Chapter 1413 1331 — “You Underestimate Me”

Akechi and Zaboru had already reached the end of their conversation, and for several seconds the workshop fell into a heavy silence. The cigar in Akechi's hand had nearly burned down to the filter, while Zaboru leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, still thinking through everything they had just discussed. The plan made sense. It was ugly, but it made sense. If Ayumi's connection to the Hamazou family was going to become a weapon eventually, then controlling the timing and context before anyone else could twist it was safer than pretending the danger did not exist. Zaboru still disliked it, though. He disliked the idea of Ayumi's name becoming part of any political or corporate attack at all. More than that, he disliked how easy it had been for both him and Akechi to fall into the same pattern—make decisions, build defenses, move pieces into place, and only afterward consider whether Ayumi herself should have been involved.

Then footsteps approached the workshop.

Both men noticed immediately.

Akechi's eyes shifted toward the door.

Zaboru glanced up.

Neither needed Living Scan or any complicated instinct to know who it was.

A moment later, the door opened and Ayumi stepped inside carrying a tray with cold cola, warm milk, and several cookies. Her large pregnant belly made the tray slightly awkward to balance, but she still wore a soft smile. "Nii-sama. Zabo. I brought something."

Zaboru immediately stood. "Ayumi, give me that."

Before she could argue, he took the tray from her hands and placed it carefully on the table. "You don't need to force yourself to carry things around like this."

Ayumi only smiled at him.

Akechi watched quietly.

Something about that smile felt wrong.

Not angry.

Not obviously upset.

Too calm.

Ayumi slowly sat down on the nearby sofa and adjusted herself comfortably. Zaboru immediately moved one cushion behind her back without thinking. She allowed him to do it, then looked between both men. For a few seconds, nobody said anything. Then Ayumi smiled again and asked, "You both think I'm some delicate flower, don't you?"

Zaboru froze.

Akechi's brow moved almost imperceptibly.

Zaboru tried to answer first. "It's not like that, Ayumi. It's just—"

Ayumi continued before he could finish. "So delicate that both of you are afraid Microsoft and Apple might use me against ZAGE, spread rumors about me, connect me to the Hamazou family, and somehow destroy ZEPS 4's launch?"

Silence.

Akechi's eyes widened slightly.

Zaboru's mouth opened, but nothing came out.

For once, both men looked completely caught off guard.

Zaboru's mind moved quickly. How the hell does she know? His eyes immediately moved around the room, searching unconsciously for anything unusual. Then they landed on the little Buntei figure sitting beside his monitor.

The Karate Bunny figure.

Ayumi had given it to him days ago.

Zaboru stared at it.

He had sensed something strange from the object before, a faint mechanical presence that did not completely fit an ordinary figurine, but because Buntei was Ayumi's own character from Karate Bunny and because she had personally given it to him, he had dismissed the feeling as some kind of decorative electronic feature.

Now his eyes narrowed.

Wait.

He looked toward Ayumi.

Then back toward the Buntei figure.

Did Father give her some kind of listening device?

Zaboru almost laughed from sheer disbelief.

Akechi, meanwhile, did not care how she knew anymore.

His expression hardened, but his voice became quieter. "Ayumi. I don't know how you found out, but if you already know, then I won't insult you by pretending otherwise."

Ayumi's smile disappeared.

Akechi continued, "You know how things were when we were younger. You know what the Hamazou family was. We controlled where you went, who you met, which places were safe, which schools were acceptable, what events you could attend. You hated it."

Ayumi stared directly at him.

"I know."

Akechi leaned forward slightly. "No, you remember it. That's different. I was there watching it happen. You wanted a normal life, and our family kept taking pieces of that away from you. You barely had friends outside the family. You couldn't go somewhere without someone checking the place first. Half the time, you weren't allowed to understand why."

Ayumi's eyes narrowed, but she did not interrupt.

Akechi continued. "You finally built your own life. You married Zabo. You became a developer. You have children. You have another two coming. And now because of the same damn family you were born into, there's a chance people will drag you back into all of it again."

