Notes:
I hope you like the next chapter, as it is just as long as the previous two.
I also want to thank everyone who cared about my health. I had a very heavy weekend since I was sick and that's why I couldn't upload this chapter before, but I'm doing much better ❤
So take care of the cold my dear readers, otherwise you will end up in the emergency room like me for respiratory problems.
A slight apology for the delay and in case the translation has any errors, I am transcribing this at 3 a.m. while the medication takes effect.
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter, because here Yuta will have several surprises with the Zenin clan.
This is my little gift before we get spoilers.
Chapter 11. Hard drink and letters
"Children and drunks always tell the truth."
July 15.
11:50 a.m.
The water from the shower was falling against Maki's body.
She was wiping off the sweat and the small drops of blood that might have remained on her body even though she had already discarded the clothes she had worn that day to killing off her victim.
That was her relaxation routine after a "Mission".
She knew that she was already doomed and that she might not have salvation. But that didn't matter, her revenge was being carried out and by the way, she was settling her debt, which was supposed to protect her children until they were old enough to decide if they wanted to be sorcerers or not depending on whether they manifested any technique.
She had accepted the job of accepting to end the lives of others three years ago when she had made that cruel deal where her sister had to return to the Zenin clan. Maki knew that Mai's sacrifice was not being in vain and more than the lives of both of them and Megumi and all her other friends, had taken a drastic turn to protect those little ones.
Going from being a future promise for sorcery, to now being an assassin was not an easy decision at all. But it was the only viable way for a "ghost" like her to survive.
While soaping her body, she could not stop thinking about her assignments, missions and her normal work that she had from time to time. Which were divided into three:
The first was her "normal" job, which consisted of giving some classes and workouts to certain clients who were looking to have a stronger body. This was her façade for everyday life and incidentally to go unnoticed at her children's school.
Because of her restriction and her very shapely body, ordinary people thought she was one of those mothers who worked out at a gym. Which she did from time to time just to keep a low profile and to keep in shape.
But her other two trades were focused on what she did best.
The simplest missions she performed were those where she had to remove curses. Such missions were done in secret from the headquarters or were taken from some temples that did not directly serve the school of sorcery.
And her more elaborate assignments were based on "investigate and eliminate".
Some of her victims were sent to murder by third parties, who were mostly clients who in one way or another had known Mei Mei for many years and knew that working with them meant getting a juicy paycheck, since in the world of sorcery there was also a lot of competition and interests involved.
But lately the ones she was most focused on killing were the ones she had been investigating for years and who were responsible for ruining her life with the love of her life seven years ago.
It was amazing how the political interests behind her separation with Yuta were very tense even today.
As she continued to carve her body, Maki remembered how those men took their last breaths, with their throats open while blood gushed from their necks and mouths. She remembered how they all tried to scream but choked with their own pain and blood, at first it was not an easy scene to assimilate, but she had gotten used to it.
One way or another, it comforted her to see how the eyes of all those who had snatched away her happiness with the love of her life, opened in surprise to see her end her miserable existence.
Watching them struggle to stay alive, writhing on the floor, trying to get help, while she stabbed them in some other part of their body or beat them hard until their bones were broken, reminded her of how some of them gave her the same blows.
It was somewhat pleasurable to watch them try to beg for mercy before she gave them the final stab in the chest, it was an image that at first haunted her but she gradually got used to it until she overcame the nightmares.
But there were still some dreams that she could not easily forget.
Maki kept feeling the water trickling down her body, her hands ran over her skin, those caresses under the hot water made her remember the man she had met again the night before after seven years.
The one she had once loved and to whom she had given herself body and soul. The one with whom she had begotten her twins.
Yuuta Okkotsu.
To look at him once again in front of her, to have him grab her wrist, to see him in the eyes, to know that he had returned had stirred her heart a little and the feelings she thought she had buried seven years ago along with that secret she was hiding with Mai.
Maki gently rubbed her wrist. His return only made her feel confused. But she had to be firm and more that he worked for the "enemy" or rather, with those who ruined their lives and took away their happiness.
In that instant she remembered that now that job was not going to be easy for her with him in Kyoto. Now maybe Yuta would go after her, not only to be close to Yurika and Yuudai, but also to catch her as an assassin.
Maki put her face under the water of the shower, while she finished rinsing her hair and remembered what Yuta had told her the night before about "the sorcerer-killer".
She had to get the information he had so far to know if he should change her mode of operation or to find out if she and Mei Mei were doing something wrong. So for that, with that morning's victim, she had done something a little different than killing her and in the process, she had left a very strong message.
She sighed and turned off the water faucets. She would try to get all the information he had about the case out of Yuta, although deep down, she was afraid of having to pull him out of her heart, which longed to see him one more time.
"I must get him away from us..." she said softly to herself as she gently squeezed her hair "Although the children won't like that at all" she sighed again.
A knock on the bathroom door caught her attention.
"Maki san" Megumi's voice penetrated that door "I'm going out to buy some things and from there I'll pick up Yurika and Yuudai at the elementary school. Tsumiki told me to please remind you about the ingredients you want us to buy for tomorrow for the dinner with Okkotsu senpai"
The green haired girl sighed as she began to dry her body with a towel and then put on her bathrobe.
"Thank you Megumi. I think it would be ideal for the children to choose what they want to eat for tomorrow. I guess Okkotsu will like what they choose" she said without opening the door "By the way, where are the rest of them? I haven't seen them since I came back" she started to dry her hair with a towel.
"Kugisaki, Inumaki and Itadori went out to see the floats and Tsumiki went to visit a friend who is visiting the city. So for the time being you will stay home alone" commented Megumi from the other side of the door.
"OK"
On the one hand, Megumi felt that she was hiding something from them, perhaps having seen Yuta the night before surely made her confused "Maki san, are you okay? Since last night you seem distant and today morning you left very early without telling us anything, did something happen?" he asked even from the other side of the door.
"I am, I'm just a little tired from yesterday" Maki grunted without opening the door "I just needed a few hours of sleep and don't worry, I just went out to see some clients, you know, they want me to be their personal trainer and that kind of thing, so I went to give them a private lesson" she lied.
"I thought you had gone on a mission" Megumi explained, leaning against the side of the door with his arms crossed.
