Underneath the Red Trees

CHAPTER 80: FATHER AND SON

Touma stared at the plate of bacon and eggs that had been placed before him exactly twenty-two minutes ago. He couldn't bring himself to eat.

"You know Father will be upset if you do not eat," Akira sat across from him. Touma glanced at him.

He smiled ruefully. "Well, at least if I don't eat, he won't hit me."

Akira clicked his tongue. "You've gotten so mean." Akira leaned on the table. "Brother dear, don't forget. You chose to come here."

Touma cast his eyes down, back at the full plate of food. "I am well aware of that."

It had been three days since Hayate had blown up at him. And in those three days he had no appetite and suffered from severe insomnia. He might have had a total five hours of sleep.

Katsu had brought him to a penthouse in Shinjuku. The building seemed empty except for the penthouse on the top floor. It was furnished lavishly.

Touma's phone buzzed. He looked at the screen: MOM.

He abandoned the plate of food and went to the balcony with his phone. 

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, sweetheart. How is summer break?"

"It's fine, Mom. I'm getting my rest in. Catching up on some reading."

"That's good. Are you coming home some time?"

"Yeah, yes. Of course."

"Bring Hayate, too. I like that boy. Far better than your last boyfriend." He heard her giggle.

Touma's heart squeezed. "I don't know about that, Mom."

"Did you two have a fight? Touma, you know communication is everything. Your father and I used to fight a ton before we learned to talk to each other."

"I know. I know."

"I'm just telling you this because, from what I saw the last time you brought him home, it seemed to me like that boy really cares about you. Now I don't know for sure if he loves you, but I do know he cares a lot."

"I know, Mom, I know. I'll try to figure it out with him. I promise."

"All right, honey. Take care of yourself. Let me know when you'll be home."

"I will. Bye, Mom."

He felt the guilt riding up at every lie he had to tell her, but he couldn't tell his mother the truth. Their fight crossed the boundaries of lifetimes.

"Doesn't that get annoying?"

Touma recoiled away from Akira. He was standing right next to him. Akira moved without sound, like a predator. It stumped Touma how he was able to do that.

"Your family may be dead and buried, but mine are very much alive."

Akira grinned. "I could change that for you."

"You will do no such thing."

The two men looked at the penthouse door where Katsu stood. He had been working since late last night. There were dark circles under his eyes.

Akira went inside. "But, Father, we would be better off without them."

Katsu rubbed his temple. "The Kirigaya family are not a threat to us. Leave them be." Katsu glanced at Akira. "Don't you have an operation today?"

Akira checked his watch. "Oh, shit." He ran up the stairs. Minutes later he ran down again and out the door. Akira was far livelier in comparison to Daisaku.

Katsu stared at the door for a couple of moments after he had left. "Touma," he called. "Come sit with me."

Touma placed his phone on the coffee table and plopped down on the sofa.

Katsu smiled meekly, a result of his exhaustion. "You still look just like her."

"I kept my face, so yeah."

"You know that I loved Airi, don't you?"

"Yeah," Touma said. Katsu smiled weakly as he thought of her. "I do."

"We haven't had a chance to talk properly," Katsu said. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Go ahead. I'll answer all your questions."

Touma hesitated at first. "Daisaku... Akira said you funded his research."

Katsu sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. "I was trying to do right by him. He would have gone to prison if I had not stepped in," he explained, "I have never condoned his hobbies. I can do little to stop him, I'm sure you know. And it seemed useful to ERIS at the time."

"Why did you create ERIS?"

"Daisaku, I suppose, is the father of Breaks. As his father I felt responsible in a way. I was trying to make up for Daisaku's mistakes. ERIS used to have a better purpose before your brother became involved."

"Why did Obake eat Zaizen Kuroda back then. Does she have a taste for human meat?"

Katsu shook his head. "No. Obake is just extremely hungry. She'll eat anything." Katsu smiled softly. "She seems to like meat, though." He glanced at Touma. "You should know better than anyone that, though the four Spirit Beasts have personalities, they don't possess malice or resentment. Such things come from their Wielder." Katsu interlaced his fingers, lowering his eyes to stare at his own hands.

"Do you know what Dashi is?" Touma asked.

"I figured it out some time ago."

"How did you live so long?"

"Dashi's blood is the largest factor."

"Do you know about Naozumi?"

"Yes."

"Have you spoken to him since he became a Break?"

"No."

"Do you intend to?"

"No."

"How did you find me?" Katsu glanced at him. He pressed his lips into a line. "Why pretend to be Zaizen Kuroda?"

Katsu exhaled. He leaned back into the sofa pillows. "At some point I realised that I would not be able to find you on my own, but... he would. Ryogetsu... Mr Igarashi could find you. For some reason you two seem to be connected. So, I needed him to find you for me." Katsu turned his body to Touma. "He—none of them would trust me, but a wise old man is far more trustworthy. Zaizen Kuroda was the most convenient form for me to take." He closed his eyes. "Anything else?"

"What did you do to me?" Touma asked, "And how do I wake Tenko?"

Katsu stared at him for a long while this time. He turned his eyes away, staring out in front of him, but not really looking at anything.

"I did what I needed to do, that is all you need to know." He met Touma's eyes. "And I can help you wake Tenko."

A type of excitement filled Touma's chest. He knew he missed Tenko. He had known since his memories returned. "When?"

"Soon." Katsu rose from the sofa. "For now, I need to get some sleep."