Chapter 9:
Chapter 09 — Exposed
My New Home
◽The Next Day◽ (Monday, 04 April 2050)
◽Classroom◽
Hana sat at her desk, a deep frown creasing her brow. 【Hmm… after that phone call, JJ still hasn’t come back. What could be so important that he’d ask me to watch over Shizuko with Ms. Mori and Naomi?】
She noticed whispers and sideways glances from her classmates. 【They’ve been staring at me like this for a while… what’s going on?】
Sakura approached her, flanked by Riyuka. 「Morning, Hana.」
Hana’s voice was sharp, tinged with impatience. 「Morning. Can you two explain why everyone is looking at me like there’s a scandal?」
Riyuka sighed and pulled out her phone, showing Hana the screen.
Hana’s eyes widened in realization. 【So that’s why… everyone’s staring.】
Riyuka muttered, shaking her head. 「I knew Jerry was bad news. Look, uni hasn’t even properly started, and he’s dragging you through the mud with him.」
Hana’s stomach tightened with dread. 「This is bad…」
Sakura glanced nervously. 「Yeah… it—」
🎙️John (over intercom): 「All students and staff to the assembly hall. I repeat: all students and staff to the assembly hall.」
Sakura frowned deeply. 「Err… that can’t be good.」
◽Assembly Hall◽
John Allen cleared his throat, his gaze scanning the assembled students and staff. 「I’m sure everyone here has seen that article mentioning three of our students. I’d like Hana Allen, Jerry, and Naomi Shiba to come up and explain themselves.」
Hana and Naomi stepped forward, their composure strained.
「Where’s Jerry?」 John asked, his tone serious. 【He’s not even here about the smear campaign… it’s like he already accepts defeat.】
John tsked. 「Guess he’s running away again.」 He turned his attention to Naomi. 「First, Ms. Shiba—is it true you and Jerry…?」
Naomi’s expression tightened with indignation. 「No, we don’t. Never have, and never will. Mr. Samuels is very professional.」
A picture of Naomi leaving with the gifts JJ bought her flashed on the screens behind John.
John leaned in, his voice challenging. 「So, Mr. Samuels gave you these with zero ulterior motives?」
「Yes,」 Naomi replied firmly, masking her anger. 【Does admin Allen think I’d sell myself for money?】
John pressed further, targeting her vulnerability. 「But your records say your mother is in hospital. How do I know you’re not covering for him?」
Naomi’s composure cracked slightly, her voice laced with venom. 「Wow… I didn’t think you’d stoop that low. No. Before my mother fell ill, she told me to pull the plug, not sell myself. And yes, Mr. Samuels covers all her medical expenses until she’s fully healed. I won’t tolerate lies about him.」
John paused, realizing his tactic failed. 【She won’t bend.】 「Alright, Ms. Shiba. That’s all. You may return to your seat.」
Hana’s thoughts raced, impressed. 【She’s fierce… truly her mother’s daughter.】
John turned his cold gaze to Hana. 「Hana Allen… did you two—?」
Hana inhaled, steadying herself. 【Calm down. Maybe my curiosity will finally be answered.】 「We did.」
Gasps ripped through the hall.
John’s expression hardened into a mask of righteous fury. 「You didn’t just shame yourself—you brought dishonor to your family. Why?」
Hana met his glare head-on. 「I had my reasons.」
John’s tone soured with disdain. 「Oh? You like sleeping around?」
Hana’s eyes flared with anger. 【He’s acting like the heartbroken father just to insult me…】 「No! And for you to assume that says more about you than me.」
John warned, his voice low. 「Watch your tone, young lady.」
Hana’s lips curled into a defiant sneer. 「Or what? You’re going to leave scars all over my body like you did to JJ? Oh, and JJ is Jerry for those who don’t know.」
The crowd gasped again, the scandal escalating dramatically.
