Chapter 343 I’m Not a Bad Person

“Hey, little Brute,” Suzuka chuckled, crouching down to give the sleepy feline a scratch behind the ears. The cat barely opened one eye, giving her a look of mild interest before stretching out even further, as if to say, "Yeah, I remember you... but let me sleep."

She laughed softly, brushing her hand over Brute’s now round belly. 

“Well, you’ve grown a bit since I last saw you. Look at you, you’re a little chonker now,” she teased, poking the cat’s fluffy side. Brute flicked his tail in response, unimpressed, but Suzuka knew better - this was as much affection as the lazy cat ever gave.

Standing up, she took a deep breath, trying to shake off the slight nervousness settling in her stomach. It had been a while since she’d seen them. She wasn’t sure how this would go, but she wasn’t one to shy away from anything, let alone her friends. Besides, she had a feeling they could use a little surprise in their life.

With a steadying breath and a small, determined smile, she made her way toward the front door, her boots lightly crunching on the gravel. The vineyard stretched out behind her, rows of grapevines that seemed to go on forever, swaying gently in the morning light.

"Time to face the music," she muttered under her breath as she reached up to knock on the door. But before her knuckles even hit the wood, the door creaked open slightly.

As the door slowly swung wider, Suzuka’s breath hitched. It was Nick - Antonio's little brother, the boy she used to sneak cookies and play cards with. But he didn’t look anything like the cheerful, vibrant kid she remembered.

Gone was the short, pudgy boy filled with boundless energy and curiosity. Instead, standing before her was someone taller, leaner, but far paler than he should’ve been. His eyes, once sparkling with wonder and life, now looked hollow, darkened with exhaustion, fear, and something far worse - hopelessness. His once vibrant spirit had been drained, leaving behind a shadow of the boy she knew.

Nick’s entire body seemed to stiffen the moment his dull gaze fell on Suzuka. His eyes widened with fear, his lips trembling slightly as if trying to find the words to make sense of the woman standing before him. But to him, Suzuka was a stranger - he didn’t recognize her at all. Fear tightened around him like a vice, his body visibly shaking as if expecting danger.

Suzuka’s heart clenched at the sight. Her mind raced as she took in the terrified boy who had once been so full of life. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees in front of him, trying to make herself as non-threatening as possible. Her arms opened instinctively, wrapping around him in a warm embrace.

“Hey, hey... it’s okay,” she murmured softly, her voice gentle, soothing, like a balm for the fear gripping Nick’s heart.

 “I’m not here to hurt anyone, Nick. Everything’s alright now. I promise. I’m not a bad person.”

Nick’s body tensed in her arms, struggling instinctively at first to escape her sudden embrace. He wriggled slightly, his breaths sharp and quick, like a rabbit cornered by a predator. But Suzuka’s warmth and calm words slowly began to sink in. She held him close, not too tight but enough to let him know that he was safe. His small frame, though now older and leaner, began to relax bit by bit. The trembling in his body eased, and his frantic heartbeat slowed as he began to feel her warmth.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Nick,” she whispered again, brushing a comforting hand through his messy hair.

 “I’ve got you, okay? You’re safe with me.”

Finally, the struggle in Nick faded completely. He let out a soft, defeated sigh and allowed himself to be held. His small hands, still shaky, rested against Suzuka’s arms, his head falling gently against her shoulder. It was as though the boy had been holding his breath for years, and at that moment, he could finally exhale.

After a few minutes, Suzuka slowly pulled back, keeping her hands on his shoulders to reassure him. She gazed at him, offering a soft smile, though the sadness in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. That’s when she noticed it - Nick’s right hand.

Her eyes immediately locked onto his mangled fingers. Two of them were missing entirely, brutally ripped off, leaving behind thick, twisted scars where the flesh had healed over time. The sight of his hand hit Suzuka like a blow to the chest. Her heart dropped, and a surge of anger flared inside her, hot and relentless.

“What happened...?” she whispered, though she already knew the answer.

