes widened as he turned to Gin whose face looked grim. If there was something strange about the couple who seemed to love their children so much, it would be the fact that they had agreed so easily to his engagement with Ara.

Suzuki Kaoru was a very good and loving mother, while Suzuki Akihiko was reputed to be very similar in personality to his son, Aki. It was weird that such a couple would sell their children even at the price of their status, business or their very lives.

Something must have happened to make them do so.

"You realized it now?" Gin asked as he propped his chin on the table before continuing. "Did you know that Suzuki Akihiko used to work for your dad?"

Ryuu's eyes narrowed at Gin. He did not know this. He had asked for a report about the Suzukis but he was never interested in the information before Ara was born, so he did not know.

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't know either. But I called uncle," Gin confessed.

After coming home from the Suzuki Raiden Group's office, Gin called Ryuu's father and was surprised to learn about Ara's parents.

"To cut the story short, the money to establish the Suzuki Raiden Group was not part of the yuino but Suzuki Akihiko's separation pay from the Homura House. He was a great employee and he's a friend of Uncle."

"Why didn't my father tell us this?"

"Apparently, Suzuki Akihiko's connection with the Homura House is a secret. The Suzukis are one ambitious and greedy bunch save for the patriarch, Aki's and Ara's grandfather. Their dad didn't want their relatives to know so they'd leave them alone."

But of course, it didn't last long. When Aki and Ara were growing, their father decided to establish their own company to give them a better life. But it still turned out the way it did. They died young, leaving their children vulnerable to the vultures in their family. It was a good thing that Aki was old enough to fight them over Ara's custody. If not…

Ara would have been at the mercy of their relatives.

"But why did the contract say that the couple agreed to give their daughter to us as soon as she was born? Then took another yuino a year before they died?"

"Records are not foolproof," Gin said in a singsong voice which meant that the contract for their engagement was fake.

"Then…"

"The Suzuki couple's signatures were real. But the date of the contract was not. Everything was signed on the same day. It was the year before they died."

Ryuu was speechless. "And the rest?"

He was talking of course about the requests the couple asked of them. The couple agreed to make Ara marry Ryuu, but in turn, the Homura House would not approach her until she finished middle school so she could experience a normal life. It was the reason why Ryuu never revealed himself to her until recently.

"They did want their daughter to have a normal life as much as possible. But they agreed to the engagement itself because they thought it's the only way they could protect their children."

"You mean…"

Gin nodded. "Something must as happened that made them feel that their children's lives were threatened. With the Homura House on their side, no one would dare harm Aki and Ara."

"Aki told you this?"

Gin shook his head. "He didn't even realize I know that he's been investigating in secret. I just found out because I heard him talking on the phone in the other room with a detective."

"I see…"Ryuu didn't bother before, but he was sure determined to learn everything now even if it's too late. However, Gin was not yet done.

"Did you know that Ara was with her parents when they died?"

"What?" Ryuu was aghast.

There was no news regarding that one. But as Gin said, it's easy to change records or cover things up when you have the power.

"Who did it?"

Ryuu wanted to know who manipulated the records and made it appear as if only the couple was there in the accident.

"Aki of course," Gin answered readily. "Ara was in a state of shock; she developed retrograde amnesia and had no memory of the incident. Aki was sure she had seen and heard something that day. To protect her, he made it appear that she was not there at all."

Suzuki Aki, even at the young age of twenty-one, did everything in his power to protect his sister from enemies they did not know, well somewhat. It seemed Suzuki Daizo was a suspect. It was why Aki was very hostile towards his uncle. 

"What do we do then?" Ryuu asked. "A problem such as this is not difficult for us to solve, right?"

If they let Aki continue on with his investigation, there's a huge chance he'd get targeted. As for Ara, she was a broken soul then, but she's a full demigod now. She had already remembered her memories as Alencica, but it would take time for her to gather all. Her memories as Ara would take time to come back.

Ryuu released energy which was a signal to the Fuuma. In no time, Shiro appeared and bowed to them. "Yes, Young Master?"

"Protect Suzuki Aki and Asou Chiaki at all cost."

Hearing his order, Shiro bowed again before vanishing.

"Nice call," Gin commented.

Ara's a demigod. She didn't need protecting from humans anymore. However, Aki was different. If something happened to him, Ryuu's wife would be devastated.

"It's just a small thing. Ara doesn't have to worry about this anymore," Ryuu said as he picked up his phone again and frowned.

"Gin-nii," the Koutaishidenka used Gin's hated nickname again, making the other sputter in protest.

"Why the hell are you using that name again? I'm Stribog now, am I not?" Gin complained but was ignored.

"Did you feel anything strange today?" Ryuu asked, and he shook his head.

"Not really?" the Wind God answered as he picked up a cup of tea and drank.

He was aware that the Koutaishidenka was talking about the portal. However, since he's in control now, no one could pass through without permission from him. Anyone who attempted to cross would get lost inside the portal and would never make it outside.

"Then explain what this is." Ryuu frowned as he showed him his phone where a video of a flying man on fire outside the airplane played, and Gin spat out the tea he was drinking.

"NO WAY!"