"No, at the moment I haven't had any such missions to remove curses. Although I feel like I'm going to get rusty if I don't do one of those pretty soon!" she said starting to brush her hair.
In this way, Maki also kept a low facade with Megumi and the others, who only knew that she worked as a trainer and from time to time, did exorcism missions, but with people very, very close to them.
Fushiguro only sighed at that answer "Okay. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know. Try to rest as much as you can now that the house will be empty" he said before walking away from the bathroom door.
"Once again... Thank you so much Megumi…" Maki whispered. Truly without him by her side, supporting her with Yurika and Yuudai from the moment they were born perhaps she would have long since gone crazy or they simply wouldn't have managed to survive and lead a "normal" life.
Maki took her hand to the mirror, which was fogged up. Once she wiped off the steam, she looked at her tired face.
"I don't know for how long I can keep all this from them..." She whispered as she looked at the face of what he had become in the last few years.
She knew that perhaps her friends and Megumi would not fully understand why she was doing that. Perhaps they would judge her, but even so, she wanted to take revenge by her own hand since her grudge was what was driving her in all of this.
She also didn't know how long she would be able to keep herself in line and pretend in front of Yuta, especially since her ordeal with him had just begun and now that he had found all of them.
Sigh, her mind couldn't stop thinking about him.
"I wonder what that idiot Yuta is doing right now..." she said quietly to himself as she began to clean the mask she wore for her missions and to cover up her identity.
Maki and Mei had worked out a camouflage and depending on the type of victim was the type of mask she wore.
For Victims commissioned by third parties, she wore a kitsune mask that completely covered her face.
But when they were "her" victims, she wore a red half-face mask, which only exposed her honey-colored eyes, that mask, which Maki had chosen, represented the demon "Hannya".
That assassin identified with that demon of a woman who had been "betrayed" by her beloved and who was full of hatred and fury. Just like her.
As she removed the bloodstains, Maki couldn't help but have a strange feeling about the biological father of her children.
She just couldn't stop thinking about him. And that could ruin her plans.
At the same time, but on another side of the city.
11:55 a.m.
Yuta had arrived at the Zenin residence.
He once again adjusted the traditional costume he was wearing for the occasion.
The main shirts he was wearing, were in light gray tones next to the Yukata that was chosen in a black color. On his shoulders he wore a tunic in a darker gray tone, where on each shoulder he wore the symbol of the still sorcererry academy in white color. This was to identify himself as a member of that school. And his footwear consisted of black shoes.
Originally, Yuta was to be dressed in an elegant black suit, but on the recommendation of Mr. Ijichi, he had to change his attire at the last minute, especially if he didn't want to get into trouble with either the headquarters or any of the clans.
That's how strict they had become in that new society.
That traditional costume had been obtained by Katsumoto early in the morning. This was also with the help of Ijichi, who had heard from headquarters that Naoya Zenin had called Yuuta Okkotsu to the clan's residence and therefore decided to intervene a little so that the sorcerer who had returned from abroad would not make any mistakes.
Even so, that news would not take long to reach Satoru's ears.
Although Yuta was not used to wearing suits of that style, that morning by protocol he had to do it and more than depending on the leader he was going to visit, he had to go according to the occasion. And apparently the leader of the Zenin Clan was very strict in that sense and wanted everything to be according to his traditions.
Katsumoto and Yuta were still inside that car, they were parked outside the main gate. Two guards from the Kukuru unit were already waiting for them.
"Are you sure you want to do this, my lord?" asked Katsumoto, swallowing saliva from the fear of that residence, which he had not yet set foot in and already wanted to run away from there because of the energy and bad vibes that he felt coming from this imposing place.
"I am" Yuta looked at his assistant in the rearview mirror, "You don't need to come with me if you don't feel comfortable"
Katsumoto shook his head slightly.
"It is my duty to accompany you as a token of my loyalty to you. Besides, I am handling the details of this investigation as requested by Leader Naoya"
Yuta once again combed his hair. He looked a little nervous, although when he was traveling abroad, he also talked and met some important leaders and people of high ranks. But this time it was different, it was a matter of work and a somewhat personal matter.
"Okay, it's time. I will only ask you two favors Katsumoto. The first is that you just let me speak only to me. And the second is that I don't want you to say anything about the others, neither my children nor Maki's. Saying that, please!" Yuta looked at him too seriously. He looked too threatening through that mirror "Keep an eye on everything that happens around us and try not to wander away. We'll go unarmed so they'll see that we're just going to talk"
"I understand, my lord!" he replied, feeling that his life depended on it all.
Katsumoto got out of the car first and went to open the door for Yuta, who got out of the back seats, showing himself as a leader. And as he had said, he was unarmed since this was supposed to be a "peaceful" meeting.
Still if he needed any weapons or was forced to fight, Rika would be with him.
Those two guards trembled with fear when they felt the presence of this man. He had a cold and murderous look.
But they still spoke in a firm voice and tried to remain calm.
"Good morning, Mr. Okkotsu" spoke one of the guards. His legs were shaking.
"Good morning, I have come as requested by your leader" Okkotsu commented calmly. He even showed his hands to show that he was not armed.
Katsumoto did the same, showed the contents of his pockets and in passing demonstrated that he was only carrying his tablet.
The guards looked at each other when they noticed that the guest and his assistant were not carrying any weapon.
"Enter. A maid is already waiting for you to escort you to Mr. Naoya" commented the other guard as they opened the heavy traditional wooden door of that residence.
"Thank you very much" commented the sorcerer kindly as he set foot in that residence, the one that was Maki's hellish home for so many years.
Katsumoto just gulped and prayed to heaven that they would get out of there alive.
12:04 p.m.
Once inside, Yuta could see how majestic the first part of the residence was. It had a beautiful and traditional stone path, which had beautiful traditional lamps around it and you could see the gardens and spaces that surrounded it.
At the end of that path was the main hall, which was elegant and very classic. It looked as if the place was centuries old.
The twins' mother, who was Naoya's personal assistant and informant, was waiting for them in that traditional foyer.
Next to her was a tall, somewhat stocky, dark haired man, who was keeping silent at all times.
"Welcome Mr. Okkotsu" commented the older woman, who greeted him with a bow.