Ayumi's expression remained unreadable.

Akechi's voice became heavier. "So yes. I'm trying to stop that."

Ayumi gave him a flat stare. "By doing what? Hiding everything from me? Spreading rumors about me before somebody else can? Making plans about my own identity without asking me?"

Akechi did not look away. "If that is what it takes to protect you."

The pressure in the room changed.

Zaboru immediately felt it.

Ayumi was not shouting.

That somehow made it worse.

She leaned slightly forward, one hand resting over her belly, and stared directly at her older brother. "Nii-sama… since we were children, you have underestimated me."

Akechi frowned.

Ayumi continued, "Not because you thought I was stupid. You never thought that. You underestimated how much I could handle."

Akechi's expression remained cold.

Ayumi's voice grew firmer. "Every time something dangerous happened, your first answer was always the same. Hide it from Ayumi. Keep Ayumi inside. Don't tell Ayumi. Don't let Ayumi choose. You always said it was because you wanted to protect me."

Akechi answered quietly, "Because I did."

"I know."

That answer made him pause.

Ayumi looked down briefly, then back toward him. "That's what makes it difficult. I know you love me. I know every stupid thing you did was because you wanted me safe. But sometimes, Nii-sama, you protected me so much that my happiness became the thing you were willing to sacrifice."

Akechi's jaw tightened.

Zaboru remained completely silent.

This was no longer a conversation he had any right to interrupt.

Ayumi continued, "Do you remember the summer festival when I was little?"

Akechi's eyes changed slightly.

Of course he remembered.

Ayumi gave a faint smile, but there was no humor in it. "I wanted to go so badly. Everyone else was talking about the fireworks, the food stalls, the games, the yukata. I begged you for days. You said no because you heard members of the Kujira family might be there."

Akechi remained silent.

"You said there was still too much tension even though we had a peace agreement."

"There was."

"And what happened?"

Akechi said nothing.

Ayumi answered for him. "They came."

Akechi's eyes hardened slightly.

Ayumi continued, "Just like you predicted. Members of the Kujira family were there."

She paused.

"And they ate takoyaki."

Zaboru's lips twitched.

Akechi did not react.

Ayumi continued, "They watched fireworks. Their children played games. One of them apparently got drunk and sang terribly. That was it. Nothing happened."

Akechi finally replied, "It could have."

Ayumi stared at him. "Exactly."

Akechi frowned.

"You always lived inside could have."

That sentence landed harder than shouting would have.

Ayumi continued, "Something could have happened, so I couldn't go. Someone could have recognized me, so I couldn't make friends. Someone could have followed me, so I needed guards. Someone could have targeted me, so I needed to stay inside. Someone could have lied about me, so now you want to control the rumor before I even get the chance to decide what I want."

Akechi's voice stayed firm. "And most of those risks were real."

"I know."

"Then why are you acting like I imagined them?"

"I'm not."

Ayumi's stare became sharper. "I'm saying that being right about danger doesn't automatically make every decision you make for me right."

Akechi went silent.

Zaboru's eyes widened slightly.

Even he felt that one.

Ayumi leaned back and exhaled slowly. "You know, Nii-sama… I'm your sister."

Akechi looked toward her.

"I have some of your traits too."

She smiled faintly.

"Rashomon."

Akechi's eyes narrowed.

Ayumi continued, "You think you're the only one in this family who can stare at something ugly and not break?"

There was no anger in her tone now.

Only certainty.

"I know what people can say about me. Yakuza princess. Criminal wife. Zaboru's dirty secret. Hamazou blood. Maybe they'll say ZAGE is funded by organized crime. Maybe they'll say I manipulated Zabo. Maybe they'll say I married him because the family wanted influence. Maybe they'll say my children are connected to Yakuza."

Zaboru's expression darkened.

Ayumi immediately glanced toward him. "Don't."

Zaboru stopped.

She knew exactly what he had been thinking.

Ayumi continued, "I've thought about all of that before. Long before today. Do you really think I never once considered what would happen if people discovered who my family was?"

