Chapter 123 - No reason for us to stay as friends

Umezaki Rie doesn't wake up early in the morning. Rather, she keeps her eyes closed until Kiyohira is gone. 

She takes a walk around the room. She glances at the locked window. Even sunlight can't enter. It's nearly impossible to break it. She goes to the bathroom. There's a small ventilation window. It's too small to escape from.

Tsuchiya comes to the room with breakfast. She smiles at Rie who doesn't smile back. Rie glances at the food before deciding to eat it. Starving oneself is stupid. She needs the energy to think.

"Tsuchiya San, you are cute." She picks up the sandwich. "I thought that you were only 16 when I saw you for the first time."

"I often get mistaken for that, Madam Kamiyama," Tsuchiya tells her before leaving the room and closing the door.

Rie eats silently, thinking.

Her father isn't coming. Her friend, Ren, hasn't tried to contact her. She doesn't think that it's impossible for Ren to find a way to contact her. They must be on Kiyohira's side. 

If Kiyohira can nearly fool her, he can fool them too. Still, why would they not come and see her once? Her being confined like this is okay for them?

Whatever is the reason, she's inside these four walls against her will. 

***

Iori narrows her eyes on Takeshi's back. He's sitting beside Lina, discussing something with a serious expression. Lina is smiling like a fool. There's a hint of annoyance in his eyes, but he doesn't say anything to her. He points at the notebook.

She can't hear anything. Maybe Haru is wrong. He isn't dating Lina. Though Lina is blushing, Takeshi isn't looking at her the same way. His gaze is neutral as if Lina is neither a man nor a woman. 

He walks away from Lina. She follows him quietly. She needs to apologize, but she is finding it difficult to face him. He seems really mad.

Usually, he would stop being mad after a while. This time, it's different.

While following him, she forgets that it's a dead-end ahead. He turns around suddenly. She freezes on the spot. She's caught.

"Why are you stalking me?" 

"I am not stalking you." She stammers. "I am just keeping a watch on you."

It's a habit to keep a watch on him.

"Whatever you call it, stop your actions." He glares at her. "I do not like being watched or stalked."

She twists the fabric of her skirt. "Takeshi, I am sorry about that day. I shouldn't have reacted in such a manner."

"Apology accepted." He walks past her. She can't guess whether he's angry or not. 

"Don't just go like this." She blocks his way. "Why didn't you say it to me before?"

He folds his arms. "If I told you before, would you see me as a man?"

She purses her lips, unable to answer him.

"I am sorry for kissing you that day." He sighs once. "Stop doing unnecessary things. It's not like you liked me as your friend."

"If you liked me, shouldn't you have treated me better?" Iori is annoyed by his words. They fight and argue over little things, but she has always considered him as her friend. "I always considered you as my friend, even though you have never treated me well."

"You stayed as my friend because you liked my brother. You have been using me in the past to come to my home and steal glances at my brother," He tells her straightforwardly. 

Iori can't refute those words. How long has he known? 

"That's the reason why I didn't treat you as a girl. I didn't want to admit my feelings for you. I was foolishly waiting for you to give up because I knew my brother would never accept your feelings." He smiles at her. The way he's looking at her with a neutral gaze, just the way he looked at Lina. "My brother is married. There's no reason for us to stay as friends. Stop keeping a watch on me. You are not a class president anymore. I am not your responsibility."

He leaves without another word. A line has been drawn between her and Takeshi. She's a mere acquaintance now. 

***

A palm-size drone is flying around. It LED light blinks once before it races through the open window. Flying near the ceiling, it captures the layout of the house. Then, it moves toward the first floor. 

Takeshi pauses when he hears the strange noise. He looks to his right. There's no one. The drone hides behind the vase. He stands there for a moment, waiting. Thinking it's probably his imagination, he enters his room. It glides through the air toward Kiyohira's and Rie's bedroom.

A woman in a black suit jumps from the ceiling. She snatches the drone in the air. The LED light stops blinking. With lightning speed, she runs toward the window on the first floor and throws it out. The blast in the air shatters the glass of the window.

Takeshi opens the door first. "What was that?"

She doesn't reply. By that time, Kiyohira has come out of his room with Rie secured in his arms. "Tsuchiya, what happened?"

"Mr. Kamiyama, it's a spy." 

Kiyohira's expression turns ugly. Rie stares at the exit, mentally calculating her chances. Tsuchiya and Kiyohira are big obstacles. She doesn't make a move. 

"Rie, go inside and sleep." He opens the door, pushes her inside, and closes the door before she can say anything.

Takeshi frowns at him. "Brother, that's too much."

"Takeshi, be quiet and sleep."

"How can I sleep when there was a blast at midnight?" He asks Kiyohira. "And, why are you keeping her a prisoner?"

"For her safety." He eyes him darkly. "Go back to your room."

"Brother, I hope that you know what you are doing." He doesn't argue anymore and goes back to his room. His brother won't listen if he has made up his mind.