As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

With each day passing by, Ryuu's injuries were getting better. The superficial wounds had healed yet the doctor still advised him to take it easy.

If nothing came pressing down, he might be able to rejoin the filming crew before the end of the next month. Ryuu was busy practicing his lines during the hours Yuina was at school. 

Because the days were too peaceful, Yuina's vigilance was lowered subconsciously. She still went to work with the bodyguards silently protecting her but, most of her routines didn't change. 

One morning, Yuina and Ryuu received a guest. 

"Ah, Hiro, what are you doing here? Aren't you working today?"

Yuina stared at her younger cousin who suddenly appeared at the door. The young man was in casual clothes, looking as if he was on a day off today.

"Sister, you're not going to school yet?" Hiro quickly entered the residential unit. He flashed a smile at Yuina, "Don't let me delay you ah. I come here to accompany my brother-in-law who's injured."

Yuina frowned, "So, you're really not working today?"

"I've just finished a project. My boss let me take the day off," answered Hiro with a grin. A bag was shouldered behind his back.

"You should go to school now, my love," said Ryuu who stood behind Yuina. He placed both hands on her shoulders, lightly pushing her to the door, "It's already eight."

"Ah! I have to go now! Bye, honey~"

Yuina quickly kissed Ryuu's right cheek then ran out of the door. She didn't forget to remind the two males to not do anything messy inside the house during her absence. 

"Don't worry, Sister! I'll take care of Brother Ryuu!" shouted Hiro at Yuina who's heading to the elevator.

Yuina waved at him before disappearing behind the doors. 

Ryuu pulled Hiro from the entryway after Yuina vanished from their sights. The younger man closed the door shut, preventing their voices from drifting out to the outside even though this entire floor was occupied only by the husband and wife.

"Is there any food left? I rushed here without having breakfast. Let me eat first."

Even when his mouth was still asking, Hiro had already walked to the kitchen. He sniffed the lingering smell of food, making him hungrier.

"Sort it out yourself," answered Ryuu lazily. He was now sitting on the couch, eyes staring at the phone screen.

"Tsk, Brother, you're the one who told me to come early this morning yet you didn't have the awareness to prepare a good breakfast for your guest," complained Hiro.

Ryuu ignored the younger man. Hiro opened the fridge, brought out a fish then started grilling it himself. Luckily there were still rice and other side dishes left on the dining table. 

Hiro finished having breakfast in less than ten minutes. Before he walked out of the kitchen, he helped himself to a cup of black coffee.

"The thing you told me before... have them be verified?" 

When Ryuu opened his mouth to ask, his tone was sharp and carried a sense of glum. 

Hiro's expression cracked. Sitting opposite his brother-in-law, he answered quietly, "I don't want to admit it but... it seems to be true."

Ryuu pursed his lips, thinking back on the day Yuina asked him if he suspected someone who personally knew them to help the mastermind.

In fact, Ryuu had been working on it behind Yuina's back since the beginning because the suspicions were inevitable. He had even courted Hiro's help. 

Very few people knew the truth on the matter that happened that year. Ryuu asked Hiro to pay more attention to his mother as doubt kept soaring high.

The young man was reluctant but, he still went ahead with it. 

A few days ago, Hiro found something uncanny related to his own mother.

Without Aunt Shigeko realizing it, Hiro noticed that his mother kept on paying attention to whatever articles mentioned Sister Yuina and Brother Ryuu. His mother even seemed anxious and suppressing her hatred.

There were even times Hiro heard his mother mumbling something, the words sounded as if she was waiting for their downfall.

"When... when would it be revealed?"

"Haha, I can't wait to see her ugly face!"

"Tsk... so slow! He's so slow!"

Hiro only watched his mother from afar because he didn't want to alert her. His mother's pale and scrawny face appeared so distorted as hatred brimming in her yellowy eyes.

"The day before yesterday... Mom didn't know that I come back early from work. I heard her speaking on the phone with someone. She sounded so secretive."

