As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

Even until the end, Aunt Shigeko vehemently denied everything that Ryuu and Hiro said to her. Seeing that they were just going in rounds, Ryuu left Hiro with his mother before he turned around and walked out of the apartment.

"Mom, you still insisted that you know nothing?"

Hiro scoffed at his mother the moment Ryuu closed the front door. Traces of disappointment were layered deep in his eyes.

"You rascal! You questioned me, your own mother, like a criminal?" Aunt Shigeko slapped her son's arm.

Despite showing an angry look on her face, Aunt Shigeko was actually calm on the inside. She almost broke down under pressure when Ryuu and Hiro kept throwing the same questions to her.

Aunt Shigeko didn't know how did these two men know about her involvement with that person. She was already gleeful to see how anxious Ryuu looked because of Yuina's kidnapping.

Hah, that person actually did something that satisfy her!

Her wait wasn't in vain!

Aunt Shigeko turned around, wanting to ignore her son who was still staring daggers at her. Yet, she stopped in her tracks the moment her ears caught sounds coming from the entryway.

Once again, Ryuu appeared there but this time, he wasn't alone. Two men followed him in.

"What... who are you?" Flustered, Aunt Shigeko stuttered.

Ryuu didn't speak. He cast a glance at the two men.

The two tall and fit-looking men walked forward after kicking off their shoes. One of them brought out something from the pocket of his jacket.

"We're police from the central office. We received a report from Mr. Ishizaki saying that someone from this household are involved in the kidnapping of Mrs. Ishizaki. Madam, is that person you?" 

The police who spoke drew a lazy curl on his lips looking as if he was smirking at the frightened Aunt Shigeko.

"You... you can't do this to me! You have no evidence!"

Aunt Shigeko shrieked the moment the two policemen began scouring the little apartment. One of them even took her mobile phone and placed it inside a plastic bag.

"Oh, we already have evidence supplied by your son," answered the first police with leisure, "Thanks to your inability to handle a simple technology."

The police's statement was akin to a bucket of cold water splash on Aunt Shigeko. She stiffly turned her neck, her eyes fell on her son's face. 

"Hiro! You actually sold your mother out?!" 

Hiro didn't look away from his mother's accusing eyes. He spoke solemnly, "Mom, why can't you learn lessons from what happened to that old man? I really didn't expect that you'd plot against Sister Yuina behind our backs."

Aunt Shigeko gritted her teeth, hating the fact that the son she gave birth to was inclined to support another person instead of his own mother and father.

In the end, Aunt Shigeko was escorted away by the two police. The neighbors who saw her cast doubtful looks before they exchanged whispers.

Although she felt humiliated, Aunt Shigeko didn't dare to do anything under the police's eyes. She could only lower her head in embarrassment, trying to reduce her sense of existence. 

Ryuu and Hiro followed the police car from the back. As Ryuu drove, the younger man began asking him questions.

"Brother, could the police trace Sister Yuina? I've kept watching on Mom's contact with that person but, there's nothing indicating they would kidnap Sister Yuina."

Ever since Hiro found that his mother had been communicating with the mysterious man, he often sneaked inside her room to see if there was anything new in her phone. Strangely, the communication stopped at the last message they read the other day.

That was the reason Hiro got so shocked the first time he heard what Ryuu told him earlier. They couldn't even use the tracking app that Hiro secretly downloaded on his mother's phone.

"He might have been watching our movements from afar or he might simply be careful," replied Ryuu in a gruff tone, "To be honest, if I was him, I won't fully trust someone like your mother."

Hiro agreed with Ryuu's blunt statement.

His mother wasn't a smart person. That was why even though they managed to find some messages between her and that person, there was nothing crucial conveyed by that man to his mother.

The rest of their drive to the police station was shrouded in a heavy silence. The gloomy atmosphere was reflected in the weather outside as the sun was slowly setting down behind masses of clouds. 

