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An exhausted huff left Rumi's mouth as she shoved the front door shut behind her. She quickly made sure to lock it before kicking her boots off and shuffling into the living room.
"I'm home…" She groggily called out, too tired to really look around for anyone as she threw her bag to the side of the sofa and flopped down.
"Welcome home, Sweetheart. Rough night?" Her husband's soft voice called out from the kitchen.
Rumi huffed again, sliding down the sofa until she was lying flat against the cushions. "Yep… Had to babysit three drunken morons to get the information I needed… They had way too much energy…"
"They didn't force you to drink, did they?" Takuto anxiously enquired, knowing that Rumi didn't enjoy alcohol or it's effects.
"No, don't worry. Lala-chan gave me cranberry juice to trick them into thinking I was drinking wine." Rumi informed him.
"Clever thinking from Lala-chan."
"Very true. Anyway, how about your day? You have a busy day at work?" Rumi asked, turning the question back on Takuto.
"No, not really. Been pretty quiet today. Just a few people suffering from hay fever… A guy with a bloody nose after a baseball accident… and an old lady who sprained her wrist. Other than that, didn't really have any patients."
"Huh… I suppose that means people are mostly in good health."
"Yep, can't really complain about that… Anyway, I've done you some dinner, do you want a drink with it or…?"
"Yeah… Uh, I kinda fancy something fizzy so if we've got any lemonade or something left over, I'll have that." Rumi yawned, hoping she'd be able to stay awake long enough to eat dinner. It honestly wouldn't surprise her if she was able to go straight to bed after she ate.
"Okie dokie, just gimme a second…" Takuto murmured as Rumi could the sound of glass clinking and the distinct fizz of the countless bubbles in soda. A few seconds later, Takuto walked out in the living room carrying a glass of lemonade and plate full of food.
"Here you go… It's nothing too fancy, just the last of the beef stew Ren and I had for dinner earlier and the leftover rice from yesterday." He announced as he set them down on the table in front of Rumi.
"Oh, trust me, I don't care if it's not fancy. It's warm and it's filling and that's all I need right now. Thanks for the food, Darling." Rumi assured him before instantly grabbing her spoon and shoveling a mixture of rice and beef in her mouth.
Takuto couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness. She clearly needed this meal. "Fair enough. By the way, if you're still hungry after this, there's some tiramisu we saved for you in the fridge."
Rumi gasped in delight and leaned her head against Takuto's shoulder. "Have I ever told you that you're the best husband in the world?"
"Yes, multiple times. And nine times outta ten it's in situations regarding food."
"Oh, don't sweat the details!"
"Isn't it a journalist's job to sweat the details?"
"Yeah, it's my job, not yours so don't you worry your pretty little head."
"Okay~"
The two laughed quietly amongst themselves while Rumi jokingly patted Takuto's head.
"So did you manage to get any useful information from your investigation tonight?" Asked Takuto, picking up his apple juice that had already been set on the table before Rumi arrived.
The redhead's smile fell into a more serious expression. "Yeah… One of these guys that got plastered works is fairly high up in the chain of command in the affairs of public transportation… And he said that there was a big power struggle between the current head of the department and the vice leader… and then all of a sudden, there's these consecutive train accidents and the head's competency is called into question…"
"… And the vice president stands to gain the most from his resignation." Takuto pieced together her hypothesis.
Rumi shot him a finger gun. "Exactly! Now here's the the really juicy part. While the guy was rambling, he said that all these mental shutdowns started happening after a specific incident and he was convinced that it was some kind of catalyst."
"That incident being?"
"A suicide. A scientist by the name of Sayaka Akechi threw herself in front of a car."
Takuto frowned. 'Akechi'…? Wasn't that the name of one of Ren's friends?
Rumi continued. "However, I'm questioning the validity of the claims of suicide."
"And why is that?"
"Because this Sayaka Akechi woman wasn't just any scientist… She was the lead scientist on a project researching and experimenting with cognitive psience and how it could be used to affect people's cognition. And guess who's research just happened to go missing after she died."
Takuto's eyes widened in horror as he pieced it together. "So you think she was killed and then had her research stolen…? And then the culprit used that research to trigger mental shutdowns in people?"
"Bingo. And just guess who the common factor between Miss Akechi and the vice president of public transportation is…"
"… Don't tell me…"
"Yep. One Masayoshi Shido."
"So we were right… Shibusawa wasn't just blaming him for his research being pulled… He really did take it from him…" Takuto sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he struggled with the information being dumped on him.
"Yeah… Of course, we have no real evidence of this so it's not like anyone would believe us… My next goal is finding any kind of tangible evidence whether it be a paper trail or a phone recording or anything. I just need something concrete and then I'll make that bastard pay for all the lives he's ruined." Rumi growled with a determined glare before looking down and focusing on her food, needing to refuel after a long night of work.
Takuto absent-mindedly glanced over at the mantle piece and the various framed photos placed on it. The photo in particular that really caught his attention was the twins' middle school graduation day. The parents' on either side of the boys, dressed in their best clothes and displaying proud smiles. The two boys in the centre wearing their middle school uniforms for the last time and cradling their diplomas; Akira flashing a big, beaming smile while Ren's was a little more reserved and embarrassed. None of them could have possibly thought that just weeks later, Akira would be gone from their lives.
A deep-seated feeling of regret and grief lodged itself deep into Takuto's chest as he gazed at the photo with a melancholic expression. The only thing that snapped him out of it was remembering something important he needed to discuss with his wife.
