(Masaru's pov)
I'm a bit worried about what Akio was implying about Dad. What he said about Dad didn't sound like him. I can vouch for it. Whenever we ask him for anything, he tries to grant us anything while still being reasonable.
We wanted to train, and he started training us. We wanted to leave Sereitei to explore, and he let us.
It doesn't sound like he only cared for strength, money, or himself. If that was the case, he wouldn't adopt Rangiku and Gin. He wouldn't marry mom, Isane-kaasan, and Yoruichi-kaasan. He wouldn't have children in the first place. In the first place, Dad doesn't seem greedy for money. He respects it since he lived in the poor part of the Rukongai district, but that's all. Not to ntion that he regularly goes to the Captain of Squad 13 to examine him.
I can't stop worrying, though. What if there was so truth in what Akio said. I don't believe it, but he gave a na that I can investigate.
Yan Fon and it's eerily familiar to Soi Fon, and that would be my first lead.
---
I went to the 2nd division barracks to look for Soi Fon, and the best way to find her was through my dad, as he beca Captain there not a long ti ago.
I didn't need to look around for long. I only needed to look around for a tree that would be good to nap under, and just like that, I found my parent relaxing there.
I walked up to him with the intention of waking him up, but before I could say or do anything, he spoke up.
"What is it, Masaru?"
It didn't surprise that he could sense . He always was better at sensing others than I was, but I didn't expect him to be awake.
"I thought that you were sleeping."
Dad stood up and started stretching.
"I was, but it doesn't an that I'm not paying attention to my surroundings. Otherwise, soone could get a jump on , but never mind , you want to ask for sothing, am I right?"
"Yes, I wanted to ask where Soi Fon is. I have a matter with her to discuss."
Dad perked up hearing it.
"Is it finally a day!?" He seed strangely energetic about it. "I was waiting for this day longer than I thought. Literal decades, I tell you, but I can finally have this man-to-man talk with you. First, the key to success is confidence. Doesn't matter if you don't know what you are doing. It worked for far more than it should..."
... I think he misunderstood sothing.
"Dad... I don't know what you are talking about it. I just wanted to ask Soi Fon about sothing."
"Well... this is awkward. I already sent hell Butterflies to your mothers about celebrating you having an interest in the opposite sex. We were starting to worry that we won't beco grandparents at this rate."
Only Dad could make this speechless.
"Dad, I barely beca an adult. Also, I don't know many girls my age. Besides Yukima, who is my sister, and Rangiku, who is my adoptive sister, I don't know any other girls."
Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship at the mont.
"Right... I sotis forget that you age differently than I did. When I was sixteen, I was already preparing myself to be a father, and you are 80 years old and barely an adult. Strange world we are living in."
True, Mom and Dad are literally from a different world. They both ca to Soul Society and retained their mories of their lives, but I suspect there is sothing more to it. They always were very vague about their early life.
"Yeah, Dad, I would love to talk about your life, but right now, I really need to talk with Soi Fon."
I may be a bit hasty, but I would like to clear the uncertainties in my mind as fast as possible.
"Before I do that, can you listen to my rambling for a bit?" Dad asked, which confused , but I didn't mind.
"You see, Masaru, out of all of my children, you are the most similar to ... for better or worse. It ans that I can read you better than your siblings because you think in a similar way, and right now, you say that you have a business with Soi Fon, but that's not the whole truth, is it."
My heartbeat quickened. I don't understand why. I love my father, so why... am I scared? Am I scared that the person I love, and respect was just a lie, or I don't want this lie to end...
The whole ti Dad was talking, he was calm, but it didn't help calm my nerves.
Maybe... maybe I should just face Dad.
Without even noticing, I let my hand rest on the hilt of my Zanpakuto, but Dad didn't pay it any attention. Was it confidence in his strength? Possibly. He was much stronger than , but there could be another reason that I would like to believe in. What if he believed that I wouldn't harm him, and my actions were simply unreasonable.
... Akio got to my head more than I thought.
I took a deep breath, let go of the hilt of my weapon, and, full of determination, looked at my father.
"Dad... who is Yan Fon?"
Dad didn't answer, and everything second of silence was like an eternity to , waiting patiently for his answer.
"Let's go sowhere else..."
---
We went to our usual training spot, called the Study Chamber, and we didn't exchange a single word between us. Not like it took that long with our speed to get there, but learning the truth will be nerve-wracking. Just like Akio said, that knows about Yan Fon. I don't know what connection he does have with her, but whatever it is, it must be serious.
After we finally stopped, Dad turned to , took down his glasses, removed his contacts, and looked at with his real but, at the sa ti, unreal eyes.
He only does that when he is completely earnest. Dad claims that the eyes are the window of the soul, so by showing his eyes, he wants to show his sincerity.
"Masaru, you know too much."
In an instant, Dad got behind , and I felt a prick on the back of my neck.
"This poison will make air poisonous to you. In about a few thousand years, you will die."
Before I could register what had happened, Dad did sothing to . Am I going to... die?
Wait...
Then the realization hit as I looked at Dad and saw his grin. The sa grin that he has when he successfully pranks soone.
My reaction was to show a deadpan face to my old man.
"Not funny? I thought it was good. When I was younger, there was this joke that air is poisonous and makes us die but very slowly... But never mind that. Feeling better?"
What? He is right; I feel slightly more relaxed. Did the joke losen all the tension inside ?
Seeing that his plan worked, he gently smiled, but it was a short-lived smile as soon after, his face turned... emotionless.
"I'm going to be honest. When I woke up today, I wasn't expecting to hear that na from my son's mouth at that." Dad's voice was calm, scarily so, lacking his usual teasing or more vibrant tone that he usually has. It was lacking emotions, as if he tried to distance himself from them.
"I was sure that only Yoruichi knew about my connection to Yan Fon, but it seems that I was mistaken. Masaru, what I am about to tell you, you cannot share this with anyone. Not with your mothers, not with your sibling, not with anyone."
---
What I heard from Dad was... heartbreaking for . I know that the world is a cruel place. That's why I'm training so hard, but even though I knew that my parents didn't have the easiest of life, I didn't expect him to sacrifice his own morals for Mom. But by doing that, he destroyed soone else's family. Soi Fon's family.
"So now you know why I asked you to keep this a secret. Rin would feel responsible for forcing into doing what I did. Not to ntion that I still have scars from when I fought Yan Fon's bodyguards. That's why I need you to tell how you got information about her. Yoruichi buried all of the information about her as deeply as she possibly could, so my bad decision from my youth won't bite in the future."
What Dad is saying makes sense, so I decided to share what I knew.
"Akio told ."
Dad narrowed his eyes.
"Akio is a smart kid, but he wouldn't find out this information by sheer accident. If that was so easy, Central 46 would bang on my doors ages ago. He either must have dug deep, real deep or... soone..." Dad trailed off, starting to think about sothing.
Wait, soone...
"Dad, I don't know if that helps, but Akio ntioned sothing about wanting to join the Gotei 13 and moving out. He even has a recomndation from soone."
That made Dad stop his quiet murmuring, and I could feel many emotions explode, confusion, anger, sadness, but one of them was sothing I didn't feel from my father before, fear.
"Do you know from whom he got the recomndation?" he finally asked , at which I shook my head. "Then it looks like we will have a very awkward dinner tonight."
---
END
Discord server: sdiscord.gg/HB2DweuG4J /Kurit (Up to 10 chapters ahead and exclusive illustrations)
Reviews
All reviews (0)