Vrrrrmmm…
The engine of the Black SUV hummed steadily as it drove along the mountain road.
Inside the vehicle, there were six people: Teshii and the Elements – Hikaru, Haruto, Moriya, Ikazuchi, and the newly-recruited Reito. Most of them were fast asleep, bundled up and dozing peacefully, lulled by the rhythm of the road.
Except for Teshii, of course. He was wide awake, hands on the wheel, sunglasses still on despite the dimming evening light.
Suddenly–
Thump-thump!
The SUV jolted slightly as it rolled over a speed bump.
"Ugh…"
A groggy voice broke the silence as Hikaru stirred. He blinked slowly, his head still fuzzy from earlier.
"W-What happened?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
"You got electrocuted, Sunshine!" came a far-too-cheerful voice.
Hikaru turned groggily to his right.
Teshii grinned at him from the driver's seat.
"Electrocuted? How?" Hikaru asked, rubbing his temple.
Teshii chuckled. "The moment you were about to open the door earlier, I forgot to turn off the defense system."
Hikaru blinked. "Defense system?"
"Yep! Top-tier anti-theft. Also courtesy of our very own power plant – Zeus."
Teshii smirked proudly, referencing Ikazuchi's power input.
Hikaru sighed and leaned back against the seat, groaning. "I swear… you're gonna kill me one of these days."
"Yep, but forget about that!" Teshii said with a wave of his hand, eyes still on the road. "We're almost there."
"Almost where?" Hikaru asked, though he was already starting to guess.
"To Rich Girl's place."
Hikaru's eyes widened in alarm. "W-Wait-, you mean–"
He twisted in his seat to look back.
Everyone else was still asleep. Haruto slumped against the window, snoring softly. Ikazuchi had his arms crossed like he was still angry even in his sleep. Moriya was leaning back calmly. Reito… Reito's head was resting gently on Moriya's shoulder, breathing quietly.
Hikaru exhaled slowly and turned his attention back to the front.
"So… Reito is finally going to meet his mom, huh," he said, his voice quiet with the weight of the moment.
"Yeah," Teshii replied.
The SUV approached a traffic light, which had just turned red. Teshii slowed the car to a smooth stop.
Then he turned to Hikaru.
"Hey, Sunshine. Can you call Rich Girl and tell her we're on our way?"
Hikaru, raised an eyebrow. "Why do I need to call Mei?"
The light turned green. The SUV rolled forward again, tires crunching against the asphalt.
Teshii smirked without looking away from the road.
"Because… if we show up unannounced, your girlfriend might pass out just from seeing you."
Hikaru's face flushed instantly. "She's–!"
He paused. Then sighed in defeat.
"You know what… fine. I'll call her."
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and began dialling Mei's number.
In the Tomita Estate…
Mei was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. She was already in her pyjamas, getting ready to call it a night.
Suddenly–
Bzzz… Bzzz…
Her phone started to vibrate on her desk.
"Huh?" Mei mumbled with her toothbrush still in her mouth.
She quickly rinsed and spat out the toothpaste before stepping out of the bathroom. Walking over to her desk, she picked up her phone to check who was calling.
It was Hikaru.
"H-Hikaru!" she gasped, cheeks flushing with colour.
She quickly cleared her throat, composed herself as best as she could, and answered the call.
"Hello… this is Mei speaking!"
"Hey, Mei! It's Hikaru! How are you?" came Hikaru's voice through the phone.
Mei blushed even deeper, pressing the phone gently to her ear. "I-I'm good, Hikaru. How about you?"
"I'm great! Just in Teshii's car, you know." Hikaru chuckled nervously from the other end.
Then–
An awkward silence lingered between them over the call.
In the background, Teshii, who was driving, cringed at how awkward the conversation was turning out to be.
Mei eventually broke the silence. "So… Hikaru, what is it that you're calling for?"
"Actually, Mei… me, Teshii and the others are actually on the way to your place," Hikaru replied.
Mei gasped over the phone. "Wait! Why are you guys coming to my house?"
Hikaru turned to Teshii while still holding the phone to his ear. Teshii gave him a subtle nod, signalling him to go ahead and tell her.
Hikaru took a deep breath.
"Because… we have… Yuki's son with us."
Mei's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Are you sure?"
"Yeah…" Hikaru said softly.
There was a brief pause–
A moment of silence.
"…Okay, Hikaru. I believe you. I'll go tell Yuki and wait for you guys," Mei said, her voice calm but full of emotion.
Hikaru smiled gently.
"Yeah… thanks, Mei."
"I-I'll see you later, Hikaru! Mei added, blushing again.
"Y-Yeah, see you later, Mei," Hikaru replied, also blushing on his end.
Mei ended the call, placed the phone gently back down on her desk, and let out a soft exhale.
She smiled to herself, cheeks still warm.
"It's so nice to hear his voice," she whispered, blushing again.
Back to Teshii's Black SUV…
Hikaru lowered his phone, his fingers loosening after that surprisingly nerve-wracking call to Mei. He let out a long sigh.
"Why… was I so nervous talking to Mei?"
Then–
"Was that it?"
Hikaru turned to look at the driver's seat. "Huh?"
"Was that it?" Teshii repeated, eyes still focused on the road ahead.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Teshii sighed dramatically.
"Rule Number One, Sunshine! When you're talking to your girlfriend, the last thing you say before ending a call is 'I love you.' You must tell your girlfriend – Rich Girl – that you love her at the end of every phone call."
Hikaru's cheeks flushed red. "She's not my girlfriend!"
Teshii rolled his eyes behind those crimson glasses.