"Thank you very much for the invitation" replied Yuta with the same courtesy as he and Katsumoto bowed in greeting.
Quickly that other black haired servant also bowed. He seemed to be very attentive to his guests.
"Come with us, we will guide you to where our leader will be waiting for you, so come this way and do not separate from us at any time" said the woman guiding Okkotsu through those corridors to enter that place.
"Once again, thank you" thanked her guest again, trying to keep a straight face.
12:06 p.m.
That woman was three steps behind Yuta and Katsumoto, while the male servant was the one who guided them through that huge residence. Since that woman had a deep-rooted belief that she could not walk in front of any man, even if he was a guest.
Those four passed through several corridors, and so both guests were admiring that traditional place, which had a very heavy vibe.
The presence of that special category sorcerer was so overwhelming for some, that some of the clan's servants made an extreme bow as he passed by. Lowering their heads until their foreheads touched the ground.
Yuta also felt the heavy, judging gaze of those he identified as sorcerers and whom he assumed were the leading members of Maki's family.
Some of them, especially the younger and older men, just glared at him as he walked down the hallway, as was the case with Ougi, father of the Zenin twins, who did not take his dark, piercing eyes off him until they turned a corner.
And there were even other sorcerers who simply ignored him as he passed by, as was the case with Jinichi, who was wasting time in one of the gardens next to other guards while eating watermelon and spitting out the seeds.
Yuta tried to be calm, yet all those looks on him made him uncomfortable.
"Now I understand what Maki meant by this place" he thought as he saw how in some parts of that residence he could see the marked hierarchical difference between its members.
Yuta noticed how some rooms and halls were too small. He
also noticed that the clan had too many servants, among them children and women of various ages. As well as observing how there were too many men, most of them of advanced age that did not give them a good vibe.
Even with the naked eye he could see the dynamics of that clan. He assumed that those who were in certain areas that looked luxury off, were sorcerers with some special degree or rank, since where they were, they were luxurious places, super tidy and clean.
And those smaller and somewhat cluttered spaces were for the servants.
The same with children and adolescents.
Those who seemed to be the servants were dressed in white t-shirts and hakamas of various colors. While those boys and girls who wore beautiful kimonos and super elegant hakamas, must be those who "inherited" some technique or had a special talent, since they were next to the adult sorcerers or next to some servant who fulfilled their whims.
"Definitely my children are better off outside and away from the clutches of this clan..." He thought as he clenched his fists when he saw those scenes where the servant children were brought in haste and he even witnessed how a woman hit and pulled the hair of a girl for a simple carelessness with a tray.
Unfortunately, he could not intervene in that dynamic, which had accompanied that clan for centuries.
After a few more minutes in that residence. The four stopped in a hallway that led to a large and luxurious tea room, which was surrounded by beautiful gardens where only the most prominent members of the clan could enter.
The doors of that room were wide open at that moment, revealing that the meeting had not yet begun.
Another servant, who was preparing the room, came out and addressed the woman in a very low voice. It seemed that he was telling her some secret. Then he bowed and withdrew from there.
The twins' mother turned to Okkotsu.
"I have just been told that, for the moment, Mr. Naoya is finishing some important business in another part of this residence. But he will be free soon, but for the time being, you can wait for him in this room"
"With your permission my lords, we too will return in a moment with our lord" commented the dark-haired servant in a slight bow.
"Ok, I'll wait for him here, thank you very much" commented Yuta kindly, but without losing the seriousness of his face. He was too intimidating at that moment.
At that moment and before leaving down that hallway. The twins' mother stared at Yuta. It seemed that she was analyzing him.
And that made the special grade sorcerer very curious. He felt that this woman had physical features very similar to those of another person. But her eyes looked dull, as if she were dead in life.
"Sorry for asking Mr. Okkotsu, But you were my daughter's partner, right?" asked the woman coldly.
"Excuse me?" Yuta was confused by that question.
"I'm talking about Zenin Maki. You were his classmate in high school, right?" the woman asked. Her voice sounded serious, but in her eyes she could see a feeling of deep sadness.
Yuta nodded his head as he replied, "Yes"
That woman once again looked at him from head to toe and then let out a sigh, which seemed to be a mixture of disappointment and sadness "Pity…" she whispered.
The sorcerer looked at the woman seriously, trying to understand what she was saying.
Maki's mother continued speaking.
"You know?, the last time I talked to my eldest daughter was seven years ago at a train station..." her face looked a little bit off "The last thing I remember talking to her was a little bit about you..." she looked at his face "But now I see that, my words might have been wrong that time... with your permission" she only answered that before walking down that corridor together with the other servant.
Yuta could no longer ask her any more questions, as that woman quickly left the place together with the other servant.
"What did she mean?" He whispered as he came to the conclusion that she must be Maki and Mai's mother.
He sighed as he turned his attention to the place.
"So this is where Maki san was born and raised" Yuta said quietly as they admired the place.
"It's a rather gloomy place!" Katsumoto commented quietly.
"It's like she once said at the academy" he scratched his head, "It's a place with a very heavy vibe..."
Truly, he was grateful that his children did not live there. He was also thankful that Maki was out of that horrendous place.
But, what would happen next, would shock the sorcerer it happened so fast that he was simply caught off guard and did not know at what point it happened.
For surprisingly a person grabbed him by the shoulder and with a very quick movement, imperceptible to the common eye, it was as if Yuta had been frozen in a kind of crystal and then quickly moved from place to place without him having moved a single muscle.
Now the guest sorcerer was inside the Tea room. He had been dragged there without him moving an inch. And it was all thanks to a cursed technique.
"Oh my, we have a guest!" said a very cheerful voice that gave away that he was an elderly man.
That person smelled too much of alcohol.
"Mr. Naobito?" asked Yuta confused when he saw the old man taking him by the arm. The guest sorcerer took a few seconds to understand that the man had used his technique to pull him away from his assistant and drag him into the tea room.
"Come on, boy! You and I must have a little talk. Hic!" said the old man, pulling Yuta by the sleeve of his cloak until he reached the center of the room, where there were some zaisus and in the center of these chairs without legs there was a tea table, ready for the meeting.
"Sir!" shouted Katsumoto about to enter the room where his master was pulled by the old man.
