Underneath the Red Trees

CHAPTER 65: A FAMILY OF SNAKES

The sedan stopped inside the garage. Naozumi peered at the garage door as it closed.

Touma got out of the car after Akira entered the villa. He had gotten an abrupt phone call. As Touma was about to head inside, Naozumi started to scream. He had rolled himself into a ball in the backseat, clutching his head. His black fingernails dug into the skin of his temples.

It occurred to Touma that, though he and Akira had been raised with technology, Naozumi had not. It was completely foreign to him.

Sighing, Touma opened the car door.

Naozumi rolled out of the car, ending up on his hands and knees on the garage floor.

Touma was about to head inside, but a pair of arms wrapped around his leg. He looked down with a scowl. "What are you doing?"

Naozumi hugged his leg tighter. "Yuuki... forgives... me?"

"You want forgiveness?" Naozumi nodded with a little too much enthusiasm. "Why would I do that?" Touma's voice shook.

He recalled the night Naozumi had approached him. Then, as well, he had begged for forgiveness.

"Please... please... I beg you..."

A laugh of disbelief ripped from Touma's throat. "It's not my forgiveness you need. Think of all those girls... your victims... You need their forgiveness, not mine."

Touma ripped his leg away and left Naozumi there, in the garage.

Touma stood outside, staring down at his own reflection in the fountain water. He found comfort in the fact that he did not have the trademark red hair of the Akano bloodline anymore. Then again, neither did Akira.

"Touma," he heard behind him. Akira had been in his study all day. What was he doing here now? "Come here."

Touma did not react to Akira's demand. He did not move away from the fountain. Yuuki had been careful when Daisaku was concerned. Touma was obstinate in comparison.

Touma gasped as Akira grabbed his hair and pulled. "Don't be stubborn, now. You know I don't like that."

"Ow! Ow! Sorry! I'm sorry!" Akira released his hair, grinning. Touma turned to him. "What do you want?"

"Dinner."

Touma followed Akira inside. Their dinner was smoked duck this time. In the three days Touma had been here, he had tasted all kinds of European cuisine. Akira did not seem to like Japanese food much. Touma preferred Japanese cuisine to western food.

Touma glanced at Naozumi who sat across from him. He was glancing off into the distance at the windows behind Touma.

Akira's phone rang. He sneered at it, but picked up the call, nonetheless. "What do you want?" he asked as he left the room.

Touma put down his fork. He did not have an appetite. He only ate because Akira got mad when he didn't.

Several minutes passed before Akira came into the dining room again. He seemed upset. He looked at the two at the table. "I have to get to the city."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes," Akira grabbed Touma's jaw, forcing their eyes to meet. His eyes were icy for several moments. Then he smiled. "Be good."

Silence fell over the room when Akira had left. Touma heard the revving of Akira's silver sedan as it pulled out of the garage.

"Naozumi." He raised his head in question. "You want forgiveness, right?" Naozumi nodded. "Help me escape."

It was night-time when Naozumi jumped through the closed window. The shattering glass rang through the silence, like ripping the blanket of quiet.

Touma climbed through the hole, careful not to cut himself on the shards.

The two ran to the gate that barred Touma's escape. Naozumi looked lost. He no longer had a mind to think of what they had to do next to escape.

"Help me climb," Touma said. Naozumi did as told, allowing himself to be used as a step stool.

He lifted himself over the spikes, but just as he pushed himself off of Naozumi, he slipped. He cut his shirt and the skin beneath it on the spikes above the gate.

And he fell.  

Satoru walked down a street of Tokyo. He had just come from Zaizen's. It had been five days since Touma had disappeared. He was worried. This was his fault. He shouldn't have left him there. For all he knew, that woman had murdered Touma.

Satoru had not slept in two days. His eyes were heavy.

He raised his head, and his eyes widened.

On the very same street he stood on, exactly five paces away from him, stood Touma Kirigaya stretching his arms above his head.

"Touma?"

"Aki?" Touma mimicked his tone of disbelief.

Satoru's breath shook. He closed the distance between them. He hugged him. The weight that had formed on his shoulders since Touma had gone missing, lifted.

As he pulled away from their embrace, he asked, "Where have you been?"

"Aki, since the dawn of my birth, what do I do when I'm panicked and confused?" Satoru looked lost. Touma rolled his eyes. "I run to my mother, you idiot. How long have you known me?" he asked as he slapped the back of Satoru's head.

Satoru laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "You were with your parents?"

"Sort of," Touma's eyes became distant. "Only for about a day."

That would explain why they did not find him there when they went to check the Kirigaya household.

"I see you have found him," an old voice said. Satoru heard the tap-tap of his cane.

"Yes," Satoru said, smiling softly, "Although he has a lot of explaining to do." Satoru glanced at Touma's face, and his smile faltered.

Touma's face had broken out in an expression of dread. His eyes were wide. He took a step back. His voice trembled. "Stay away from me!"

"Touma?" Satoru tried. Touma wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Zaizen.

"Stay away from me," he repeated, this time softer and slower.

Satoru looked back at Zaizen. His expression of nonchalance was unmoving.

Before Touma could move back more, Satoru grabbed his arm. Touma struggled. "Listen to me." Touma still struggled. "He is—was my grandfather, you can trust him."

"No, he isn't. Let go of me!" Touma shouted, there was a sense of urgency in his voice. His eyes never left Zaizen's face.

"What are you talking about? Touma, please just calm down."

"He is not your grandfather, Aki," Touma said, his voice was clear this time, "because I saw Zaizen Kuroda die."