Hana continued, her voice gaining strength and precision. 「The Perfect Child Project—or PCP—was nothing like the sanitized version we were taught. JJ says the real story is darker. Now, Mr. Allen, what really happened in the project?」
John chuckled coldly, dismissing her claim. 「You believe his lies?」
「Yes,」 Hana replied simply. 「Because his version seems more truthful than yours.」
Before John could respond, Jerry entered the hall, his presence calm and imposing, his eyes black. 「It is though? We go way back.」
John tsked sharply. 「Jerry…」
「Where were you?」 John demanded.
「Had to take care of something. Iris hack the project feeds and hooked it to my phone.」
Iris’s voice came over the line. ⟦Done.⟧
A live feed of a terrified man (PG#01) appeared on the screens. Hana’s eyes widened, confused. 「Who is that?」
Jerry stepped next to her. 「The guy who wrote that article. Keeping someone hostage isn’t cheap—10 million just for him. If I weren’t emotionless, I’d be furious.」
Hana’s mind reeled at the sum and the situation. 【His mad over 10 million yen…】 「Wait, isn't that illegal, right?」
Jerry explained without blinking. 「Yes but after a deal with the Prime Minister, I need justification to do something like this. This guy wrote lies about my daughter. Big mistake.」
The interrogation escalated quickly. Takashi, Jerry’s enforcer, appeared on the feed and began to break PG#01’s fingers sequentially to extract information. Hana winced but stayed focused.
Finally, PG#01 spilled the truth: John Allen paid him. Jerry nodded, sending the man to the hospital with a warning.
Turning to Hana, Jerry’s black eyes softened slightly.
「I hope that answers your question about why your dad hates me.」
Hana’s mind raced with the implication.「It does... No wait it doesn't.」
Jerry looked at John, his gaze unwavering. 「Simple. He and his friends wanted me to be the ‘perfect child’ and hated me when it didn’t work out.」
Hana frowned, still struggling to piece it together. 「What do you mean?」
Jerry’s gaze darkened, a profound sorrow beneath his composure. 「If a sword doesn’t cut what you want, you throw it away, right?」
「Yes…」 Hana gasped, realization dawning with sickening clarity. 「No way… so he…」
「Yep,」 Jerry confirmed quietly. 「The PCP was meant to turn children into killers. Me and my twin were the subjects.」
Hana’s voice trembled with horror. 「But… why you two?」
「Born on the battlefield,」 Jerry replied, his voice a quiet whisper of pain. 「From day one, all I knew was war and bloodshed.」
John, finally finding his voice, shouted, 「Shut up with your lies!」
Jerry ignored him, his focus on Hana. 「Ask your mother what gift your father sent me for my seventh birthday… she’ll tell you everything.」
John’s face went ghastly pale.
Jerry continued, his voice heavy with emotion. 「I hated you not only for what was done to me, but for what you did to my dogs—Fenrir, Garm, and Skoll. You experimented on puppies. When they couldn’t be weaponized, you threw them away. I had to drain my blood into them to save them from pain.」
Hana’s face went white. 「No… he didn’t…」
「He did,」 Jerry whispered. 「The medicine made from my blood grants anti-aging properties and cures diseases. Dr. Jack Adams—he’s the one who caused my dogs’ suffering. That’s why I hate him too.」
Hana gasped, clutching her chest.
Jerry’s gaze met John’s once more, a finality in his tone. 「Alright, John. You hate me, I hate you. From one dad to another—let’s stay out of each other’s way.」
John growled, desperate to regain control. 「You can’t order me around!」
Jerry shrugged, the action completely emotionless. 「Think about it. If the world knew the truth about us, they wouldn’t see you the same. I was a child forced into bloodshed. You, a grown man, have no excuse. Truce?」
John hesitated… then finally nodded, defeated.
Jerry’s phone buzzed. 「I gotta go. See you later, Hana.」 He turned and left the hall.