"Oh! By the way, I meant to mention this to you earlier…"
Rumi focused her attention on him, staring at him intently while still tucking into her food and drink. "Mm-hm? What's up?"
Takuto shot a quick glance over to the door of their son's room and leaned in closer to Rumi, speaking in a hushed tone. "You know I said before that I'm worried about Ren?"
Rumi nodded. "Yeah, that's why we sent him to an appointment with Shibusawa."
"Yeah, but even then he was still acting strange… I mean, he stopped wearing his glasses and started styling his hair differently out of nowhere…"
"Mm-hm… So, what's worrying you now?"
"Well… I thought maybe he was just trying a new style to try and move on from what happened but…" Takuto huffed and furrowed his brow as he thought back to the events of this afternoon and their implications. "Well, Futaba-san came to help me with my medicinal trials today and while was I was running tests, we were just chatting about her school life so I mentioned that I'd heard she'd befriended my son and was laughing about what a coincidence that was…"
Rumi slowly chewed her food with a confused scowl. "Okay… And why is that worrying to you?"
"… She referred to him as Akira."
Rumi froze in place, not moving an inch.
"… What?"
"She said 'Yeah, Akira's a really great guy. Kinda annoying but he looks out for me as his kouhai.'…"
Rumi shot an anxious glance towards their son's door. She looked back at Takuto and urgently whispered. "So, what, has he been introducing himself as Akira to new people?"
"I don't know… The whole conversation was very confusing and I didn't want to make poor Futaba-san uncomfortable by dumping our family baggage on her but… she mentioned him saying that his brother, Ren, died in an accident…"
Rumi held her head in her hands as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing.
"Is… Is this some intense form of survivor's guilt?" She asked, the image of Ren's shell shocked face after the incident still haunted her.
Takuto sighed worriedly. "I don't know… But I decided to test it once he got home from school. I called him both Akira and Ren during conversation and he didn't react to either. It was like he didn't even register what I was saying."
Rumi let out a stressed sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I thought Shibusawa helped him?! Didn't he offer to help him work through these issues?! Have you asked his opinion about this?!"
Takuto gently rubbed Rumi's shoulder in an attempt to soothe her nerves. "I've tried calling him multiple times but I can't get ahold of him… This new job of his is keeping him really busy. But if I see him around town, he's got some explaining to do."
The two fell silent for a while, Rumi staring down at the floor with anxious expression while Takuto tapped his foot against the carpet.
A soft creaking sound drew the parents' attention over to their son's door again. The boy in question was stepping outside with his arms full of clothes.
"Is everything okay, Ren?" Rumi called out to him.
No response.
The two shared a worried glanced.
"Akira? You okay?" Takuto called out.
"Hm? Yeah, I'm good. Just putting my dirty clothes in the laundry basket." The boy replied.
The two glanced over at each other, both of their gazes displaying a mixture of fear and sadness until their son poked his head around the corner.
"Did you need me for something?" He asked, completely unaware of the conversation that had just taken place.
"No, we were just wondering if you were alright." Rumi assured him, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Oh, sorry mum, I didn't realise you were back. Hey, how was work?" The boy innocently enquired, wandering into the kitchen to get himself a drink.
"Oh, y'know… Long, exhausting, lots of drunk people and note taking… The usual." The mother vaguely responded.
"Fair enough."
Rumi's eyes widened as an idea hit her. "What about you? How was practise? Is your routine coming along nicely?"
The teenager averted his gaze and sighed dejectedly. "I dunno… I just can't seem to move the way I want to… Coach Sena seems pretty disappointed with me constantly underperforming in every competition…"
The parents shared another urgent glance. That wasn't right… Coach Sena was the coach specialising in trampoline gymnastics; Akira did trampolining while Ren did rhythmic gymnastics… Why the hell was Ren training with Coach Sena?!
"Well, don't let it get down, bud. You've had a really rough year, I'm sure people will understand why you're not at 100%." Takuto spoke up, playing it cool and comforting his son in one go.
The raven haired boy frowned. "But if I don't get results, I'll lose my scholarship…"
"And we'll have some strong words with the school if that does happen. Seriously, don't worry too much." Rumi chimed in, genuinely disgusted by the amount of pressure Shujin was putting onto her baby boy when he was already in a vulnerable state.
"You don't have to do that…" Their son muttered.
"Well, if Shujin wants to fix their reputation, they should stop pestering their honour students to perform better and instead prove that their staff can actually be trusted, shouldn't they?" Rumi crossed her arms with an indignant huff while Takuto nodded furiously in agreement.
"I suppose so…" The young boy chuckled half-heartedly. He glanced up at the clock. "I should probably head to bed now… I've got an early start tomorrow."
As he began walking back to his room, Takuto stood up and hugged his son. "Alright, goodnight, kiddo. Sleep well."
The boy in question was baffled by this action. "Um…? Okay? I will… What's with the hug? I'm not a little kid anymore…"
Rumi stood up and joined the hug, confusing their son further. "Sweetheart, you know you can come and talk to us about anything that's bothering you, right?"
"What? Yeah, of course I know that, what're-"
"Anything at all. Remember that, okay?"
He fell silent as the two squeezed him tighter.
"… Okay."
"We love you, you know… So, so much."
The boy shakily raised his arms and hugged his parents back.
"… I know. I love you too."