Ch. 10 Calmity

She walked out alone to the location that was ordinary in an unsettling way. A quiet café on the edge of a commercial street, not too many stores so not too many people but there were still those that passed right by regardless. Hana arrived early, sitting outside just as planned, in a small seating area near the entrance where visibility was high and exits were obvious.

She put her phone on the table, she didn’t want any distractions, just waiting. She remembers what Daichi told her ‘You don’t need to win this conversation, just keep it moving.’ Kenta didn’t speak much this morning but when she left he looked at her for a long time. Like he was trying to memorize everything about her like it’s the last time he’s going to ever see her.

Ten minutes pass, then fifteen, she’s tempted to check the time but doesn’t want to show that she is nervously anticipating her arrival.

When she arrives, it is without urgency, no visible hostility, just composed presence. Clean clothing, calm posture, and eyes that moved slowly, always ready to evaluate. Those eyes then land on Hana.

“You came.”

Hana stays in her seat. “I did.”

The woman tilted her head slightly. “I expected more hesitation.”

“I considered it, then decided to come anyway.”

A faint smile, but not a kind one. “Good.”

She sat across from her and they didn’t jump into conversation as if they were measuring each other. Hana breaks the silence. “Why are you doing this?”

The woman doesn’t respond immediately, looking at Hana like she’s deciding on a tool for a project. “You are close to him. Can’t be his money, he doesn’t flaunt that.”

Hana laughs humorlessly. “Glad you think our relationship is that shallow, I didn’t change him so much by taking money from him.”

The woman leans back, crossing her arms. “You think this is about you, don’t you?”

“You called me here, I don’t even know your name. They never say it.”

Her eyes narrow. “And I won’t be giving it to you with that attitude.”

Hana shrugs. “I could care less, I want to know what you want from Kenta.”

She rolls her eyes but answers anyway. “Kenta was born with Kazuki, but Kazuki was born weak, fragile lungs, and needed constant attention, medical visits. Kenta was healthy but seemingly unremarkable at birth, Kazuki showed signs of the family lineage." She raises a brow. “You know of it, yes? What abilities run in our blood?”

“Yes, and I know you don’t have it.” Hana smirks and the woman's jaw clenches.

“We poured all resources into keeping Kazuki alive, but in the end the doctors failed. It was a waste, but we learned Kenta also had it.” She smiles proudly. “It was perfect, to make up for the loss I stopped playing a nice wife and doubled down on training Kenta. Survival wasn’t enough, failure was an offence, like when the doctors failed to keep his brother alive. He had to be twice as capable to justify what his brother could have been as well.”

Hana clenches her fist at those words, her teeth grit. “You’re his mother, and you did that?”

“Yes.” Her expression didn’t change. “I refined him.”

Hana barked one sharp laugh. “What is he, a gem? That’s not-”

“He became efficient.” She cut in smoothly. “Useful, controlled. I could get him to stop people from getting in my way by that ability of his that grabs souls.” She smirks. “You can move up the social ladder with a son who can stop them in their tracks without them knowing why they can’t move. You can make threats, it was lovely until Daichi got involved, and now you.”

Her eyes narrow as she looks at Hana. “Even with Daichi taking him away I knew I could get back to him but you changed him. My line always received that capability, it is inheritance, yet he manifested it rather than me. Stronger than any I have ever seen, as if he holds what I should have received.”

Hana crosses her arms. “You think he took it from you?”

“I am saying he was never meant to have it. They thought the ability ended with my father when I didn’t manifest it. I spent my life like that until my boys. Kazuki had it, but weakly, we were desperate to keep the lineage alive but Kenta has more spiritual energy than many in the family combined. As if he took what should have been mine.”

Hana stared at her. “You’re jealous.”

The woman doesn’t say anything and Hana scoffs. “Wow, what is this? Can’t stand not being the most important person in the room?”

The woman's gaze sharpened. “You’re quite rude.”

“You’re quite insane.” She laughs once, sharp and humorless. “Wow, how did you ever end up with someone like Daichi?”

“He was suitable.” She replies as if it’s obvious.

