*Chapter 2 –
The words just hung there
"Your uncle… was found dead in the woods last night."
Ren didn't move.
"Huh…?"
It came out hollow. Like someone else said it using his mouth.
For a second, everything went distant the officers, the doorway, the morning light cutting across the floor. Like the world stepped back and forgot to take him with it.
"…what did you just say?"
His voice was quieter now. Smaller.
Officer Nakamura shifted. You could see the pity on his face. "We understand this is sudden. We just need you to...."
"No."
Ren cut him off. Flat and Sharp.
The officers paused.
"No no, you're mistaken," Ren said, shaking his head. He even managed a laugh. A terrible, thin laugh. "That old man… he's fine. Ah, that's right… he probably just drank too much and passed out somewhere. That's all."
He nodded, like he was convincing himself. "Yeah… that's it. You've got the wrong person."
The two officers looked at each other. That look. The one that said they'd seen this before.
Officer Takashi stepped forward. "Mr. Ren… we confirmed his identity."
He hesitated. Then said it anyway. "He was found in the woods last night… and we found his ID. 'Ben Takahashi.'"
Those words hit again.
GBIM.
Ren's fingers dug into the edge of the door.
"…No."
Silence.
"…No," he said again, softer this time. And his brain did that awful thing where it replays stuff. His uncle laughing in the hallway. Those stupid jokes about his 'weapon.' The way he never took anything seriously…
Until last night.
"You're turning seventeen next week…"
"There's something you'll need to know about our family."
Ren's eyes widened. His breath caught.
That feeling.
That heavy, weird feeling when his uncle walked away. The way he looked. The way he smiled.
"…I guess I'll see you later."
Ren's chest got tight. Tears were already falling and he hadn't even noticed.
"…you're lying," he whispered.
But there was nothing behind it. No strength. Just hope pretending to be denial.
Officer Nakamura's voice was gentle. "We found him early this morning. There were… signs of struggle."
Ren's head snapped up. "Struggle…?"
The word didn't fit. His uncle was loud, annoying, a total pervert but he wasn't the kind of guy who'd go into the woods at night and just… die.
"What do you mean… struggle?" Ren's voice had an edge now.
The officers hesitated.
"…We'll explain everything," Officer Takashi said carefully. "But we need you to come with us to the station. We need to take some statements from you."
"NO," Ren cut in immediately. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
His breathing was getting worse. "Answer me right here… what do you mean he struggled?"
The officers looked at each other again. Worried.
Then, slowly, they nodded.
Officer Takashi exhaled and stepped forward. "It… wasn't a usual struggle," he said. "It almost felt like he was mauled by a wild animal."
"A wild animal?" Ren's voice dropped. Cold.
"Yes," Officer Nakamura replied. "Our experts are saying… it's more like a bear."
Ren's eyes went still. Blank. Sober in a way that had nothing to do with alcohol.
"I see…"
Officer Takashi cleared his throat. "Does he have any other family members apart from you?"
Ren shook his head. "No… I'm the only one."
Another glance between them.
Then Takashi spoke, firmer now. "Then… I'm sorry, but you'll have to come with us to the station."
The ride was quiet. Too quiet.
Ren sat in the back seat, staring out the window. Buildings blurred past. Shops opening. People walking. The world moving like nothing happened. Like his didn't just end.
His hands sat in his lap. Tears slid down his face and he didn't bother wiping them.
The station was colder than he expected. The air felt heavy. Thick. Every footstep echoed too loud.
Officers moved around typing, talking, carrying files. All of it felt miles away.
"Come with us," Officer Takashi said gently. "I think you should see your uncle's body."
Ren followed. No words.
They stopped at a room. More like a holding area. White sheets. Dark stains.
Ren's legs almost gave out when he opened the door.
He walked in slow. Tears still coming.
"Uncle…"
"Ooi, Uncle Ben…" His voice shook. "Uncle, please wake up. Please… wake up!"
Nothing.
The grief hit all at once.
"WAKE UP, DAMN IT!"
"Wake up, please. I'm ready to use my weapon, please wake up...."
The calm, composed Ren everyone knew? Gone. He crumpled, sobbing. Loud. Messy. Real.
Officer Takashi came over and put a hand on his shoulder. Quiet. It didn't help.
It was too late. Ben was gone.
---
*Two months later.*
The house was quieter. Ren was quieter.
In two months, he'd pulled away from everyone even Yuji and Akari. He never got to hear what Ben wanted to tell him on his seventeenth birthday. That chance was gone.