Hana exhaled slowly. 【Did he spare my father because of me… or because he truly wants to end the feud?】
John sighed, his shoulders slumped. 「Everyone can go back to class.」 He walked past Hana, muttering coldly, 「I want you out of my house by tomorrow morning. You're disowned.」
Hana scoffed, a bitter realization settling in. 【That just proves Jerry was right about him.】
◽Classroom◽
Hana sat at her desk, a deep frown creasing her brow. 【Hmm… after that phone call, JJ still hasn’t come back. What could be so important that he’d ask me to watch over Shizuko with Ms. Mori and Naomi?】
She noticed whispers and sideways glances from her classmates. 【They’ve been staring at me like this for a while… what’s going on?】
Sakura approached her, flanked by Riyuka. 「Morning, Hana.」
Hana’s voice was sharp, tinged with impatience. 「Morning. Can you two explain why everyone is looking at me like there’s a scandal?」
Riyuka sighed and pulled out her phone, showing Hana the screen.
Hana’s eyes widened in realization. 【So that’s why… everyone’s staring.】
Riyuka muttered, shaking her head. 「I knew Jerry was bad news. Look, uni hasn’t even properly started, and he’s dragging you through the mud with him.」
Hana’s stomach tightened with dread. 「This is bad…」
Sakura glanced nervously. 「Yeah… it—」
🎙️John (over intercom): 「All students and staff to the assembly hall. I repeat: all students and staff to the assembly hall.」
Sakura frowned deeply. 「Err… that can’t be good.」
◽Assembly Hall◽
John Allen cleared his throat, his gaze scanning the assembled students and staff. 「I’m sure everyone here has seen that article mentioning three of our students. I’d like Hana Allen, Jerry, and Naomi Shiba to come up and explain themselves.」
Hana and Naomi stepped forward, their composure strained.
「Where’s Jerry?」 John asked, his tone serious. 【He’s not even here about the smear campaign… it’s like he already accepts defeat.】
John tsked. 「Guess he’s running away again.」 He turned his attention to Naomi. 「First, Ms. Shiba—is it true you and Jerry…?」
Naomi’s expression tightened with indignation. 「No, we don’t. Never have, and never will. Mr. Samuels is very professional.」
A picture of Naomi leaving with the gifts JJ bought her flashed on the screens behind John.
John leaned in, his voice challenging. 「So, Mr. Samuels gave you these with zero ulterior motives?」
「Yes,」 Naomi replied firmly, masking her anger. 【Does admin Allen think I’d sell myself for money?】
John pressed further, targeting her vulnerability. 「But your records say your mother is in hospital. How do I know you’re not covering for him?」
Naomi’s composure cracked slightly, her voice laced with venom. 「Wow… I didn’t think you’d stoop that low. No. Before my mother fell ill, she told me to pull the plug, not sell myself. And yes, Mr. Samuels covers all her medical expenses until she’s fully healed. I won’t tolerate lies about him.」
John paused, realizing his tactic failed. 【She won’t bend.】 「Alright, Ms. Shiba. That’s all. You may return to your seat.」
Hana’s thoughts raced, impressed. 【She’s fierce… truly her mother’s daughter.】
John turned his cold gaze to Hana. 「Hana Allen… did you two—?」
Hana inhaled, steadying herself. 【Calm down. Maybe my curiosity will finally be answered.】 「We did.」
Gasps ripped through the hall.
John’s expression hardened into a mask of righteous fury. 「You didn’t just shame yourself—you brought dishonor to your family. Why?」
Hana met his glare head-on. 「I had my reasons.」
John’s tone soured with disdain. 「Oh? You like sleeping around?」
Hana’s eyes flared with anger. 【He’s acting like the heartbroken father just to insult me…】 「No! And for you to assume that says more about you than me.」
John warned, his voice low. 「Watch your tone, young lady.」
Hana’s lips curled into a defiant sneer. 「Or what? You’re going to leave scars all over my body like you did to JJ? Oh, and JJ is Jerry for those who don’t know.」
The crowd gasped again, the scandal escalating dramatically.