"Don't you dare take another step, man in a suit!" warned Naobito turning to see that assistant, to whom he pointed his finger while his hand was still holding a large wooden bottle full of alcohol, "Not even my servants are allowed to enter this room without my authorization, so stay there for a while, I must speak specifically with him alone!" Naobito belched.
It was amazing to see this man, who simply still alive.
Katsumoto looked at Yuta, who nodded to him.
"I'll be fine Katsumoto, please wait for me out there" Okkotsu replied, trying to remain calm.
"Yes, sir" the assistant only obeyed and watched the two from a distance.
"HEY! man in a suit! Go and get me more alcohol! We must celebrate this! Hahahaha" Naobito let out an outrageous laugh.
"It's been years since anyone from another clan or the sorcery headquarters set foot in this house! Not since that idiot Satoru came to negotiate the cancellation of Megumi Fushiguro's purchase over ten years ago!" Naobito let go of Yuta and started to sit on the floor on those zaisus with still good agility despite his advanced age, while he took a very chaotic sip from his bottle, some threads of alcohol went down the corner of his lips "Take a seat, boy!" it sounded like an order "Do you want some?" he offered.
"No thanks, I don't drink before a meeting" Yuta tried to sound polite as he sat in that chair across from Naobito.
"You don't know what you're missing, boy!" said the old man, taking another sip from his traditional gourd-shaped bottle, which was filled with alcohol, "And tell me, what has brought Gojo Satoru's successor to my house?" he asked curiously.
"Successor?" asked Yuta with confusion at the way Naobito addressed him.
"That idiot Satoru still hasn't named you as his heir? Ha! I guess it won't be long before he does, that rumor is spreading like wildfire everywhere!" commented the ex leader waving his arms.
"What rumor are you talking about?" Okkotsu asked.
"The one that says that Satoru Gojo has declared himself incapable of having children and that's why he has brought you back to be his successor!" his gaze focused on Yuta, "You really didn't know? What lie did that guy drag you back to this country with?" said Naobito with curiosity
That left Yuta confused, but later he would understand the reason for those words.
"So, are you going to answer my question about why you came here?" Naobito asked, looking at him.
His elderly face was somewhat tinged with red and his eyes looked tired. Despite being with a lot of alcohol in his system, he still looked sane. Or maybe he could be faking it. That was to take it easy and choose the right words so as not to commit an imprudence.
"Your son, Naoya Zenin, asked me to come here to discuss an important matter" said Yuta, looking at the ex leader.
Naobito stroked his characteristic whiskers.
"So my son called you? Huh?" came another burp from the old man's mouth, "Hic! I guess it must be about that sorcerer-killer, right?"
"That's right, sir" said Yuta.
"Ha! That murderer is like a curse that follows this family!" Naobito waved his hand with disinterest while pouting "That subject has been haunting this clan for over thirty years, I guess someone else has taken the place that belonged to 'that guy'" - he took a sip from his bottle "But that's something I don't care about. hic! Hahahaha"
"May I ask, sir, what do you mean by that? Why do you say this assassin thing has been haunting your clan?" Yuta dared to question.
"Because this issue is a stain on our family and more so when we must pay for our mistakes and sins. But I don't want to talk about that right now! that's for the informs to tell you" Naobito raised his voice in a tone that seemed somewhere between amused and annoyed, "And tell me boy, future leader of the Gojo clan! What has become of you over the years, do you have a wife or children at least" he took another sip of his drink.
Yuta was somewhat puzzled and thoughtful about what the former leader had said, perhaps he could investigate it on his own once he got out of there.
"Well, I have been traveling around the world during these seven years and no, I am not married and much less have children" he answered looking at the old man. He hoped that his body would not play against him and that this lie would not be discovered.
Naobito examined Yuta's face "So you always did leave the country, huh?" he drank some more. There was too much curiosity in those words.
"That's right, sir"
"I guess" he pouted slightly again "That Satoru and the others got away with it these seven years Hahahahahaha How clever of them to take the pieces off the board Shõji!"
"Sir. What do you mean?" Yuta asked in confusion.
-"Nah, nothing important! They are just things that an old man says without importance and now that I'm just a pensioner I'm talking nonsense" Naobito answered with a chuckle while his hands rested on his knees.
That left Yuta even more confused. He had to solve that puzzle. Even so, it seemed that Naobito knew things and he should take advantage of that opportunity.
"And tell me, sir, how have you been these years? When did you retire from the leadership of this clan?" Yuta asked, trying to sound gentle.
Naobito took another sip "Don't you see me?, I'm as good as new at almost 82 years old! Maybe alcohol helps a lot to tolerate children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren! Seriously alcohol and just like soap operas, anime and certain streaming programs help not to listen to all those people" he moved his bottle from one side to the other, making the liquid come out and wet the tatami.
"And when did I retire? Well boy haha you should rather ask 'When was it that I was forced to retire?'" he moved his hands once again from one side to the other "My ungrateful youngest son, insisted me that it was time to retire and that was three years ago, my plan was to leave this position until I died but!" he moved that bottle with joy "This was more strong than me hahaha that bastard knew how to buy me!" referring to the large amounts of alcohol he received daily.
"I understand..."
"But if you ask me" Naobito looked around and then looked at Yuta from the front. He leaned forward a little and made as if whispering a secret "actually my main candidate to be the leader of this house was always Fushiguro Megumi, but he apparently gave up that power" he let out a chuckle.
"Megumi was going to be leader of this clan?" Yuta's eyes snapped open and he exclaimed in surprise but in a low voice.
"Just as you hear it!" Naobito raised his voice, "hic! He had a good relationship with the Gojo clan and the Kamo clan, something that I couldn't do, but that boy did!" that ex leader made some gestures of disgust. "Overnight that boy gave that up!"
That old man seemed to be trying to remember, because even his brow furrowed more.
"What the hell did Naoya do to make Fushiguro give up?, I have no idea!" he waved his arms violently
"So I had no choice but to pass the leadership to Naoya haha but I'm not an idiot, I gave it to him if he ONLY fulfilled one simple condition" - he raised his index finger high –"which he hasn't been able to fulfill so far" he put his thumb down as a sign of disagreement and then adjusted his whiskers once again "Although a part of me, supposes that this must be a Karma that this ingrate will be paying for. And the truth is, I would like that idiot not to have offspring, I don't want any more grandchildren haha it's hard to put up with them"
"I see, I guess you must have a lot of grandchildren, don't you?"
