Page 76 of Kotori
"I'm glad. Japanese traditions are important to understand if you're going to be part of our lives."
The loaded statement hangs between us, heavy with implications. Part of their lives. Not just their teacher, not just a temporary presence, but something more permanent.
"Some traditions are worth preserving," I say carefully. "Others deserve to be questioned."
She smiles slightly, the expression making her look startlingly like her father. "And some questions don't have simple answers."
Before I can respond, Kaito's phone buzzes with an incoming message. The change in him is immediate and complete, the relaxed father disappearing in an instant, replaced by something cold and dangerous as he reads the text.
"Hayashi," he says into the phone, his voice clipped with authority. "Prepare the house. Full security protocol. We have visitors."
My blood runs cold at his tone, at the way his entire demeanor has shifted. Beside him, Mizuki sits up straighter, suddenly alert, while Kohana instinctively pulls Aya closer, protecting her sister even in sleep.
"What's happening?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
Kaito's eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I see something like regret in them. Then it's gone, replaced by the mask of the oyabun—the crime lord who commands men with a glance and orders deaths with a nod.
"Business," he says simply, but his hand finds mine in the darkness, squeezing once with surprising gentleness. "Stay close to my daughters tonight. No matter what you hear, no matter what happens—stay with them."
The simple instruction sends fear shooting through me like ice water. "Kaito-sama."
"Promise me." His voice leaves no room for argument. "Promise me you'll protect them if necessary."
"Of course I will," I say without hesitation.
"That's all I needed to hear." He releases my hand as the car turns through the compound gates, his expression settling into something hard and unreadable. "Remember, kotori, you're mine. And I protect what's mine, no matter the cost."
As we pull up to the main house, I see black SUVs parked in the courtyard, men in suits standing with the careful stillness that speaks of concealed weapons and deadly intent. Not Kaito's men.
Visitors.Enemies.
The perfect Tanabata night, the magic of the festival—all of it evaporates in an instant, replaced by the cold reality of who and what Kaito Matsumoto really is.
And I have no idea how to escape, or if I even want to anymore.
20
Kaito
Thecompoundgatesswingopen as we return from Tanabata, revealing four black SUVs arranged in precise formation. Men in dark suits stand with the disciplined stillness that speaks of concealed weapons and purpose. Ishida family enforcers. Not street thugs, but trained killers who move with the specific precision of men who understand death intimately.
"Stay in the car," I tell my daughters, voice dropping to the quiet command that demands instant obedience. Paige stiffens beside Mizuki, her fingers instinctively seeking Aya's hand.
The perfect Tanabata night shatters. It's gone in an instant, replaced by the stark reality of my world. A reality I've deliberately kept hidden from my daughters, even as it shadows every moment of our lives.
Takeshi appears beside my door as I step out, his presence a certainty amidst uncertainty.
"Aniki. They arrived ten minutes ago. Demanded an immediate audience."
"And you allowed them through the gates?" My voice remains neutral, but Takeshi hears the blade beneath the silk.
"Hiroshi-san authorized their entry," he answers, gaze steady. "Said it was a matter of mutual interest that couldn't wait until morning."
Interesting. Hiroshi making executive decisions about compound access without consultation. Another piece in a pattern forming these past weeks.
The Ishida family has been our primary rival for generations and their presence here, unannounced, authorized by my senior advisor rather than myself, carries specific meanings. A move in a game I didn't realize had begun.
I approach their delegation with measured steps, sixteen generations of authority settling across my shoulders like armor. Loving father vanishes, replaced by the oyabun who commands men with a glance and orders deaths with a nod.