Hana continued, her voice gaining strength and precision. 「The Perfect Child Project—or PCP—was nothing like the sanitized version we were taught. JJ says the real story is darker. Now, Mr. Allen, what really happened in the project?」
John chuckled coldly, dismissing her claim. 「You believe his lies?」
「Yes,」 Hana replied simply. 「Because his version seems more truthful than yours.」
Before John could respond, Jerry entered the hall, his presence calm and imposing, his eyes black. 「It is though? We go way back.」
John tsked sharply. 「Jerry…」
「Where were you?」 John demanded.
「Had to take care of something. Iris hack the project feeds and hooked it to my phone.」
Iris’s voice came over the line. ⟦Done.⟧
A live feed of a terrified man (PG#01) appeared on the screens. Hana’s eyes widened, confused. 「Who is that?」
Jerry stepped next to her. 「The guy who wrote that article. Keeping someone hostage isn’t cheap—10 million just for him. If I weren’t emotionless, I’d be furious.」
Hana’s mind reeled at the sum and the situation. 【His mad over 10 million yen…】 「Wait, isn't that illegal, right?」
Jerry explained without blinking. 「Yes but after a deal with the Prime Minister, I need justification to do something like this. This guy wrote lies about my daughter. Big mistake.」
The interrogation escalated quickly. Takashi, Jerry’s enforcer, appeared on the feed and began to break PG#01’s fingers sequentially to extract information. Hana winced but stayed focused.
Finally, PG#01 spilled the truth: John Allen paid him. Jerry nodded, sending the man to the hospital with a warning.
Turning to Hana, Jerry’s black eyes softened slightly.
「I hope that answers your question about why your dad hates me.」
Hana’s mind raced with the implication.「It does... No wait it doesn't.」
Jerry looked at John, his gaze unwavering. 「Simple. He and his friends wanted me to be the ‘perfect child’ and hated me when it didn’t work out.」
Hana frowned, still struggling to piece it together. 「What do you mean?」
Jerry’s gaze darkened, a profound sorrow beneath his composure. 「If a sword doesn’t cut what you want, you throw it away, right?」
「Yes…」 Hana gasped, realization dawning with sickening clarity. 「No way… so he…」
「Yep,」 Jerry confirmed quietly. 「The PCP was meant to turn children into killers. Me and my twin were the subjects.」
Hana’s voice trembled with horror. 「But… why you two?」
「Born on the battlefield,」 Jerry replied, his voice a quiet whisper of pain. 「From day one, all I knew was war and bloodshed.」
John, finally finding his voice, shouted, 「Shut up with your lies!」
Jerry ignored him, his focus on Hana. 「Ask your mother what gift your father sent me for my seventh birthday… she’ll tell you everything.」
John’s face went ghastly pale.
Jerry continued, his voice heavy with emotion. 「I hated you not only for what was done to me, but for what you did to my dogs—Fenrir, Garm, and Skoll. You experimented on puppies. When they couldn’t be weaponized, you threw them away. I had to drain my blood into them to save them from pain.」
Hana’s face went white. 「No… he didn’t…」
「He did,」 Jerry whispered. 「The medicine made from my blood grants anti-aging properties and cures diseases. Dr. Jack Adams—he’s the one who caused my dogs’ suffering. That’s why I hate him too.」
Hana gasped, clutching her chest.
Jerry’s gaze met John’s once more, a finality in his tone. 「Alright, John. You hate me, I hate you. From one dad to another—let’s stay out of each other’s way.」
John growled, desperate to regain control. 「You can’t order me around!」
Jerry shrugged, the action completely emotionless. 「Think about it. If the world knew the truth about us, they wouldn’t see you the same. I was a child forced into bloodshed. You, a grown man, have no excuse. Truce?」
John hesitated… then finally nodded, defeated.
Jerry’s phone buzzed. 「I gotta go. See you later, Hana.」 He turned and left the hall.
Hana exhaled slowly. 【Did he spare my father because of me… or because he truly wants to end the feud?】
John sighed, his shoulders slumped. 「Everyone can go back to class.」 He walked past Hana, muttering coldly, 「I want you out of my house by tomorrow morning. You're disowned.」
Hana scoffed, a bitter realization settling in. 【That just proves Jerry was right about him.】
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