Every day since the funeral, Ren went to the grave. Always brought the same things: a bottle of wine and a pack of condoms. Ridiculous tokens for a ridiculous man.
He'd sit there and talk. Tell him about school. About his day. Like Ben was still listening.
Days passed. Weeks. Months.
And just like that…
A year.
But today… today was his eighteenth birthday.
Ren went through the motions. Got dressed. Ready for school.
Over the past year, "distant" didn't cover it with Yuji and Akari. They were strangers now. His fault.
That evening, he was alone again. Staring at the butsudan altar. Pictures of his parents. Of Ben. A little cupcake sat in front of them with a tiny candle.
He forced a smile and lit it. Watched it flicker. Blew it out.
"Happy birthday to me," he whispered. His eyes stayed on their photos. "Mother… Father… Uncle… I… I've… been trying. But it's hard."
His voice cracked.
"Oooo… I got a scholarship. I've been admitted into Harvard University in the USA."
He laughed, wet and shaky.
"I know if Uncle Ben were here, he'd say… 'Make sure you use your weapon properly.'"
He laughed again. Bitter. Fond. Both.
"Mother… if Uncle is in heaven, don't get angry with him for leaving so soon. He raised me to be a man."
Tears fell freely now. He wiped them with the back of his hand.
"Oh well… happy birthday to me."
He reached for the cupcake.
Ding-ding...
The doorbell.
Huh? Who would be here at this time of night?
He walked over slowly, still wiping his face.
He opened the door.
Yuji and Akari. Smiling. Cake. Wine.
"Happy birthday!" they said together.
Ren froze.
"What… what are you doing here?"
Yuji grinned. "Isn't it obvious? We're here to celebrate your birthday with you!"
"Yes," Akari added, soft but firm. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."
Ren's throat closed up. His chest felt too full.
Yuji sighed, shaking his head. "There you go again spacing out during conversations."
They stepped inside. Their eyes went straight to the cupcake by the altar.
Yuji hesitated. "Um… Ren?"
Ren cut him off, gentle. "I'm sorry. I've been distant… even though you've tried to help me. It's just… a lot."
Akari stepped closer. "It's okay, Ren. We understand. Come on… let's celebrate. In front of your family."
Yuji smiled. "That's right. Come on, let's celebrate together."
Ren wiped his eyes.
"Yeah," he said, quiet. "Let's do it."
He led them to the living room. The little candle was still flickering on the altar. Yuji set the big cake down, akari opened the wine and poured three glasses.
For a minute, nobody talked. The quiet wasn't awkward. It was full. Like everyone understood without needing to say it.
Yuji broke it first. "So I heard… you really got into Harvard, huh?"
Ren nodded. A small, real smile showed up despite the tears still on his face. "Yeah… I guess all those late nights finally paid off."
Akari leaned in. "We're proud of you, Ren. You've worked so hard… and Uncle Ben would be proud too."
Ren looked at her. At Yuji. He tried to talk. Nothing came out at first. The lump in his throat was huge.
"I… I missed you guys," he finally said. "I know I've been… gone, distant. I didn't mean to push you away."
Yuji's face softened. He clapped Ren on the shoulder. "Hey, we get it, man. You've been through a lot. But you're still our friend. Always."
Akari smiled. "No matter what happens, Ren, we'll always be here for you. That hasn't changed."
Something in Ren's chest loosened. Just a little. For the first time in months, things felt… normal. Not perfect. But real.
Yuji grabbed a slice of cake, already back to being Yuji. "Come on, Ren! Eat something before you start moping again!"
Ren chuckled and shook his head. "You're impossible."
Akari rolled her eyes, grinning. "And yet somehow, we love him for it."
Warmth spread through Ren. Grief and relief all mixed up. He picked up his glass. "To… family," he said, glancing at the altar where his parents and Ben watched over them.
"To family," Yuji and Akari echoed, clinking glasses.
The rest of the night was easy. They talked. Laughed. Shared dumb stories. Yuji told some ridiculous school story. Akari teased him for being so serious. And Ren… Ren talked. Little things he'd been holding in for months just spilled out.
At one point, he looked at the cupcake on the altar and whispered, "I miss you, Uncle Ben… I really do."
The room went quiet. But it was the good kind of quiet. The kind that says we're here....
By the time the candle burned low, Ren felt something small but solid in his chest. A spark. Life, moving forward.
He smiled. A real one this time. At his friends. At his family's photos.
"Yeah," he whispered. "Happy birthday… to me."