Akechi's expression changed.

For the first time, he looked less certain.

Ayumi placed one hand against her chest. "I'm married to one of the most famous men in the world. Zabo owns ZAGE. He appears on television, magazines, YouTube, interviews, game events, concerts. Do you think I never realized that someday people might become curious about the woman standing beside him?"

Zaboru stared at her.

Ayumi smiled at him slightly. "Zabo, I know you love the whole 'mysterious wife' thing because you think it protects me."

Zaboru immediately tried to speak. "Ayumi—"

She raised one finger.

Zaboru shut up.

Akechi slowly glanced toward him.

Zaboru looked annoyed but obedient.

Ayumi continued, "And I appreciate it. I really do. But I've known for years that it can't last forever."

She turned toward Akechi again. "So from now on, I'm taking care of this myself."

Akechi frowned. "Meaning?"

Ayumi's smile returned.

"I'm going to introduce myself."

Both men stared at her.

"To the public."

Zaboru's eyes widened.

Akechi looked genuinely stunned.

Ayumi continued calmly. "Not everything. Obviously. I'm not going to give strangers my entire life story. But if being unknown makes me easy to define, then I'll define myself first."

Akechi leaned forward. "Ayumi, that means becoming famous."

"I know."

"You hate attention."

"I hate unnecessary attention."

"That will be unnecessary attention."

"No." Ayumi's expression sharpened. "This is control."

Akechi went silent.

Ayumi continued, "If people only know me as 'Zaboru's mysterious wife,' then whoever speaks first about me controls the image. If I speak for myself first, then at least people know my face, my voice, my work, and my personality before someone tries to turn me into a rumor."

Zaboru slowly smiled.

He understood exactly what she meant.

Ayumi continued, "I can talk about Akaishidan. My games. Mysteries: Animax. Karate Bunny. Development. Maybe family life sometimes. I don't need to talk about everything. But I don't want to hide anymore just because someone might use me against Zabo."

Akechi stared at her. "You're serious."

"Yes."

"You're seven months pregnant."

"I noticed."

Zaboru look at Ayumi belly Innocently.

Akechi glared at him.

Zaboru immediately looked away.

Ayumi continued, "I'm not planning to run a marathon, Nii-sama. I can sit in front of a camera."

Akechi sighed. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You hear there's danger and immediately decide to walk toward it."

Ayumi frowned. "And you hear there's danger and immediately decide to lock me away from it."

"That kept you alive."

"And sometimes made me miserable and you underestimate me now… i'm a mother now Nii-sama."

The room went quiet again.

Akechi's expression hardened.

Ayumi's did too.

For several seconds, brother and sister simply stared at each other.

Then Akechi said, "You really think being a mother suddenly makes you invincible?"

Ayumi's eyes narrowed. "No."

She placed both hands gently over her belly.

"I think becoming a mother made me understand exactly why you became like this."

That answer caught him completely off guard.

Ayumi continued more softly. "I understand now. When I look at Zenshin and Rumi-chan, sometimes I want to protect them from everything too. Every bad person. Every bad decision. Every stupid mistake. I want to control everything around them so nothing can ever hurt them." Ayumi give bitter smile "especially when you know how bad it's feel… i know how much you sacrifice for me Nii-sama.."

Akechi's expression slowly softened.

Ayumi smiled sadly. "And that's why I know how dangerous that instinct is."

Akechi said nothing.

"If I never let them choose because I'm scared of what could happen, then I'm not protecting their lives. I'm choosing their lives for them."

Akechi lowered his eyes slightly.

Ayumi continued, "You did that to me sometimes."

A long silence followed.

Then Akechi finally spoke.

"…I know."

Ayumi blinked.

Zaboru looked toward him.

Akechi stared at the dying cigar between his fingers. "I knew even back then."

Ayumi's eyes widened slightly.

"I knew you hated me sometimes."

"Nii-sama…"

"I knew."

Akechi's voice remained quiet. "But I always thought that if you were alive long enough to hate me, that was good enough as I and hamazou have a lot of dangerous enemies…."

