Cupcakes, Cars & Swords

Chapter 8

To his colleagues and lackeys alike, he was simply known as Mr. Shinimoto.

Most would describe him as a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and the demeanor of a stern grandfather or even an elder with a strong sense of morals. But, looks could be deceiving, and in Mr. Shinimoto's case, he was definitely not one to double cross or make an enemy of. His youth had been spent building up the empire he solely claimed as his own, an empire that had been carved with endless blood, sweat, tears and agony that had been well worth it.

From the eyes of an outsider, one might think Mr. Shinimoto had risen from his rank as poor and destitute to multi-millionaire conglomerate out of desperation and want of a better life. One might assume, but one would be wrong.

Mr. Shinimoto had built his empire out of necessity; not for want of security or of materialistic obsessions, nor did his drive come from filial duty to his parents. No, Mr. Shinimoto had risen himself up with the hopes of something even more valuable and priceless than the simplistic dreams of mere mortals.

Immortality.

He had been raised to believe this was achievable, that it was not something people only spoke of in regards to myth and legend. No, Mr. Shinimoto had been taught that this godlike trait was possible, and he believed as his father and grandfather, and his grandfather's father and those before him had believed.

Immortality.

How many times had he heard of The Legend? How the selfishness of one man had led to the ruin of countless families? How many times had his father drilled into his head that it was the right of their family, the noble Shinimoto bloodline, to live on? Not just for decades or centuries, but well beyond the end of time?

It was the legacy of the Shinimoto family.

Legacies and traditions were not meant to be taken lightly nor ignored.

And Mr. Shinimoto would not allow his family's legacy fall.

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The light began to fade, but Kyuhyun felt as if he was still blind. Faint outlines of the furniture and décor began to appear, growing stronger and more defined with each passing second, yet his eyes refused to process the sight, making his brain go crazy with nothing to comprehend. He took a step forward, then fell backwards when he slammed into the invisible wall Tae somehow still generated.

"Um, Tae?" Kyuhyun said, rubbing his nose. He glanced at the young boy so concentrated on his task, still not understanding just how his son was able to do what he was doing.

Without looking at his father, Taehyun shook his head. "Sorry, appa," he said, his eyes locked forward. "But, I can't let go until umma says so." As if to prove his point, he turned to his twin. "Sunny?" he asked.

She answered with a shake of her head. "Umma said to wait a little bit longer," she confirmed, her eyes concentrated on the still brightly lit room. She abruptly turned to her brother, her eyes filled with sudden concern. "Are you okay, Tae?" she asked, and her tone was the softest Kyuhyun had ever heard her use with him.

The boy nodded. "It's easier now," he assured her, although small beads of sweat were still visible at his hairline.

"And, what exactly is easier?" Jun Ye suddenly demanded, a hint of panic in her voice. She was staring at the twins, her eyes wild and confused as she tried to process the events of the night. She was clutching her son closely, almost desperately, as if letting him go would be an end to any rationale she clung to.

The twins glanced at one another, unsure as whether or not answering was the correct thing to do. Their father, however, had other ideas. "Wait, when did you talk to umma?" Kyuhyun asked, confused. He lightly touched the invisible wall, peering out. The light had almost fully dissipated, but there were no signs of his. And as far as he could tell, the only sound he could hear was everyone's breathing within the bubble; had Misa called out to the twins without him hearing her?