Hana shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, I think I’m missing something here.”

“He has stable genetics, physical robustness, predictable temperament-”

“Wow you can stop, that’s even more insane. You sound like you’re talking about parts that your car needs.” She laughs again, more unsettled. “So you tricked him, that’s what you meant by playing nice wife, isn’t it?”

She nods and Hana leans back in disgust. “You’re… unbelievable.”

The woman sighs. “Enough of this, I want you to discontinue involvement with my son. I believe he’s still recoverable, I just have to get rid of this emotional attachment."

Hana shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

The moment the words left her mouth the air changed, the kind of pressure you feel before a storm arrives. “You will regret persistence.”

Hana runs a hand through her hair. “I already regret talking to you, you’re a psycho.”

Her lips curl up into a cold snarl. “Watch your tongue.”

“Just being honest, if insane asylums were still around you’d be front and center of their ads.” Hana smirks and this causes the woman to slam her fist on the table.

“This is my final warning before I resort to extreme measures, do you agree to part ways with him or not?” She growls, his composer lost after a few insults.

Hana braces herself, ready to flee, she says her words carefully without insult, hoping it would calm her into more conversation. “I will not.”

The woman takes her phone and in a moment, two men come out of the café, both taking a hold of Hana from each side.

“Hey!” Hana tries to shake them off, her stomach sinking, Kenta sees it. A sharp distortion in her soul and his body reacts before his brain can think. Daichi tries to ask him what was going on but Kenta was already moving.

“Hold her properly boys, I don’t want to miss.” She looks around and raises her voice. “Kenta! Your doll doesn’t want to play nice so I’m afraid I’ll have to break it!”

She reaches into her pocket and Hana sees the light reflect before she realizes what it is, she lunges forward and Hana twists her body instinctively, her chair tipping as she struggles, trying to kick it as the woman who has resulted to violence. Her heart is beating so loud in her ears that it takes her a moment to feel pain sparking sharply along her side. It wasn’t deep, but enough to be worried about.

“Hana!” Kenta closed the space as fast as physically possible, hitting the knife out of her hand, before he turned, kicking one of the men into a chair so hard it tipped over and he fell back. The other man stepped forward for a hit and Kenta intercepted him with a single motion, redirecting him right back into the café where he came. With no one holding onto Hana, his mother grabs hold of her hair, causing her to gasp sharply.

“Stop this now, Kenta.” She hisses. “This is pathetic.”

“Let go.” He glares at her, his eyes softening when he meets Hana’s.

Her grip tightened and Hana winced, trying to break free. “I don’t want to.”

Something snaps in him and he shouts. “Stop!”

She smirks. “You don’t tell ME what to do.”

The moment she moves he puts his hand up with a glare, the tips of his hair shimmering white. “Stop.”

“So you still use it.” She glares as she freezes, Hana able to escape from her grip.

“I said stop. You ignored it.”

Hana sits on the ground, holding her side as she pants, trying to catch her breath and steady her heart.

Kenta steps between them before he lowers his arm, not shaking, not afraid. This causes her to laugh, it hardly sounded like a laugh, fractured and uneven.

“You’ll still follow me, you know I’m just making you the best you can be.”

“I won’t.”

Another laugh. “Kenta, you can’t.” She looks between the two. “There’s no way, do you love her? Is that why you’ve changed so much?”

The question didn’t seem to belong but she was out of finding options as to why he’s being like this. He stands there for a moment, turning his head back to Hana. She was sitting on the ground, her hair a mess, holding her side trying to steady herself.

His expression softens, his eyes warm as he smiles. “I do.” There’s no hesitation in his words, just full certainty. Hana feels her heart skip a beat, not expecting him to say that.

The woman's face twisted and she spits out. “Liar! You can’t feel something like that, you just think you do!”

Kenta's brows furrow at being called a liar, so he steps over to Hana, dropping down to her level onto one knee. Hana just watches him, wondering what he’s doing. “Kenta…?”

He looks at her, and there was nothing mechanical in his gaze, just warmth. “I am confirming it.”

