"Ah, Senator Sawada!" Ren greeted jovially. "I'm so sorry for the delay! I was having a meeting with our Group's financier, you see; and somehow time just flew by without me realising!" He said apologetically.

Senator Sawada pricked up his ears. He didn't know that the Red Lion Group had a financier! The Red Lion Group itself was estimated to be worth approximately 50 billion yen and still growing exponentially, that was why everyone was clamouring to get into its good books. If that is the case, their financier must be a very wealthy and influential man. Biting back his irritation, he responded politely. "Oh, it's okay, Kazama-sama. But I didn't know that the Red Lion Group has an external financier?"

"Really? Ah, I must tell you, without him the Red Lion Group would not have existed. I'm just a small employee; really, he's the brains behind the entire operation. Very talented man. Best thing that ever happened to mankind since Adam." Ren was exaggerating, but he wanted to exalt Shin as much as possible for maximum impact.

"Wow, he sounds quite impressive indeed. Umm, may I know who is he?" Senator Sawada asked as casually as possible, hoping that he wasn't being too obvious. It was always good to know wealthy people, after all.

Ren grinned internally. Senator Sawada had fallen straight into the trap. "I can't reveal his real name, but he is mostly known as Kuroda Red Lion. Have you heard of him?"

"Kuroda Red Lion… You can't possibly mean one of the Kuroda Brothers?" Senator Sawada asked in awe.

"Yeah." Ren replied indifferently, as if it wasn't that great of a deal. "In fact, he's still here somewhere, going over some balance sheets. I can bring you to meet him if you want?"

"Oh… Umm… Of course. Whatever you think is best, Kazama-sama." Senator Sawada said evenly, although he was jumping with joy inside his head.

"Hmm. If you're not keen, then I guess we better not disturb him…" Ren said slyly.

"Actually, it would be a great honour to meet Kuroda-sama in person! I really must tell him how much I admire him!" Senator Sawada hurriedly added.

Ren smiled patronizingly. "Of course. Please come this way."

"Umm… Kazama-sama, do you know the younger Kuroda Brother as well?"

"I do." Ren said shortly. Senator Sawada was impressed to say the least. It looked like there was much more to this young man than met the eye. He opened his mouth to ask more, but they had arrived at their destination.

"Kuroda-sama, I'm sorry for the interruption." Ren announced as they entered the room. "This is Senator Sawada. When I told him that you were here, he expressed the desire to meet you. I hope you don't mind."

Senator Sawada kept his head and waist bowed as a sign of respect. "It is such a great honour to meet you in person, Kuroda-sama."

Shin snorted amusedly. "Ah Senator Sawada. Nice to meet you too. Please, do have a seat." He said pleasantly.

The moment Shin opened his mouth, Senator Sawada's mind started reeling. Kuroda-sama's voice sounded a little familiar, like someone he knew a long, long time ago; but he simply couldn't put his finger on it. Once he was invited to sit, he finally raised his head to look at Kuroda-sama.

An involuntary gasp left his lips. 'It can't be, right? But that hair colour, that eyes, that cheekbones!' The man before him looked a little older and wiser than he last saw his son 8 years ago; but there was still a hint of boyish exuberance in his cheeks. He was also in the right age-group and had the right height (or rather, the lack thereof).

"Sh-Shin?" He whispered disbelievingly.

Shin pretended to frown at the disrespect shown by using his given name without permission. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Senator Sawada had no doubts now. He might have been a stranger to Shin's smile; but he recognised his frown far too well. In fact, that was probably the only expression he had ever seen on his son's face. He didn't know what to say. His son was the Kuroda Red Lion. The son he had abandoned and pretended he didn't have was now one of the main controlling forces in Japan. The son he had doomed to live among the 'trash' of society was more successful and more powerful than he can ever dream to be. Karma was coming back to bite him in the ass, and it hurt like hell.

Shin looked at Senator Sawada, feeling a slight twinge of pity. He had let go of his hatret and anger many years ago – the moment he became Kuroda Shin. He had only meant to play a trick on him, but it seemed like the old man was at the verge of breaking down.