"Lots of them! My other three children have already given me grandchildren many years ago and the first first born of my two eldest children have also just had children, so in theory I am already a great-grandfather. I estimate that I must already have eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren hahaha I have enough descendants for a long time!" he rested his elbow on his knee. He seemed proud of the family he left behind.
"Congratulations, I guess having a big family is a 'blessing' for a respectable clan like yours" replied Yuta, trying to flatter him just to be polite.
This he had learned in his travels with Miguel. Above all, with leaders who had many children it was a "compliment" to say about their vast offspring.
"Although speaking of children..." Naobito went from a very cheerful countenance to a somewhat serious one. Maybe even a little sad.
It even looked like all the alcohol had gone down in one fell swoop that he even looked like a sober person.
"There are two children in particular whom I would like to meet before I die"
"Two children?" Yuta raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's right. These would be the children of a niece who left the clan years ago. They would be something like my nephews in second degree, or better said, like my great-nephews" Naobito commented with a look a little lost by the alcohol –"They are in theory fraternal twins since they were a boy and a girl, or so I Heard"- he pouted slightly.
"If those twins are alive, they must be about seven or eight years old nowadays, or maybe three? bah! I don't remember their ages!" he scratched his cheek while twisting his mouth.
"Twins?" The sorcerer swallowed hard. A quick thought of his children came to his mind.
"Yes. As I said, they were twins" Naobito stroked his whiskers, "This family has had records of multiple pregnancies in the past. So we have twin pregnancies in some generations haha but this time it was very close because the mother of those children also had a twin sister"
"May I ask what became of those children? And of your niece?"
"No idea!" he shrugged, "my niece was a pain in the ass, she was a spoiled, rebellious and very unbearable girl. She was considered a disgrace in this house. And the arrival of those twins could be considered the same, although I understand that a special mixture would run through the blood of those two children. You know what I mean, don't you? Haven't you met two children like that with a mixture between clans?"
Yuta tried to look serious. "No sir, as I said I just arrived a week ago. And I don't know what you mean..."
"Right! How are you going to know them if you don't even know who I'm talking about haha! The two of them would be a mix between clans, something unheard of for my lineage!" he burst out laughing.
Yuta did know who he was referring to, but under the circumstances it was better to lie.
Naobito's laughter faded
"But now that I remember. I remember the last time I saw my niece was about seven years ago, or was it eight? Or three? I don't remember the date, but I remember I did see her one last time!"
"Do you remember the place where you last saw her?" Yuta sounded a bit insistent with that question. He had a strange feeling.
"The place?" Naobito burp.
"Yes, do you remember where you went?"
Naobito burped again "NO. Sometimes I don't even remember what I did yesterday. HAHAHA!"
"I understand"
Yuta thought at first that maybe that leader must be lying or that maybe the alcohol made him stir and confuse memories, but he still wanted to know more.
"Sorry to ask, sir, but what happened to her seven years ago?" he asked curiously , Surely Naobito knew what else happened seven years ago.
"Hum?"
"I'm talking about the mother of the children you mentioned. Your niece..."
"Ah! Well, last I heard, he apparently got married or so I heard, once a worthless person leaves the clan they lose touch with that person" he took one more swig from his boat.
But Naobito still kept his melancholy face. He seemed to remember something else.
"But now I'm remembering... I remember that I did talk about something important with my niece on that occasion, yes..." he stroked his whiskers –"I think that was a few months after I found out she was pregnant" he brought his hand to his chin-"Yes it was about six or seven years ago to be more exact, this because I remember that at that time there were still problems to decide who would take control of the sorcererry world and I had to make my wise judgment to see if I would accept the insufferable Satoru at the top" he pouted.
"I don't remember the date exactly, but I know I talked to her around spring! if it was like May because I remember it was before someone close to her had an accident a little later that same month! A teacher or something had an accident on a mission and it shocked everyone at headquarters" he took a very long swig from her bottle.
Yuta thought that this was a sign of senile dementia or maybe it was the effect of so much alcohol in his body. Maybe in those vague memories he could discover something else.
"What else do you remember, my lord?" Yuta asked calmly.
Naobito closed his eyes, the alcohol seemed to be making him drowsy.
"I remember joined my niece in a very crowded place. I think it was a shopping mall, NO!" He clapped his fingers together, he seemed to be trying hard to figure out where it was, "Maybe it was outside the train station, in those stairs between the mall! If that's where it was!" he rambled for a moment, he really seemed lost with that.
He took a drink and waved his hand.
"Bah! I just remember that there was a big clock and by the way, it looked like someone had used a cursed technique because the atmosphere was charged with that feeling that domains and stuff have" he raised his face to look at the ceiling and then drink more.
"And do you remember what was the last thing you said to your niece?" Yuta began to suspect that something else had happened on the day they were separated.
"I remember saying something like "Were you really thinking of doing that leaving the country?! Ha! It's not like you to go after a man, let alone walk three steps behind one. Wouldn't that be breaking your silly ideals of being a leader? Has he already made you give up that mania? Or are you just behaving like a bitch in heat who wants to get fucked? If so, you couldn't look more pathetic and what the hell are you going to do about it now with this?" Naobito let out a laugh
"And I think he got angry because I remember he yelled at me and made some signs before walking away..." he put his hand to his chin – "although I think she was accompanied by someone else that time, yes, she was with another girl, but I don't remember the face of that other woman. But I remember they were carrying a lot of shopping bags in their hands!" he shrugged his shoulders.
Yuta clenched his fists on his knees under that table. He was trying to calm down, but everything was making him more and more confused and upset. Someone must have definitely talked to Maki that day at the train station. But who?
"Wait a minute. She said she wanted to leave the country?" Okkotsu asked in a firm voice. He was very curious.
Naobito burped "I don't really remember, but she seemed very determined to go after someone" he scratched his forehead, "The last thing I remember is that months after I talked to her, I found out that she was pregnant with two children. Which as I said, I would like to meet them if they survived and know more about them before I die" he finished drinking from his bottle. –"Although if in the end they also died, that means it's a shame because they both could have had a lot of potential"
"Excuse my question, sir, But do you know if your niece is still alive?" asked Yuta.