Ryuu had instructed Yousuke and Riku to keep close eyes on every headline popping up in the entertainment circle. He had a hunch that whoever that person was, he might try to publish articles regarding Yuina during the time she disappeared. 

'Please, please be safe, Yuina.'

Ryuu's grip on the steering wheel tightened. An oppressive storm brewed silently under his eyes, waiting to be leashed out. 

He hate how incompetent he was. 

He hate that he didn't take more preventive measures regarding his wife's safety.

If he insisted on at least having the bodyguards shielding her from a very close distance instead of just looking over her from afar, this thing might not happen. 

But, regret could do nothing now. Ryuu could only pray that the police would be able to track Yuina's whereabouts. 

Soon, they arrived at the police station. Everything seemed normal, showing that no one from the media got wind about the kidnapping of the film emperor's wife. 

"Brother, your mask is crooked," said Hiro before both of them got out of the car.

Ryuu sighed heavily. He looked into the mirror then adjusted his disguise. After that, he hurried inside the station. 

Aunt Shigeko was brought inside an interrogating room. The police allowed Ryuu and Hiro to stand on the other side of the room, letting them witness the interrogation through the one-way mirror. 

"Mom keeps denying everything," murmured Hiro, his brows were furrowed.

It was uncomfortable for him to see how stern the police investigating his own mother but, Hiro understood there was no other way.

Ever since the day he brought the evidence for Brother Ryuu to see, Hiro had prepared himself mentally on what would follow next. This interrogation was one of them. 

Although he had witnessed his own father being detained by police several years ago, it was still not easy. 

Ryuu glanced at the detective standing next to him. He asked the older man in a respected tone, "Mister, how about the surveillance videos? You said that the van was captured in them."

The bodyguards were unsuccessful in protecting Yuina but, they made up their failure by quickly reporting the events to Ryuu. They also joined the police to track down the black van.

"We managed to trace where the van was but, once the kidnappers entered downtown, they were no longer traceable. It's possible that they changed into another vehicle," replied the detective sullenly. 

"...what?"

Ryuu's heart sank. He pursed his lips, trying to stabilize his emotions before he opened his mouth again.

"Can't we... narrow down the possible places where they might take my wife?"

The detective closed his eyes. He answered quietly, "So far, it's a really low possibility."

Because this kidnapping had just occurred, they didn't manage to find promising leads. Although the film emperor relayed everything he suspected and had found out to the police, the motive behind this kidnapping was still unclear.

"We haven't ruled out that the mastermind has a grudge against your wife instead of yourself, Mr. Ishizaki. From what we gathered so far, the appearance of the black van was just spotted today. There were no signs of they were waiting for this opportunity in the past few days."

Even after looking into the surveillance videos nearby the school, the police didn't find anything suspicious until today.

The black van first made its appearance after school hours ended, the time when most students and teachers had gone home. The kidnappers were lying in wait. They only moved after Yuina drove out of the school later.

"My wife just told me last night that she would go out with her colleague. Her colleague was the one who invited her out. Does it mean they somehow knew it?"

Ryuu didn't even suspect Himari who gave the suggestion to go shopping to Yuina. He merely thought a mole heard Yuina and Himari's conversation thus decided to take action today.

"It's possible," the detective assented with a nod, "Two officers have gone to the hospital to interview Ms. Kato. She has just woken up. We also have contacted the school to allow us to do the same to the other teachers if the need arises."

The principal had been notified of the kidnapping of Teacher Masuda Yuina. The middle-aged man was disconcerted by the unexpected and ominous news but he agreed to give the police full cooperation. 

"Mr. Ishizaki, our side understands how bewildered you are right now but, please be assured that we would give our all to save your wife."

The detective spoke those words earnestly.

Even if the victim wasn't a wife to this renowned film emperor, the authorities would still exhaust their all to get justice. 

No one should be the victim of unfounded vengeance.