"Shin, how have you been?" Senator Sawada asked gruffly.

"I will overlook the liberal use of my given name due to our past history." Shin said pointedly. Just because the old man couldn't handle the shock did not mean that Shin was going to let him push him around again. The time for that had passed. "But in answer to your question, I have been well, Senator Sawada."

When his son called him that 8 years ago, it just sounded like teenage rebellion; but to hear Shin calling him that now, it felt like a knife through his heart. He had taken his son for granted. He never realized that losing his son would be so painful.

"Shin, I'm sorry…" He choked.

Shin was dumbfounded. It was the first time he had heard Senator Sawada utter those two words in his entire life. He nodded in acknowledgement, but kept silent so that his voice would not betray him. He shot a meaningful look at Ren, who bowed respectfully and left the room.

He cleared his throat. "Was that a genuine apology, or just a desperate attempt for funding?" He asked curtly, not wanting to be disappointed again by his father.

"Shin, I'm really sorry… I've wronged you. I've never meant to drive you away from our family; despite my harsh words and actions. Will you ever forgive me?" Senator Sawada asked softly.

"Would you have been sorry if I wasn't the Kuroda Red Lion?"

"I… I would. I tried to look for you a year ago. Natsumi finally woke me up. She blamed both your mother and I for alienating our children. She asked me to name something that my children liked – a food, a hobby or even just a colour. I couldn't. I finally admitted that I had no idea. The sad, disappointed look that she gave me afterwards still haunts me in my nightmares. It was then that I realised that I've been mistakenly trying to raise both of you as Senator Sawada's children; instead of just Sawada Shotaro's children that you all are. I'm sorry, Shin."

"I've forgiven you long ago, Senator Sawada." Shin replied slowly. "All of Sawada Shin's history, including the pain and hurt; had been buried together with his name."

"Since when did you…?" Senator Sawada trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the question; but Shin heard it anyway.

"I took on the Kuroda family name when I was 22, a few weeks after you declared that you will thank all your ancestors if I were not your son." Shin said bluntly.

"I…"

"It doesn't matter. As I said, I've moved past all of that a long time ago. I am proud to be a Kuroda. I am their rightful heir and will one day become head of the family. I will not take back the Sawada name, nor will I acknowledge you and Madam Sawada as my parents. However, I forgive both of you." Shin opened his cheque book and scribbled something on it.

"Needless to say, I won't be funding your campaign. Not because of anger or hatred; just because of the conflict of interest. However, I've grown attached to the apartment; even though I don't live there anymore. Allow me to buy it off you. Perhaps this will help tide you through until you can find another sponsor." He said, offering the cheque to his father.

Senator Sawada took a glance at the amount he wrote. 25 million yen. That was 5 times more than the actual price of the apartment. It was true then, Shin was wealthy. That was ultimate proof that his son was, indeed, the Kuroda Red Lion and one of the Kuroda Brothers. Senator Sawada shook his head. "Thank you for your forgiveness. As for the apartment, since that is the only right thing I have ever done and probably the only thing I can do for you now; please feel free to keep it."

Shin nodded understandingly. "Thank you. But there's one more thing you can do for me."

Senator Sawada looked at him hopefully.

"Make sure that Natsumi is happy. And no, not what you think will make her happy; but what truly makes her happy. Make an effort to find out what that is, and when you do; do everything within your ability to give it to her."

Intense guilt flooded Senator Sawada's heart. He had no idea that he had made their lives so miserable. He had always dismissed their feelings as temporary teenage rebellion, but Shin had shown him that the hurt went far beyond that. He had lost a son; he wasn't willing to lose his daughter as well. "I… I will."

Shin watched his father walk out of the room, shoulders slumped. He cleared his throat and hoped that he wouldn't regret this decision. "Senator Sawada." He called out.

"Yes, Shin – I mean, Kuroda-san?" Senator Sawada answered in a defeated voice.

"Just Shin is fine. And if you are willing, please have dinner with my wife and son and I this weekend."

The expression on Senator Sawada's face was priceless. He eventually settled on a mixture between shock and gratefulness. "Thank you. I will not miss it for the world."