Ayumi's expression broke slightly.

For once, the emotion behind Akechi's words was obvious.

He continued, "Maybe that was selfish."

Ayumi stared at him.

Akechi looked toward her again. "But I would probably make some of the same decisions again."

Ayumi's eyes became slightly wet.

Akechi continued, "Because losing your happiness scared me less than losing you."

Akechi looked at her "I don't want you to become me Ayumi… you deserve everything that I can't get.."

Ayumi lowered her gaze.

The room remained silent for several seconds.

Then Ayumi smiled faintly. "That's why you're an idiot too you can earn Hapiness Nii-sama…."

Akechi almost smiled.

Zaboru immediately said, "Runs in the family."

Both siblings looked at him.

Zaboru slowly raised his hands. "Sorry."

Ayumi turned toward him next.

"And you."

Zaboru immediately straightened.

Akechi almost looked amused now.

Ayumi pointed directly toward her husband. "My wonderful husband who thinks he can somehow solve everything alone."

Zaboru swallowed. "That introduction sounded dangerous."

"You are not innocent."

"I know."

"If ZEPS 4's introduction, marketing, development, or launch becomes slower because you're worried about me, I will never forgive you."

Zaboru's eyes widened.

Ayumi continued, "And I won't forgive myself either."

"Ayumi."

"No."

Her voice softened, but her stare did not.

"ZAGE is your life's work. Thousands of people are working on that machine. Developers are building games for it. Employees are preparing launches. Players are waiting. If you start holding back because you think your wife might get a mean newspaper article, I will personally drag you back to ZAGE Tower."

Zaboru chuckled despite himself. "You're seven months pregnant."

"I'll ask Nii-sama to drag you."

Akechi nodded once. "I can do that."

Zaboru stared at him. "Damn Change's sides already, what are you, Team Buddies??"

Akechi grinned

Ayumi finally smiled properly. "Good."

Then she leaned back and added casually, "Besides, I've actually been interested in becoming a YouTuber."

Silence.

Zaboru slowly turned toward her.

Akechi stared.

Ayumi grinned.

Zaboru's mouth twitched.

Then he started laughing.

"Hehehe… seriously?"

Ayumi nodded. "Why not?"

Zaboru looked toward Akechi. "See, Akechi-san? Ayumi isn't as weak as you think."

Akechi frowned. "Zabo, this is still too risky."

Zaboru leaned back and smiled. "Maybe. But she already decided."

Akechi looked toward Ayumi.

Ayumi smiled sweetly.

Zaboru continued, "You know what happens if you try to stop her."

Akechi sighed.

Ayumi raised an eyebrow.

After several seconds, Akechi finally gave up. "Fine."

Ayumi's smile widened.

"But I'm still protecting you."

Ayumi nodded. "That's fine."

"If something looks wrong, I interfere."

"Fine."

"If reporters harass you—"

"Nii-sama."

Akechi stopped.

Ayumi smiled warmly. "Thank you."

For the first time since the conversation began, Akechi's expression softened completely. The smallest smile appeared on his face.

"She really is tough," Zaboru muttered.

Akechi glanced toward him.

Akechi looked back toward Ayumi.

His thoughts became quieter.

She really is way tougher than me..

Maybe he had underestimated her.

Not her intelligence.

Not her courage.

Her ability to choose danger and still remain herself.

Ayumi reached toward the tray and handed Akechi one of the cookies. "Now eat."

Akechi stared at it.

Ayumi frowned.

He took the cookie.

Zaboru immediately laughed.

And with something as simple as that, the argument finally ended.

The decision, however, would change far more than any of them realized.

Because from that day forward, Ayumi Renkonan would begin stepping out from behind the mysterious identity the public had attached to her.

Not merely as Zaboru's wife.

Not merely as Akechi Hamazou's sister.

But as herself.

And eventually, the world would know her very well.

But that was a story for later.

To be continued.

AN : hopefully next day i can post as we will delve deeply to ZEPS 4!

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