Chapter 320 - ALI MINI THEATER Side Story 16

It was one of those carefully hidden truths that would leave everyone baffled if they learned about it…

"Kaoru, are you sure?"

Suzuki Kaoru turned to her side to look at her husband before nodding her head. "I am sure," she answered; determination shone in her brown eyes.

Suzuki Akihiko, sighed heavily before turning the keys, and the car's engine came to life. The two of them were in their oldest and cheapest car, on the way to a place where they once thought they'd leave behind forever.

Earlier, without telling anyone, they surreptitiously left Denenchofu to their old residence where their son, Aki, used to stay to get the car they drove now. It was so no one would ever know where they were about to go and what they were about to do with the people they were about to meet.

The car traversed out of the quiet neighborhood onto the not so busy street of Tokyo at night. The old, battered, black Toyota mingled with the normal cars on the road. With its tinted windows, nobody would know who was in it. For others who might see it, it would just be one of those passing vehicles until it arrived in the Shibuya area, where it suddenly made a turn towards a very private road.

The car continued to move until it reached the tall cedar gates of Tokyo's most popular private residence.

The Cedar Palace.

Suzuki Akihiko stopped the car and turned to his wife who smiled gratefully at him. She opened the window to put her arm out with her palms up, wide open. As soon as she did, a seal appeared on her hand and light flashed as she sent her energy towards the house and its people.

That's right. Suzuki Kaoru was a descendant of a prominent member of the expedition sent by Emperor Vladimir, five centuries ago. She was a Gedian of Ritz' origin.

Sensing her energy, the people from the inside quickly recognized who she was and hurriedly opened the gates. The servants bowed as soon as they saw them and the car rolled in towards the huge courtyard.

"Lady Kaoru, you should have told us that you're on the way so we would have prepared a better welcome," Yayoi said with a smile as soon as the couple stepped out.

Kaoru shook her head and smiled, albeit a tired one. "You know that I can't bring my phone here or say anything that may indicate that we're coming," she reminded the other who nodded in understanding.

Yayoi turned from Akihiko to Kaoru and gestured towards the inner buildings. "The Master and the Lady are both waiting for you," she said before ushering them to the private receiving room.

Inside, Homura Seiji and Hanako waited for them with refreshments. As soon as they saw them, the couple welcomed them warmly. Once they were seated, the Lady took Kaoru's hand.

"I'm glad you decided to come to us," Hanako said, her voice laced with worry.

It had been more than a decade since they had last seen each other in person. It was when Seiji had informed them of the prophecy, and the Suzuki couple visited the Cedar Palace when their daughter was born to seal the engagement.

However, long before Ryuu was born and the prophecy was made, Suzuki Kaoru was known as Fukuhara Kaoru. She was the weakest within the Homura House, but her marketing skill was good, and so was an important worker. It was where she met and fell in love with Suzuki Akihiko.

Normally, women of the Homura Clan would marry someone from within to contain their divine inheritance. But the Master had allowed Kaoru to follow her heart. In exchange, she was removed as a member as per clan rules so she wouldn't be taken advantage of outside.  She had left the Homura House for good to live among normal humans. However, because of the prophecy, she had to be in contact with them again.

Kaoru and her husband knew the importance of the clan for them to take heed and agree to the engagement. But to make things appear normal to others, they had to do the yuino, or the sealing of the engagement by receiving dowry from the Homura House, albeit also agreeing to keep this secret until Ara finished junior high school.

Ara would be graduating next year.

"Thank you for accepting us here too. We didn't know how to deal with our problem anymore."

It was Akihiko who spoke. There was obvious worry in his stance, and the Homura couple understood.

"It's fine. It's our fault in the first place," Seiji assured them.

The problem they talked about was the one the Suzuki couple was facing right now. For the past few months, they had been feeling strange about the people in their family. They were already aware of the envy Akihiko's siblings were harboring towards their family who seemed to do well in business. However, lately, the envy amplified and everyone barely remembered to be secretive about it.

"How many shadow lurkers?" Hanako asked and Kaoru shook her head.

"We do not know. But we're sure that they're not yet in their last stages. They can still be saved."

Hearing this, Akihiko looked more depressed. They were after all talking about his family. Based on how he understood the elemental parasites, they took on hosts with negative feeling and amplified them. Even if his family's actions now were not their own doing, it still meant that they did feel negatively towards them in the first place.

He was ashamed.

"Do not feel bad, brother," Seiji told Akihiko. "It's normal for humans to feel envious of others, although to use that feeling to work harder or to evil is still a choice one had to make. But right now, that ability to choose was taken away by the parasite."

"Then…"

"Then it means we do not feel negatively about your family. It is why in spite of the report, we are not doing anything. We will respect your wishes as they can still be saved. We will perform purification. It will take a while and it may leave some lasting effects like missing memories, but your family will be generally alright"

Akihiko and Kaoru felt relieved.

"That's good then," Kaoru said with a smile. She reached out for her husband's hand and gave him a squeeze.

"You may return home. But before that, please sign these documents," Seiji said as he handed them a file.

It was a contract stating that Homura House would be injecting funds to Suzuki Raiden Group as a dowry for their children's marriage.

"Master, but this is…"

Seiji waved his hand to put the couple at ease. "Do not worry about this small amount. It's not your brother's fault that he did what he did. As the one responsible for letting the shadow lurkers take over we will be supporting your company which became the victim."

Suzuki Daizo who was one of the hosts embezzled funds of the company and so they were having financial difficulties at the moment. With the money given to them, they could salvage their company.

"Take this. This is also for our daughter-in-law,"Hanako told them with a soft smile.

The Suzukis were quiet for a moment, when Akihiko requested something.

"What is it?" the Homuras asked.

"If…" The Suzukis hesitated for a while before they answered. "In case something happens to us, please do not take action against the Suzukis,"they requested softly.

The Homuras exchanged worried looks again. "Is it that bad now?"

Akihiko and Kaoru nodded. The reason why they did not carry phones with them was because they're aware that Daizo had bugged them and had orchestrated an evil plot against them.

"Then –"

"Please," Akihiko and Kaoru implored as they bowed, and the Homuras were not able to do anything but agree.

A week later, the Suzuki couple were called in their family home where Akihiko's father lived. The Homura House took that chance to send the Fuumas to perform the purification to rid of the shadow lurkers inhibiting the family members' bodies.

As soon as they finished, the people gathered in the living room all came to their senses. However, what everyone did not expect was that it was already too late. A plan had already been set into motion.

The car that the couple brought with them had been tampered with. It was set to suddenly stop anywhere. When Akihiko and Kaoru rode in the car with Ara at the back, the car suddenly stopped at the intersection of a busy road and the truck on the side slammed against them.

The Suzuki couple died.

The Homura House who promised they'd not take any action towards the Suzukis was not able to do anything but heal Ara's injuries and removed her memories of that incident.