Betrayal in its simplest form

Chapter 13

"Rin, I want you to listen carefully, okay?" Hayato asked warily of his wife. Akashi Rin, demonic mother of Akashi Seijuro and wife of Akashi Hayato, stood at the threshold of her husband's law office, one perfectly-arched eyebrow raised. Her arms were crossed over her chest, expectant. She was wearing a formal suit used for working, which consisted of a medium-length black pencil skirt, followed by a white blouse and a dark suit jacket. Just like her son and husband, she had fiery red hair, but it was long and slightly wavy, coming passed just down her shoulders.

Rin tapped her long, manicured nails against her arm. "Hurry and say it, Hayato. I'm busy."

"Ah, but not too busy, yes?" Hayato gestured toward the chairs in front of his desk. "Don't lie. I checked your work schedule."

"Tch." Irritated, the red-haired woman strode across the room and sat herself in the chair. "What do you want?"

Why, of all times, does this woman have to be in a bad mood? Hayato miserably thought."Ah, well, our 'wonderful' son visited me yesterday," he said sarcastically.

"Seijuro?" His wife's expression turned a bit softer. "Why was I not notified?"

"You were working."

Rin's left eye twitched. As much as the man claimed how smart he was, and as much respect he received in the law industry from Japan, Hayato would always be stupid. "Is he well? Does he look healthy? Does he look like he's behaving? No, do not answer the last question. Of course he's behaving." A smile came onto her lips. "He's my son after all."

Hayato returned the smile with a shaky one of his one. "Ah, he's—well. And healthy. Still as bratty as ever, though," he added with a grumble.

"He can't be a brat. I raised him." Rin studied her nails for a second before shooting a glare at her husband. "So? What did Seijuro need?"

"Aha-ha-ha-ha," the red-head laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "That's where the problem lies."

After, Akashi Hayato commenced miserably in explaining the situation and problem he got himself in with his son. Rin listened in disbelief, her urge to strangle her husband becoming more evident as the minutes passed by. Names such as 'Ibuki' or 'Atari' and 'Kuroko' shot straight through the female attorney. When Hayato finished, Rin had to compose herself to restrain from slapping her husband until he flew all the way to the depths of Hell.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and:

"Are you crazy, Akashi Hayato?" Rin suddenly screeched. She scrambled out of her chair and slammed her palms against the polished desk. It made a loud, intimidating sound that even had the 'supposedly formidable' Hayato wince. Good thing the door was closed. "How could you?"

"N-now, Rin," Hayato tried to soothe. "You know this—"

"How could you . . . how could you . . ."

"I know, I know, but—"

"How could you let this Tetsuya kid be abused for so long?"

Hayato blinked. "Eh?"

Rin pushed herself off the desk and started pacing the room. A severe frown was on her face. She did her signature habit of stress by running a hand through her hair three times. "That poor boy! Kuroko Tetsuya; he's such a polite child. I've met him once, when Seijuro was coming home from those silly basketball games of his. Seijuro talked about him one time, too, during his middle school days! And he's been abused since? And my son kept this from me?" Rin's left eye twitched again, and she stopped her pacing. She glared at her husband. "I'm going to kill that ungrateful boy of ours. How dare he keep this from me?"