The goons. Those heartless thugs who had taken Nick away to punish Antonio for unpaid debts. She had beaten them - made sure they would never hurt anyone again - but now, looking at the devastation they had left behind, she regretted not going further. She should have been more brutal and should have made them suffer for what they did to her friend.

Nick, noticing Suzuka’s gaze on his hand, instinctively tried to pull it away, but Suzuka gently held it. Her grip was firm yet tender as she softly stroked the back of his palm, her eyes filled with regret and fierce protectiveness.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice heavy with guilt.

 “I’m so sorry, Nick. I didn’t know... I should’ve been there sooner. But don't you worry little Nick, big sis will fix this, make it right as rain, just you wait a bit, okay?”

Nick, still shaken but calmer now, gave a slight, uncertain nod, not fully understanding everything but comforted by her presence. Suzuka looked at him with a warm smile. She would make things right for Nick. There would be no more suffering, not if she could help it.

Taking a deep breath, Suzuka offered him a reassuring smile.

 "I brought something for you and Anna," she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the small pendant she had bought from the merchant earlier.

 “Something to cheer you up a bit. But don't worry, I got something even better for you.”

Nick’s eyes flickered with faint curiosity, though still wary. Suzuka placed the pendant in his good hand, gently closing his fingers around it.

Nick stood there, fidgeting with the small pendant in his hand, his face a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. His wide, unsure eyes flickered between Suzuka and the ground as if trying to solve a puzzle he couldn’t quite piece together. There was something familiar about her - something in the warmth of her hug, the way she spoke to him. But his mind was too clouded by years of fear and suffering to make the connection.

Then, almost like a whisper, the words slipped out of his mouth before he even realized he was saying them.

 “Are you... Suzuka? Sis and Big Bro told me that she’s back... Is that you, Suzuka?” His voice trembled, barely above a murmur, but in the quiet of the morning, it was the loudest sound in the world.

For a moment, Suzuka was stunned. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Nick had been so frightened, so broken just moments before, and now, finally, the recognition she had been waiting for was there in his eyes. Her heart swelled with emotion, and she felt a tear form in the corner of her eye. It wasn’t a tear of sadness or regret - it was pure, unfiltered joy.

She wiped at the tear with the back of her hand but didn’t bother to hide the next one that slid down her cheek. Her voice wavered slightly as she grinned down at him, her face softening into that warm, familiar smile he had once known.

“Of course, it’s me, you silly goofball,” Suzuka said, her tone filled with affection. She knelt again, her arms open wide as she let out a soft laugh, blinking away the tears.

 “Took you long enough to remember me! But hey, better later than never, right? Am I right or what?”

Nick’s eyes widened, and for a moment, he just stood there, staring at her, as if waiting for something to break the illusion. But when nothing changed - when Suzuka’s smile remained and the warmth in her eyes held steady - something inside him broke free. All the fear, the confusion, the heaviness of the past years suddenly melted away. And before he knew it, tears welled up in his own eyes.

But these weren’t tears of pain or fear. They were tears of happiness - relief, even. He let out a shaky sob, and without thinking, he threw himself into Suzuka’s arms, burying his face in her big cleavage as he cried.

“I missed you... so much,” he sobbed, his small body trembling as all the pent-up emotion he had been holding onto for years spilled out at once. He clung to her, as though afraid she might disappear again.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she whispered, rocking him gently. 

Nick’s sobs slowly began to quiet, though he didn’t pull away from her embrace. He just held onto her tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, the world would fall apart again. But in Suzuka’s arms, he felt safe. Safe in a way he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Suzuka wiped her face, trying to steady herself after the flood of emotions. With a bright, playful smile, she leaned back and gave Nick a light pat on the head.

"Alright, alright, no more tears, okay?" she said with a teasing tone, wiping a stray tear off Nick’s cheek.

 "We should be celebrating, not crying. Let’s pull ourselves together and calm down. Just think how embarrassing it would be if the others saw us - messy with snot dripping and all," she added with a smirk, wrinkling her nose playfully.

Nick sniffled and wiped his face, looking up at her with wide, teary eyes.

"Besides," Suzuka continued, her tone growing more playful, "I’ve got something else for you. Something that will really brighten you up."