"Oh, please, Sunshine! Me and everyone reading this knows you two are destined to be together." Teshii smirked. "Besides, if it were me and Hikari, I'd absolutely tell her I love her at the end of every call."
"Hikari…" Hikaru muttered.
His eyes twitched. He clenched his fists.
"STAY AWA–"
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT THE F@%K UP!"
Both Teshii and Hikaru immediately froze.
It was Ikazuchi.
He was now awake – clearly annoyed from the backseat, having been woken up by their bickering.
Somehow…
The others were still asleep.
"Sorry, Zeus!" Teshii said casually – though it was very clear he wasn't sorry at all.
"Yeah… sorry, Ikazuchi," Hikaru echoed, but unlike Teshii, he actually meant it.
20 Minutes Later…
SKRRRRRRT–
Teshii's Black SUV finally rolled to a halt in front of the Tomita Estate.
Inside the car, Teshii turned to Hikaru and the others with his usual dramatic flair.
"Alright, guys! We're here!" he said, then grinned. "So… GET THE F@%K OUT OF MY CAR!"
Without hesitation, everyone scrambled out of the vehicle.
In front of them stood the grand Tomita Estate.
Reito looked up at it, eyes wide in awe. "This place… it's amazing."
Moriya stepped up beside him and nodded. "Isn't it?"
He pointed beyond the estate, to the dense forest behind the property. "See that forest?"
Reito followed his finger and nodded again. "Yeah?"
"That's where I live," Moriya said casually.
"Really?" Reito's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
He turned back to the estate, his expression shifting. "So… this is where my mother is?"
Hikaru placed a hand gently on Reito's shoulder. "Yeah. Are you ready to meet her?"
Reito didn't respond immediately. He stood still for a moment, then said quietly, "…I don't know."
The others didn't say a word – but they didn't need to. Every one of them understood.
Meeting the mother he hadn't seen in 16 years… it wasn't something easy to process.
Then–
"HIKARU! GUYS!"
They all turned at the voice.
"It was Mei, standing at the entrance of the estate, waving with a bright smile.
"Mei!" Hikaru called out.
He and the others made their way toward her.
Mei's eyes scanned the group – and widened when they landed on Reito.
"Y-You're Reito, aren't you?" she asked gently.
Reito gave a small nod. "Yeah."
Mei turned to Hikaru and whispered, "You actually found him?"
Hikaru nodded without a word.
Mei smiled softly, then gestured toward the main house.
"She's inside," she said.
Reito took in a slow, deep breath.
Then – with every step echoing the weight of years – he walked toward the house.
Inside Yuki's Room…
Yuki Osamu sat at the edge of her bed, her fingers gently brushing against a photo of her younger self holding a baby with white hair. Her eyes, glazed with emotion, lingered on the image.
"Reito…" she whispered.
"Yes."
Yuki froze.
That voice.
It was real.
Slowly, almost fearfully, she turned toward the source of the sound.
And she saw him.
Reito.
Standing before her.
Right there – alive, grown, real.
Yuki didn't move.
She didn't speak.
She just stared at him, eyes wide, her mind convinced it had conjured a hallucination from years of longing and grief.
Then–
Reito spoke.
"Mother."
Yuki's eyes widened further, breath catching in her throat.
Her hands began to tremble.
And then–
Tears began to fall. Silent at first. Then harder.
She covered her mouth with a trembling hand, her shoulders shaking as she whispered–
"…Reito?"
The way she said his name – so fragile, so full of love and heartbreak – it struck him like a blade.
Reito's throat felt dry.
He had never heard his name spoken like that.
With so much love.
With so much pain.
He nodded slowly.
Yuki stood from her bed, her legs weak beneath her, and rushed toward him.
She threw her arms around him, sobbing uncontrollably as she held him close, as if afraid he'd vanish again like a cruel dream.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking. "I'm so – so sorry."
Her arms clung to him tightly, years of grief pouring out through every sob.
"I-I never forgot about you, my baby boy," she cried into his shoulder. "Not for a second. Not since your heartless father gave you away."
Reito stood frozen, stunned by the overwhelming wave of emotion.
But then–
He moved.
Slowly.
Hesitantly.
He wrapped his arms around her.
And let the tears fall.
"M-Mom…"
For the first time in his life–
Reito felt something he had only ever imagined.
Warmth.
But true, maternal warmth.
The kind only a mother could give.
And for that moment… the world melted away.
Outside the room, Hikaru, Mei, Haruto, Moriya, Ikazuchi, and Teshii stood in silence.
They watched the reunion unfold through the half-open doorway, none of them daring to speak.
Mei quietly wiped tears from her eyes, her voice a soft whisper. "Yuki… I hope you can be happy now."
Haruto crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile.
Ikazuchi sniffed, quickly rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.
"Tch. Dust in the air." His voice cracked just enough to betray the truth.
Moriya stood silently beside Hikaru. He said nothing – just gave a small nod of approval, his expression calm and steady.
Hikaru smiled gently as his eyes remained on the two figures in the room. "Reito… Yuki…"
Then he turned to Teshii, expecting his usual smug grin or cheeky comment.
But–
Teshii wasn't smiling.
Not even a little.
His signature smirk. His carefree attitude – gone.
His face was still, unreadable. Behind the sheen of his crimson glasses, his eyes looked hollow. Cold.
Like something was missing.
Hikaru narrowed his eyes, confused.
"Teshii?"
But Teshii didn't answer.
Instead, he turned away, his voice low.
"Let's go. We should give them space."
And without waiting for a response, he walked off – his footsteps quiet, distant, final.
Hikaru stood there, watching him disappear down the hallway.
"…Teshii…" he whispered.
His voice barely reached the air.
Something was wrong.
And he could feel it.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!