"No. I understand she died seven years ago in an alley. Neither my sister-in-law nor my brother mourned the loss of their daughter. So I was the one who ordered her to buy a grave in some cemetery here in Kyoto so that she would have a place to be buried" Naobito shook his bottle to see if more alcohol would come out of it. "Maybe I sent him to do that because I felt guilty"
Yuta understood at that moment that Naobito thought and believed that Maki was dead.
The guest acted as if he was desperate.
"Could you tell me her name, please?" Yuta had to keep pretending as if he didn't know anything
"But you knew her perfectly, boy! I'm talking about Maki! That girl was a..." Naobito was interrupted.
"I see you're both having fun" commented an annoying voice.
The current leader of that clan had finally arrived, interrupting those two. Behind Naoya entered the mother of the Zenin twins, as well as the servant who had previously guided them to that room and another servant entered.
Katsumoto was finally able to enter as well, who came in behind his hosts.
"Yes! A little bit!" Naobito waved his empty bottle back and forth, "I just wanted to check if the rumors about having a guest were true and I wanted to invite him to drink with me," he burped, "Bring some more sake to celebrate this"
"Forgive my old father. He likes to wander around the residence drunk" apologized Naoya as he motioned to his servants to help his father get up from there.
"You don't have to apologize, your father is a very funny man" Yuta said in a calm voice.
"The party's over so quickly, guys?" asked Naobito with a grimace, "Yeah, Okkotsu and I were having fun, hahaha!" he started to stand up with the help of those two men.
"Anyway" said Naobito once he was standing and felt his bones throbbing and aching from age, "it's time to go watch my favorite show, it was nice talking to you Okkotsu" he looked at the guest.
Yuta stood up and bowed to say goodbye to the old man, " It was a pleasure to talk to a wise man and a former leader like you, my lord" he said out of politeness.
Naobito patted him on the shoulder "I like this guy haha" sigh "I just hope you are a good leader" he said walking away from there while one of the servants accompanied him "I want you to bring me more alcohol and food to my room"
Naoya sighed in annoyance as he watched his father leave the room and then looked at his guest.
"I hope my father didn't say anything rash. He is a senile man who sometimes talks nonsense, especially now that he is an elderly retired leader. He keeps saying a lot of nonsense"
"You don't need to worry. Mr. Naobito was just telling me about his favorite show and some things I didn't quite understand because of the alcohol, but it was nice talking to him" lied Yuta looking at his host.
"Whatever" Naoya replied, taking a seat, "let's get down to business, I have more things to do. As the leader of this clan I can't afford to overlook certain things that only hurt my image"
Yuta again took a seat across from Naoya and Katsumoto sat behind his boss.
Instead, the mother of the Zenin twins prepared Naoya some tea and lit some incense to cover the smell of alcohol that Naobito had left behind. While the other servant was only attentive to that conversation while keeping silent.
"You know why I called you, don't you Okkotsu?" asked Naoya seriously as he took a sip of his tea.
The Maki's mother poured a cup for Yuta.
"Thank you" he took it out of politeness, but did not drink it and without looking away from Naoya, he answered the question, "I know. I know you called me because of the case I'm investigating about a new sorcerer killer"
"Good. Then I want you to give me a detailed explanation of why this assassin has killed some of my servants" Naoya replied with annoyance, "What have you found out about all this? I want you to give me a detailed explain"
Yuta began to explain.
"In the first instance and from what we have found out at the crime scenes and incidentally, from what we have investigated from the victims, we have the main factor that this killer does not have cursed energy, so he uses cursed tools and some other weapons to finish off his victims, whom I have classified into two groups"
"Have you identified what kind of tools or weapons this criminal uses?" Naoya asked curiously. Maybe some of those weapons could be the ones that went missing from his warehouse.
"We still haven't been able to identify the weapons" Yuta said.
Naoya put a hand to his chin, he seemed to be thinking about something and his guest noticed that.
"Is something wrong?"
The leader looked at his guest, "I would like you to find out something for me"
"And what do you want me to find out about?" Yuta asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I would like you to find out what weapons or tools that murderer is using, as some of our cursed weapons and tools have disappeared from the clan's warehouse"
"Disappeared?" asked Yuta very confused.
"Rather, I am believing that 'someone' has stolen them. As you know Okkotsu, my honorable clan is the one that possesses the largest amount of weapons and tools both with and without cursed energy and recently in our inventory we noticed the disappearance of certain specific weapons" explained Naoya.
"Are you assuming that this killer stole your guns and tools?"
"That alone would explain why they mysteriously disappeared and the fact that it is very difficult to enter the warehouse without my authorization. So I would like you to investigate that for me, to find out if that assassin stole them or if it was someone else" he took a sip of his tea, "And maybe that will earn you a favor from the Zenin clan"
"Then would you be so kind, sir, as to give me a list of the type of weapons and tools that are missing. Maybe that will help us get an idea of what kind of weapons this killer is using"
"I'll send them to you another time. But for the moment, explain something to me" Naoya took a pose of arrogance, "You said there are two groups of victims, right? You mean this killer has two kinds of victims?"
Yuta continued explaining "That's right, we have classified them into two groups. The first, are those who have a different pattern of markings all over their body at the time of death and that group we have classified as "commissioned victims."
"What the hell does that mean?"
The guest motioned to his assistant to pass him the tablet so that he could show the leader the evidence.
"It means that these victims were ordered by a third party to be executed. In this month, four of the ten victims that this murderer carries do not match with the wounds made towards the other group and incidentally, we suppose that the operanti mode with the second group is different. The main post mortem characteristic of these four victims is that they did not have cuts on their necks and, by the way, two of them were not even sorcerers. They were ordinary people, more specifically civilians" Yuta showed the images of these victims.
Naoya looked at the evidence.
"And then what category do the victims of my clan fall into?" he asked, annoyed.
"The second victims we have classified as "Targets" since as rumor has spread and confirmed, this assassin has killed several sorcerers who worked for both headquarters and you. Although we are still finding out if some of the victims had a relationship with each other and the killer"
Naoya looked at the images of his murdered servants. You could see the courage on his face and hands as he looked at all those people he recognized.