Aunt Shigeko would mostly stay at home. Even if she used to work here and there before, she often quit halfway. Hiro didn't mind because now he was able to support his mother as long as she didn't do anything outrageous. 

On that day, Hiro not only heard the weird conversation between his mother and the caller. He couldn't catch the words properly because his mother was inside the bedroom. She even spoke in a low tone.

Then, in the middle of the night, Hiro sneaked inside his mother's bedroom to find her phone. She was sleeping deeply because Hiro kept encouraging his mother to drink more, saying it was to celebrate the completion of a project. 

Fortunately, his mother was a lightweight drinker. 

Pushing away what he had done on that night to the back of his mind, Hiro stared at Ryuu who locked his gaze onto him.

"Mom's phone broke during her stay in the hospital the other day. I bought her a new phone. Because she hasn't been adept in using a smartphone, it seemed like she has left evidence inside."

It might be because his mother also knew her son wasn't one who would play around with her belongings. Her unquestionable trust was finally used by her own son to investigate her wrongdoings.

"Brother, I found that Mom is always in contact with this number. Seems like Mom tried erasing the call log but failed. I also got the messages she exchanged with this number."

From the messages Hiro read secretly, it was true that the owner of the number was the one targeting Sister Yuina and Brother Ryuu. Yet, the motive was still unknown. 

Hiro sighed heavily. 

If not for his sudden suspicions, Hiro never thought that his mother was in the center of the chaos. 

Really, it was too unexpected. 

His mother was a cowardly woman. What had driven her to do such a thing? 

Hiro retrieved a tablet from his backpack. After a few taps, several photos were displayed on the screen. Ryuu took the tablet then started looking into the photo one by one.

The photos were screenshots of the call log and messages found by Hiro. 

"...you didn't try contacting this number?" asked Ryuu.

Hiro quickly shook his head, "I'm afraid I'd just alert whoever it is. So, I didn't do anything so far."

At first, Hiro was actually tempted to call the number himself but, after much consideration, he aborted the plan. 

What if the person used this number only to communicate with his mother? Wouldn't he just raise suspicions?

Even if Hiro could just say he had mistakenly dialed that number, he didn't dare to play any tricks. 

It was best to leave everything to his brother-in-law.

Ryuu gave the tablet back to Hiro. He spoke seriously, "Try to get your mother's phone and install the tracking app I encrypted in the e-mail. The app won't appear anywhere on the screen so don't worry about her discovering it."

"Okay, Brother. I'll do it," replied Hiro, his expression was heavy.

Brother Ryuu had told him before that it was hard to trace the mastermind. Hiro found it unbelievable that their searching might be shortened because of his mother's unexpected involvement.

There were so many questions flashing in the young man's mind.

Why did his mother agree to cooperate with that person?

When did that person approach his mother?

What was that person's motive in smearing Sister Yuina and Brother Ryuu's reputation?

Was it simply due to rivalry in the entertainment circle?

Or, was there something that he hadn't known before? 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of a finger knocking on the coffee table woke Hiro up from his stupor. His eyes fell on the index finger before he raised his chin, staring at Ryuu.

"Hiro," Ryuu called him without looking at the younger man, his brows were furrowing, "Do you think that... that person actually wants us to discover his identity?"

Startled, Hiro asked back, "Why did you ask that?"

The creases on Ryuu's forehead deepened. His mind began retracing everything that he knew so far.

When the news of his marriage exploded before, the mastermind's tracks were hard to be uncovered but, Ryuu found that the same thing didn't happen this time.

In his opinion, if Ryuu was that person orchestrating this matter behind the scenes, he won't use the same method; contacting the small media agencies to lure them with a new scoop. 

"Even though his motive is still unclear, I don't think it's actually money. It seems like... revenge."

Hiro swallowed his saliva down. 

Although he didn't want to admit it, he had once considered the possibility.

But, to avenge what?