The Burning Truth (Slow Updates)

⚠️[17]⚠️

TW: MENTION/INVOLVE; VICTIM BLAMING, PAST DRINK SPIKING, GASLIGHTING, & PLAYING VICTIM

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, IF ANY OF THESE ARE TRIGGERING TO YOU PLEASE SKIP PAST THEM!

YOU. HAVE. BEEN. WARN.
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Fuyumi couldn't help but think about that phone call she had with Natsuo that day. How could she not think about it? No matter how hard she tries to bury that conversation in the back of her mind, somehow, it always manages to crawl back. She couldn't believe that her own younger brother would say or even think of something like that about their father. Fuyumi wasn't mad at Natsuo. If anything, she was disappointed in him and embarrassed to even say that's her brother.

Which was something she never thought she would ever feel, sure when she was younger, and throughout her adulthood, her brothers did things that were embarrassing in public. But none of it would make her feel so embarrassed to the point that she wished they weren't related. Fuyumi couldn't help but feel a little bit ashamed of herself for feeling that way, but another part of her doesn't feel bad about it at all.

Fuyumi couldn't help but let out a deep and irritated sigh as she prepared to cook, in her shared apartment with Rumi, that she hadn't started yet due to her overthinking about what Natsuo said. After a while, she gave up on making dinner since she couldn't fully focus on cooking at the moment and just ordered take-out instead. The stress was getting to her so much that she had to call in from work.

If anything, she would prefer talking about it to someone instead of keeping her thoughts to herself. But she couldn't, Rumi is out patrolling with Hawks, she doesn't want to bother Toshinori or any other Pro Hero that is close to her dear father, asking Enji is way out of the question she knows that having that conversation with him would be hard, and she knows that Shoto is traumatized about what happen no matter how much he try to hide it. Fuyumi knows that Rei and Natsuo are out of the question. She doesn't want to admit it, but she can't trust Rei with this information. She doesn't know why she can't trust her, but she knows that she has this gut feeling that's telling her not to.

'Maybe I'm just overthinking it... there is no reason for me not to trust my own mother... right?'

Fuyumi thought to herself, feeling nothing but doubt in herself and her own thought process.

She knows that Rei, her mother, is a kind soul...well. That's what she keeps telling herself. Lately, Fuyumi thinks...no..know that there's something off about Rei. She couldn't quite place what though...what caused her to think such a thing about the woman who birthed her and her brothers.

Surely, there has to be a reason why Fuyumi got this feeling. Maybe there was something she missed as a kid that finally began to resurface. But what could it be? Fuyumi doesn't recall anything that Rei did for her to have this feeling that has been eating her up for almost three days now.

Fuyumi tries to clear her mind and focus on anything else, but she can't. She needs to find out what it is, or else it'll keep bothering her. That's when it finally clicked...the reason was there the whole time. It was always there. Of course, it was so obvious. Touya was the first to point it out, and Fuyumi ignored him. The reason why Fuyumi can't trust Rei is because of her strange behavior towards Enji. The way she always makes his smoothies away from prying eyes, how she used to purposely make Enji miss any school activities involving Natsuo, or how Rei would always wave her phone in the air like she's blackmailing and taunting Enji about something. Every memory finally began to come together like a puzzle for Fuyumi. It answered her questions but also left them unanswered.

She wants nothing more than finding the truth, but deep down, she knows that she'll only get hurt more. Right now, all Fuyumi can do is be there for Enji the best way she can and show him her support.

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Rei knew something wasn't right. She knows something is wrong and can't help but to believe that she is somewhat at fault for it. But everything she did was for a reason.

'I did what I needed to do to stay on Valk good side...it was worth it..' She thought to herself as bit the inside of her cheek.

So what she secretly spied on Enji during his patrol while the kids was with her parents, so she can take pictures of him interacting with Toshinori. And so what she used it as blackmail to have her way when she needed it. It was to make sure that Enji knew that all she had to was send the pictures to Valk.

"It's not like he didn't deserve it..." Rei mumbled to no one but herself.

She didn't see why Enji never wanted the kids to see Valk for. every time she asked him, he just brushed her off and changed the topic. But she never complained once. However, when she wanted to have sex with Enji, he always refused. It wasn't fair to her, the one who had to live her home and miles away from her family to be in an arranged marriage.

So maybe she did contact Valk a week after she moved in with Enji when they got married. Maybe he did give her an aphrodisiac drug to put in Enji drink, and so what if she did just that. If it wasn't for her, they wouldn't have four children.

It wasn't like Enji didn't know after the first time, and he didn't really have a choice in the matter. All Rei had to do was just spin everything on Enji and blame him. It wasn't like anyone was going to believe him anyway. Besides, he was too ashamed to tell anyone anyway.

Valk didn't mind it at all. Even though Rei didn't trust him, she risk-taking the blame for it. She made mistakes, but it was all because of Enji. If he would've just actually communicated with or hell at least tried to act like he was forced into this marriage, maybe she wouldn't have gone to such links.

But it's fine now, it's too late for her to make everything right. Rei knows the damage she caused, and she can accept that she did it, but she can't take the blame for it. Being in the mental hospital helps her learn the mental problems that she has. Which is why she told Enji she wanted to stay here longer.

"Everything...happens for a reason..." She whispered to her quietly.

Suddenly she heard the door open and she looked to see who it was. Only to be greeted by a familiar face that she hasn't seen in years.

Well, they always did say if you speak of the devil, he's bounds to show up.

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Surprise! I'm not dead😃

Sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long!

I had a major writers block & kinda lost motivation to continue writing this book😔

But I've decided to continue since it wouldn't be fair to everyone who has been dying for an update.

I'm in my freshman year of college now so there's no promises on having constant updates, however I'll try to work on the chapters starting today & possibly tomorrow!

- Kashi

1275 words