This confused her for half a second, until he leaned forward and kissed her. Hana froze, her eyes wide with surprise before they fluttered shut. Everything felt still, and when he pulled back it’s only slightly. “I understand now.”

Hana looks at him, face warm as she asks. “You understand what?”

Without hesitation. “I cannot lose you.”

Behind them, his mother lets out a shrill, broken sound. “ENOUGH!” but it was too late, sirens filled the air and in moments the authorities were holding onto her, taking her in. She screamed and kicked but there were too many hands on her, placing her in cuffs.

They watch as she’s placed in a vehicle, the door shutting behind her as she screams. Hana is taken to an ambulance and they clean her wound, stitching it up.

“Lucky.” The paramedic mutters as they put gauze on carefully. “If this was just a bit more over this would’ve been a lot worse. You’re lucky your friend got there when he did too.”

Hana's gaze goes from her wound up to see Kenta standing there just a few steps away. Just watching to make sure she’s okay. Daichi was further off near a police car, handling the paperwork side of things.

Kenta steps closer to her once the paramedic says she’s good to go. The two look at each other, silent, neither sure how to start.

“So…” Hana holds onto her side lightly. “Everything is over now.”

Kenta nods. “It is.”

There’s another pause and Hana laughs awkwardly but regrets it right away feeling a pull in her side. “Ooo, okay, no laughing.”

Kenta's attention snapped to her instantly. “In pain?”

“I’m okay.” She smiles reassuringly.

Hana tried to insist she would walk fine on her own but Kenta stayed by her side so she could lean on him if she needed to, and eventually she did. Daichi decided to cook them a meal while they sat at the table, just resting after a long day. Dinner started normally enough, Daichi telling stories and a bit of friendly bickering here and there. It almost felt like a reset, as if nothing happened until Hana shifted in her chair and winced.

It was small, but Kenta noticed instantly, setting his glass down. “Hana.”

“I’m fine.” She says and he shakes his head.

“I want to check, we can’t have you pulling those stitches.”

Hana blinks. “Right now?”

Daichi paused mid-bite. “Stitches? It was more than a cut?”

Hana waves her hand. “It was only a few, it’s not a big deal.”

Kenta looks at her intensely and she sighs. “Fine.” She lifts the hem of her shirt enough to expose the bandage. “See? It’s fine.”

Kenta nods. “No signs of bleeding, good.”

The two were about to return to their meal normally until they heard Daichi sniffling. They both look at him wide eyed as they watch him, hand over his eyes but tears dripping down his face.

“I’m sorry.” He says in the quietest voice either of them have ever heard. “I’m so sorry… everything was fine until I left for that damn job.”

“Dad…” Kenta reaches over the table and puts a hand on his wrist comfortingly. “It’s not your fault.”

Daichi shook his head, his shoulders trembling, “I thought I was doing the right thing but I left you with her and she did…”

He swallowed hard. “I left you and all of this is because of that. Hana couldn’ve-” He takes a shaky breath. “I’m sorry to both of you. I don’t know how I missed so much, she seemed so good before, I tried to find what made her change and I just… I can’t wrap my head around it.”

“Because she makes no sense.” Hana frowns. “When I was talking with her, I asked about you. How can she be with someone with the opposite personality? It didn’t make sense.”

Daichi smiles sadly. “She used to be sweet, kind, and thoughtful. She laughed at my jokes, lifted me up when I was down and cared about others too. She seemed perfect for me, I don’t know what happened that changed her so much.”

“Because that wasn’t her.” Hana sighs. “When I asked her about it, she said she was playing a good wife. I don’t think she ever saw you as a partner, more like a source of good genetics. Once everything changed and you were gone, she dropped that act.”

Daichi goes still then slowly nods. “So… I was manipulated. That… that tracks.”

“You’re here now, and that matters a lot. More than you’ll ever know.” Hana smiles and Daichi runs a hand down his face, a smile on his lips again as if he wiped everything away.

“Alright, enough of that, let’s just eat and move on, we’ve got lots to enjoy ahead.”

“I agree.” Kenta says as he looks at Hana. “Everything will be okay now.”

Hana smiles, her heart feeling lighter than it has in a while.