CHAPTER 3

  In the end, Takahiro refused to let go of Yumi. He picked up the briefcase he dropped and her stuffed animal before he carried her to the house with ease.

  Butler Furutani had held himself back for a few moments before he synced up his steps with them. He took the time to introduce Yumi to the idea of what he referred to as 'her household staff' outside of him and his wife, Doctor Asako Furutani. There were two people on holiday who had yet to return; Eunji Won, her personal chef, and Ritsuka Kawamura, the ever loyal gardener her mother hired long before Yumi ever existed. For some reason, her uncle undertook the task of hiring two personal guards for her in the form of Noriyuki Takenaka and Fuuto Hijino. She hadn't met the latter yet, as he would remain in the guard's barracks until he would relieve Takenaka of his duties.

  "It's a small staff," Takahiro said. "But they're all trustworthy."

  "Yes, we can't make any compromises," Butler Furutani agreed.

  Yumi wanted to ask exactly why they thought she needed household staff in the first place. The only staff her mother and father kept on retainer were their employees at their companies and a housekeeper who came in the mornings to do light cleanings. Speaking of the housekeeper, she wanted to ask if she could use the phone to call Chen Meiyu and see if she was doing well or found a new job yet.

  She had alerted the police for Yumi after all and stayed to shield her throughout the first day. It was the right thing to do—to make sure that her uncle would extend her family's help and ensure Meiyu would have a good job so she could support her son.

  Takahiro set her down once they entered the foyer and kneeled to look into her puffy, raw eyes. "Do you want help unpacking?"

  She shook her head.

  Takahiro set his hands on her shoulders and looked at her. He boasted the signature Tokudaiji honey gold eyes like her mother—they even had the exact same shape. An upturned slope that lent to their naturally sharp and intimidating gaze. It was the sole feature of her mother's family that Yumi lacked. She had inherited an anaemic shade of her father's deep rhodonite eyes in the form of a pale blush-pink that made her eyes look bloodshot or infected in the wrong lights.

  "You'll be alright?" her uncle asked softly.

  She nodded.

  He scrutinised her with care before he turned her head left to right and chuffed her chin. Takahiro pressed her cat plush into her arms. "The master bedroom upstairs is yours. Be back down in one hour to eat, alright?"

  "Yes, Takahiro-ji," Yumi said obediently.

  There wasn't much she could do upstairs as she hadn't brought most of her personal items. She wasn't strong enough to carry it all. Her uncle had to take care of what she left behind in Nanning, which Chen Meiyu helped pack into cardboard boxes. As it was, Yumi only brought the basics and her favourite things.

  The rest of her things would come soon.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Would you like me to escort you upstairs, Yumi-sama?" Takenaka offered from his place in the living room.

  "No, thank you," she said before she ambled up the two sets of winding stairs to the master bedroom.

  Her room was near spotless, as if they had maintained the room every day even if her mother hadn't returned in a decade. The dark wood furniture made the room look smaller and seem more grounded, even though it was large enough to contain a whole lounging area with three bookshelves near the sliding doors to the balcony. The queen bed resting in the centre of the room seemed tiny, draped in dark green and cream sheets.

  Takenaka had left her things by the door, perhaps out of respect and not wishing to intrude further on her space.

  But it wasn't really her space.

  It belonged to her mother, and she could tell it was because of the green. Her mother had loved the colour dearly because it was the colour of her father's eyes.

  Yumi mechanically began to unpack the things she had brought over from Nanning. Her clothes went into the dresser, her books went into the bookshelves, and she tucked her electronics away into the little roll-top desk in the corner. The repetitive actions soothed her nerves even if it felt like it delayed the inevitable.

  It wasn't until the suitcase was near empty did she stop and just stare at the last few items.

  A little wooden hourglass with black sand rested against the pale grey interior while a rose embroidered black headband, gold suncatcher, and velvet box crowded it. They were all gifts from her Dad. He travelled often, which meant he usually brought back rare books for her and the occasional little trinket, which made them more special in her eyes. He would tell her a little story as to why he chose it, and she would bury the information away in her journal.

  She wished she knew what happened to him.

  Yumi looked at the wooden alarm clock resting on the dresser beside the bed and made her way back to the living room. She paused at the top of the stairs when she began to hear the remnants of a conversation.

  "What do you mean?" Takahiro hissed.

  Butler Furutani sighed. "Your father didn't receive custody. The Clan Elders did."

  "How did that happen?"

  "Your uncle—"

  "Oh, of course," Takahiro spat out. "That rat bastard would think of this as an opportunity."

  "It's worrying your father," Butler Furutani admitted.

  Takahiro sighed. "I have to wrap up this case, then I'll take some time off. He won't do anything as long as I'm around. I might even return to the family firm as a partner."

  "Your father would be happier. He has always wanted you to remain closer to home."

  "I'm not doing it for him."

  Yumi drifted down the stairs and waited for them to hear her footsteps. Their voices grew hushed and soft until she entered the living room. She could see Takenaka sitting outside on the veranda, probably aware of the private conversation taking place between her uncle and Butler Furutani.

  "You hungry, Mimi?" Takahiro asked.

  He reached over to ruffle her hair. She scrunched her nose, but nodded and tucked herself into the small space on the couch beside him.

  He hummed and wrapped her up in a hug. "Let's get some of your favourites. How about sushi?"

  "Okay," she said.

  She didn't feel hungry at all, but it would make him happy to see her eat.

  A week ago, at this exact time, she would have found her father in the kitchen making bowls of cold noodles. She would wait patiently for her mother to return home from work and tell her all about Takahiro's case before they would all tune into the latest heist documentary.

  She would never have that again.

  r/guardiannews

  ↑↓ 12.9k

  posted by u/tofublendart

  has anyone else seen the new crime rate stat release?

  i don't know why this isn't going viral. two days into lightbringer's leave and the crime statistics rise by a whole percentage!! what the hell does that mean for us? what happens when lightbringer can't do his job anymore? just chaos everywhere?

  Comments

  ↑↓ stanspiderlee 1.8k points

  That's actually a terrifying statistic because it's not just vandalism or property damage. It's actual violent crimes.

  I don't think there will ever be a guardian who can take Lightbringer's place. I don't know what that means for society at large, but it's not looking good.

  View entire discussion (1.1k Comments)