"And do you know if this killer is a man or a woman?"
That question struck Yuta as odd, but it was something they had not considered.
"We still don't know the sex of whoever is acting in this case. But it stands out that it must be a person with enormous strength and great physical
prowess to kill in this way. Although we also assume that this killer may be working in conjunction with someone else"
"Regardless of whether it is a man or a woman or how many are behind, they will receive the same punishment" commented Naoya in annoyance as he returned the tablet.
Yuta kept silent at that statement. The atmosphere was tense and even more so after having shown those images.
"And are you already clear on why this guy is killing my people?" Naoya asked with an annoyed tone.
Yuta sighed a little.
"An apology for what I'm about to say, but I'm also not very clear on what this killer is looking for"
"How is it possible that Satoru Gojo's successor would say that? Are you not taking this test and this case seriously enough?" Naoya questioned with annoyance leaping out of his mouth.
"Forgive my ignorance, but why have both you and your father named me as Gojo sensei's successor since I arrived at his residence?" Yuta questioned in confusion.
First Naoya made a gesture of annoyance "Didn't you know? Apparently Satoru is one step away from naming you like as his heir. In other words, you will be the next leader of the Gojo clan it seems" he took a sip of his tea and then sneered, "And from your pathetic look of surprise I can deduce that Satoru hasn't told you anything"
Yuta was shocked by those words.
"What? Me as the next leader of the Gojo clan?" he blurted out with surprise that even his mouth could not be completely closed.
"Didn't you know that's why you were brought back to Japan?" Naoya questioned with a mocking smile.
"Satoru had asked me to come back because he wanted me to help him solve this case. In theory this was a mission! He had told me that he had no one else to entrust this to, but he never talked to me about inheriting the position!" said the guest.
Naoya let out a laugh.
"Are you sure he didn't have anyone else? Or rather, don't you think Satoru is testing you to see if you are worthy of being his successor? And what better than solving a case like this where you can tell the world that your heir is better than the others, don't you think?"
Yuta felt too many feelings at that instant. But mostly annoyance with Satoru. And that was reflected in his face, which was amusing to Naoya.
"I wonder what other things Satoru isn't hiding from you" he said sarcastically as he placed his elbow on the table and his hand on his cheek, "As he is surely hiding from you the fact that Maki san is dead"
Silence flooded the room. Lies were in the air. The tension was all too palpable.
"What did you say?" came out of Yuta's mouth. He had to keep pretending.
"Didn't you know that? I can tell that asshole is lying to you" Naoya smiled wickedly, "What you heard Okkotsu, my stupid cousin died seven years ago"
Yuta thought that also Naoya apparently believed that Maki was "dead" so he had to investigate further. So he had to pretend that he barely heard that news.
"What do you mean, she's dead?" Yuta stifled a scream.
Naoya smiled.
"That's right, my cousin died seven years ago. I guess she deserved it for being a whore. She died in an alley, just like prostitutes die, that's what she was, a prostitute" he replied viciously, not caring that Maki's mother was there.
Those words made the blood of the one who loved Maki with all his being boil. Yuta's hands tightened on the clothes on his knees. He wanted to hit that despicable guy.
"Beautiful on the outside but a failure in every sense of the word. Oh right, you were more than just her companion, weren't you? I guess you enjoyed her before she died like the whore she was" commented Naoya seeing if his guest was losing his temper.
Yuta tried to control himself. But the cursed energy he was giving off was too heavy. So Naoya assumed that Yuta knew nothing about Maki and perhaps he could be a pawn that he could later manipulate as he pleased. Big mistake on his part.
"I remember seven years ago, before her death, I talked to her, I remember that she looked like she was going to leave the city and at that moment I simply told her some of her truths" commented Naoya playing with his wooden cup.
"So I suppose you know about some of the things that happened at the time I left, don't you? Could you tell me what you talked to her about?" asked Yuta angrily.
"I only know what is necessary. Although ideally you should ask Satoru. He knows in detail everything that happened after your departure" Naoya answered with a big smile, "But if you want me to tell you everything I know and everything I talked to her seven years ago, you must first bring me the head of this murderer"
"Are you saying that Satoru always knew about Maki's death?" asked the guest with fury on his tongue.
"Why don't you confirm it yourself?" Naoya blurted out that venom-laden question as he stood up and looked down arrogantly at Yuta from above.
Yuta clenched his jaw. That leader was making him desperate.
At that moment, both a message came to Katsumoto's tablet, which he proceeded to open as it was of an urgent nature, likewise a servant rushed into that room and went directly to talk to Naoya in his ear. He even handed her some sheets of paper.
The Zenin leader's face tightened, he looked disgusted by what he saw. His face turned red with fury.
Another servant had been killed. This time it was a woman.
"Sir, you need to see this" whispered Katsumoto showing that message to Yuta.
The special grade sorcerer took that device and looked at the image of the victim.
This victim had the same patterns as the previous victims on her body, a neck wound and a large stab wound to the chest, but this time her eyes had been gouged out and her wrists had been detached from her hands.
But what was most striking was a note that had been left on her bare chest.
"Everyone must pay for their sins, Karma always comes and two of the three great clans are the next to fall. You awakened the demon years ago, which was born out of resentment and anger caused by your ambition and envy, it is time for you to pay the consequences."
"What did he mean by this?" asked Katsumoto fearfully.
Yuta observed Naoya's behavior. He knew that he had understood that message.
Naoya furiously crumpled that leaf and then threw it to the ground.
"Okkotsu, I really want you to catch this insolent killer and bring me his head no matter what it costs you and once you do it, I will answer all your questions and tell you the whole truth of what happened during your absence and by the way, I could intervene for you at some point" he said with annoyance.
"I will try to do what I can and what is in my power to solve this" Yuta commented, looking at him seriously as he stood up next to Katsumoto.
"Well, you may leave. I have more things to do" Naoya ran his hand through his hair. He really looked furious.
Once standing, Yuta together with Katsumoto made a slight bow.
"Still, thank you for the invitation to your residence" Yuta commented politely.
