Once Kurenai left, the courtyard fell into complete silence.
Mamoru dozed with his back against the pillar, the occasional rustle of wind through leaves his only company.
After a long while, a faint noise came from the tatami room behind him.
A short, stocky figure crept to the sliding door, hands nervously gripping the frame, peering out furtively. Under the cold moon, he spotted the boy leaning against the pillar, half-lying on the veranda.
Instantly, the scene of the boy punching the fake Tosuke away flashed through his mind, he had been close and seen it clearly.
In terror, he yanked his head back, heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest. He stood trembling, hands shaking uncontrollably, hurriedly wiping cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
After a moment, he steadied himself, clenched his teeth, and again peeked out. This time, he looked longer and saw the boy lying quietly, apparently asleep and unresponsive.
Reassured, he finally exhaled and prepared to leave through one of the broken wall holes instead.
But the instant his foot touched the floor, Mamoru's cold voice rang from outside. "You'd better not think of leaving unless you want your head removed."
The words poured over him like ice water and he shivered violently, sweat soaking his clothes in seconds. His mind swirled with struggle, torment, and hesitation.
He didn't want to die, yet he couldn't bear to give up. His revenge wasn't done, he had to leave. So he tried another step.
"If you think I'm joking, go ahead and step again. I don't mind sending you to keep Tosuke company right now."
The nightmare voice sounded again at his ear.
'Take another step… Tosuke is dead?'
'Lower your foot… but I don't want to die.'
Hiroshi screamed inside, but in the end, he lacked the courage to take that step. It felt as if every ounce of strength, along with his soul, had been drained. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head and curling up in anguish.
'Everything is over... why?'
'No, it's not over. There's still a chance.'
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and jerked his head up, a strange light flashing in his eyes, as if he had glimpsed a ray of dawn in hell.
'Since that kid outside could take care of Tosuke, it means he's stronger than Tosuke.'
'If I can cooperate with him and have him replace Tosuke's position, wouldn't I get even safer protection?'
'Then, everything will continue as usual. The Okawara father and son still won't be able to stir up any trouble.'
Having figured out a few key points, an excited expression appeared on Hiroshi's ugly face.
He immediately twisted his short, fat body and knelt on the ground, thinking, 'Didn't you say I couldn't leave? Then it should be fine if I crawl on my knees, right?'
Hiroshi moved outside on his knees, crawling all the way to Mamoru's feet before stopping.
"Please, give me a chance to cooperate with you!"
Hiroshi prostrated himself in a dogeza position, his forehead pressed against the ground, and shouted loudly.
"Cooperate?" Mamoru opened one eye and glanced at Hiroshi kneeling before him, his tone indifferent. "Cooperate on what?"
"I currently control the Nishimura Trading Company. As long as you are willing to cooperate, the Nishimura Trading Company will be yours." Hiroshi replied in a muffled voice while remaining in his kneeling position.
"I will act as your agent to help you manage the company, and all the money earned will be handed over in full. I won't take a single penny."
"Oh? Handed over in full..."
Mamoru opened his other eye and turned to look at Hiroshi, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "You won't take a penny... then what do you want? Tell me your objective?"
Hearing this, Hiroshi knew the critical moment had arrived. He nervously clenched his fists, his shoulders tensed, and he gulped before continuing, "Not just the Nishimura Trading Company, but all the assets of the Nishimura Family, including this mansion, will be yours. Now that Tosuke is dead, if only you are willing to cooperate with me..."
At this point, he paused and slightly raised his head, saying in a pleading tone, "As long as you agree to one request of mine, all of this will be yours, and I will do my utmost to manage the company well for you."
Mamoru sighed silently.
Different people, yet the same routine. Tosuke wanted to bribe him, and now even this Hiroshi wanted to bribe him.
"Wait a minute... one after another, what kind of person do you all take me for?" Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers, his tone somewhat bewildered.
"Do I really look that greedy and..."
He swallowed the remaining words, coughed lightly, and changed his phrasing, "Do I really look that greedy for money?"
"No... no!" Hiroshi hurriedly shook his head, choosing his words carefully. "But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, wealth that couldn't be spent in a lifetime. If you miss it, it will be gone forever."
"A pity..." Mamoru turned his head slightly, his eyelids twitching unnaturally twice.
He looked straight ahead and said against his conscience, "I have absolutely no interest in money. Why should a person as upright as me cooperate with you?"
It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted, but this wealth belonged to someone else. Accepting it would be equivalent to blatant robbery. After all, he wasn't like Tosuke and his ilk, he still had his own principles.
Seeing that money seemed unable to move Mamoru, Hiroshi grew even more flustered. In his desperation, he blurted out, "Okawara is a despicable villain. If you help him, you're just assisting a criminal."
"Huh? Is it that serious?" Mamoru was taken aback and turned his head to ask.
"That's completely different from what I've heard."
"You've been deceived by a villain!" Hiroshi gestured excitedly with his hands, his voice trembling slightly with urgency. "Komatsu must have told you many lies just to get your help!"
Bang!
Hiroshi slammed his fist heavily onto the floor, and the wooden boards let out a dull thud.
His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently as he roared with righteous indignation, "His father, Okawara, is not only a despicable and shameless villain but also a hypocrite who doesn't keep his promises and a lecher. Poor Sakura died because of him. If it weren't for him, Sakura wouldn't have died at all."
Mamoru blinked rapidly a few times, the corner of his lips twitching slightly.
He complained silently in his heart, 'Buddy, isn't this topic jump a bit too sudden? And what the hell is this Sakura? Sakura is still in Konoha catching cats and dogs right now.'