章 6: Connections

Masaatsu and Rita ambushed Gengyo at the door house.

"Hmm. Did you think you'd be able to get away?"

Rin would make a good criminal. Her voice was perfect, and her eyes were contaminated by a distinct touch of sadism.

Masaatsu slivered behind him, cutting off his retreat, and locking down his arms.

"Nii-san, don't you think it's time we got some truth out of Tadakata here?"

Masaatsu nodded deeply, mirroring her playful ferocity.

"But of course. We're family after all. One should not hide things from their family."

"Eh… But I haven't even tried to hide anything yet."

Rin dismissed his protests quickly.

"Silence! Masaatsu, what's our theory?"

"Responding to the lady, our theory is this: you were beaten up by the two friends Hijikata and Makino."

"You heard the man. What's say you in your defence?"

"Uhh… is this really the right way to treat a man who's just been beaten up? You're making me seem like the criminal."

"Oh but you are the criminal, Nii-chan! Your crime is not fighting back."

"Ah, that's where-"

"Masaatsu. How badly do you think he's wounded."

"My lady, I would guess not that badly. Tadakata here is a bit of a wuss – if he was injured he'd be crying about it."

"Mhm, mhm. Your reasoning is sound, Masaatsu. I'm glad to have you in my services."

"It's my honour, my lady."

"Very well. Let's reveal the truth!"

At that Masaatsu gripped Gengyo's kimono firmly, swiftly removing it from the upper body, leaving Gengyo's back and chest bare. Gengyo could not help but flinch at his rough actions, due to the many bruises that decorated his torso.

They were black and yellow and blue, and not few in number.

Rin's sharp intake of breath perfectly and breaking of character marked their severity.

"My goodness… Even for you Tadakata this is a bit much…"

Tears started to fill her eyes as she looked at the battered torso of her older brother.

"Tadakata… They did this?"

Masaatsu was seething. Despite telling Gengyo that a real man must solve his own problems, this was too far.

He stormed outside and returned with an axe.

"Let's go little brother – it's time to get your revenge."

He spoke solemly.

Gengyo was touched by their reactions, but could not help feel a bit worn out by their dramatics.

"Masaatsu. Stop."

He spoke with authority, startling his siblings.

"But Tadakata… look at yourself. They've messed you up real bad, those sick fucks. I've got to at least pay them back somehow."

"Thanks, but there's no need. I've already paid them back. They won't be bothering me again."

"Nii-san… please don't lie. These injuries are too much – let Masaatsu handle it.

Rin gently passed over his bruises with her cold hands from her now seated position in front of Gengyo.

"You two…"

Gengyo could not help but be happy. He'd never been close with his birth family, but these two here were genuinely concerned about his safety.

He stroked Rin's head gently as he reassured them.

"This afternoon – these wounds – they were my fault. I provoked the two of them."

Masaatsu recoiled at those words, seemingly remembering something.

"When you said you would deal with them… This isn't what you meant, surely?"

"Not at all brother. This was a mere piece. But I won. Trust me brother. I won."

Gengyo quickly calmed him, as he felt there was much more Masaatsu wanted to say.

Rin looked at him with big eyes, searching for any deceit behind his words.

"You're probably just saying that so we don't worry…"

"No, I'm serious. Your brother is a different man now. You won't have to worry about me anymore. It's your brother's turn to protect you."

"You keep saying that, Tadakata, but what proof do we have? You say you won? What kind of victory did you win when your body is in such a state?"

"Did you notice that those two were ahead of you both on their way home?"

"Yes..?"

"Isn't that unusual? Our field is the furthest away from the house. Why would they be ahead of you?"

"They got off early..? I don't know."

Masaatsu and Rin shared a glance as they searched for an answer to these seemingly irrelevant questions.

"In that case, I would also be home before you. Let me tell you the real reason: they were moved to a different field. I made them ask to be moved."

Disbelief plastered the two siblings faces. It made absolutely no sense for that to happen, yet the more they thought about it, the more it seemed true.

"…? How? Nii-san?"

Now that he had their attention, Gengyo was only too happy to run them through the events of the day, and share the joys he felt at executing his many plans.

He told them of the incident with Haru, at which they burst out laughing.

"Damn that was cruel little brother. Even I might have beaten you up if you did that haha. "

Masaatsu joked in response.

And then he told of them of how angry the two friends had become, throwing stones. He mimicked some of the poses he had pulled to dodge and he told them of how he had drawn the attention of the entire field, framing the two who were doing no work.

"Bahaha! Brother is too cunning."

Rin praised delightedly.

And then he began to tell them of lunch, to which they both began to lean in further.

Captivated by Gengyo's storytelling skills, their anger rose as Gengyo told them of the beating he had received, but then their expressions instantly lifted as he revealed his plan.

And then he neared the end of the tale, describing the deal he had laid out, at which Masaatsu physically patted him on the back.

"That was bloody well done, Tadakata. Really. I'm proud of you bro."

Rin didn't want to be left out, as she praised Gengyo – whom she was still clinging onto – with vigour.

"Yup! Nii-san did really good!"