"Later on I will call you again, for the next time I want results" answered the leader very annoyed "You! accompany our guests to the exit" he commented to the servant who had accompanied them since they arrived. On the other hand, the mother of the Zenin twins stayed by Naoya's side.
"As you command, my lord" commented the man, bowing first to his leader and then turning to Okkotsu, "This way, my lords"
Yuta took one last look at those two. He couldn't believe how hellish that clan was. Still, he felt that the case was becoming clearer and that the past was slowly taking shape thanks to the clues that both Naobito and Naoya had said in their conversations.
The Zenin clan had something to do with that murderer. And incidentally, they also had something to do with his separation from Maki.
"Follow me this way and don't separate from me" said the servant as he guided them through those corridors where there would be no end of surprises.
That servant led Katsumoto and Yuta to another part of the residence. The sorcerer began to notice that the servant was not returning them through the corridors where they had come to that tea room and they realized that they were taking longer to reach the exit.
That was making Katsumoto, who had also noticed the change in his path, very nervous.
"Sorry but" the assistant began to speak nervously, "I think you are leading my lord and me down the wrong path..."
The servant stopped after the three passed down another hallway. Next to it was what appeared to be a small warehouse room with its sliding door.
That man turned to look at them and began to speak in a low voice "I am only guiding you to where another very important person wants to speak quickly with Mr. Okkotsu"he gave a slight knock on that wooden door. It seemed to be a signal.
"Who wants to see me?" Yuta asked with confusion.
At that moment, that sliding door burst open and a slender hand pulled Yuta by his shirt, and with the help of the servant who pushed the sorcerer with his hand, made him enter the small warehouse.
"Sir!" when Katsumoto was about to shout, at that moment, the servant covered his mouth with his hand.
"Don't shout! Please trust us! We are on your side!" He whisper "Only my lady must talk to Okkotsu for two minutes.."
Katsumoto raised his eyebrows at those words as that servant continued him to cover Katsumoto's mouth.
And just as the assistant said, inside that warehouse was a woman, one who would be a very important piece to this whole case.
It took Yuta a few seconds to understand what had happened and where he was. The surprises for this sorcerer did not end inside that residence.
"You've changed a bit physically, but you still have that pathetic face, Okkotsu" said a female voice that sounded quite familiar to the sorcerer, "Still, there's no time!"
Yuta observed that the woman standing in front of him in that warehouse and wearing a black kimono, typical of a high society woman, was Mai, Maki's twin.
"MAI!" Yuta was interrupted as the woman would close his mouth with her hand.
He was surprised to learn that both twins were still alive.
"There's no time for meetings! We can't talk loudly either! We must hurry! So just answer me with a yes or no by shaking your head OK?" She said reluctantly.
Yuta nodded his head yes. He took a closer look at the woman. The poor woman looked tired. She had dark circles under her eyes and Yuta noticed that her hands seemed to be stained with something black, maybe it was ink.
"Okay, have you heard from Maki yet?" asked Mai, looking at the sorcerer, who nodded his head yes
"Have you looked for her yet?"
Okkotsu again made a yes with his head.
"And you know she's still alive, right?" Mai asked, removing her hand from the sorcerer's mouth.
"I found out yesterday actually... together with Yurika and Yuudai..." Yuta whispered.
"Well! So…" Mai started to look for something in her clothes, more specifically she took something out of the fabrics of her kimono that covered her chest.
"What are you doing?" Yuta asked nervously as he watched Mai pull out some folded sheets of paper from her chest.
"You pervert! It's not what you think!" grunted Mai. The poor was not in the mood as she felt very bad and was still recovering from her loss of cursed energy and blood for the abortion she had days ago.
Those cards were handed to Okkotsu rudely.
"I suppose you can skip the beginning of these letters. Even so here I explain to you in very brief accounts, a part of what happened seven and three years ago after you left. Keep them very well and don't read them until you have left here! did you understand?"
Yuta quickly put those letters in his clothes, hiding them very well "All right.."
"Okay, now get out! Later you'll help me get out of here, while I'll help you by telling you some of the truth. Now get out of here before you get caught" Mai opened the door of that closet and pushed it open quickly.
Outside Katsumoto and the servant watched as Yuta was pushed out of there.
Once Mai delivered those letters, even with pains very similar to colic, she left through the other door of that warehouse, running as fast as she could to get back to her room before someone discovered she was not there.
"This way, my lords, we are close to the exit" commented the servant with a slight smile.
Katsumoto and Yuta looked at each other in confusion, but the sorcerer nodded to his assistant to follow the servant.
It took them no more than five minutes to reach the exit. They were escorted to the large wooden door.
But before he reached the exit, that servant bowed.
"Gentlemen, this is as far as I can take you. It was a pleasure to have you visit us"
"The pleasure was ours and thank you very much for your hospitality" commented Yuta with a bow.
"Have a good trip and please... take care of yourselves" whispered the servant, "Give my regards to a certain blonde woman who is very lazy"
"Sure" replied the sorcerer with a smile. He quickly knew who the man was referring to.
Both guests left that residence. They stayed there for a little over an hour.
01:37 p.m.
So they silently entered the car and Katsumoto began to drive to the crime scene to which they had been called.
A shiver ran through the assistant's body as he watched in the rearview mirror as he moved away from the area.
"I never want to set foot in that residence again... it's too horrible a place!" said Katsumoto in a sigh.
"No wonder they are an obnoxious clan" commented Yuta, taking out the sheets of paper that Mai handed him.
At that moment when he noticed that Katsumoto was concentrating on driving to the city without looking back, Yuta began to read those letters silently.
"Okkotsu, I don't know if by this time where you are reading this, you have already hit upon Maki, even if you haven't found her, at this point you must know the truth."
She is alive and she gave birth to your children, beautiful twins, a boy and a girl named Yuudai and Yurika ...
But there is something else you should know and that is that, in the tomb where the ashes of "Maki" are supposed to be, the body of a woman was cremated and more specifically a Zenin...
You should know that she was the first victim of all this...
It all happened seven years ago... on the day you abandoned Maki... I went looking for her, a twin sister instinct told me that Maki was in trouble..."
Notes:
I hope you liked it ❤❤❤
What did you think of the chapter? Do you think it was one of the three of them who talked to Maki at that train station? Or was it someone else?
What did you think of the visit to the clan? I can only say that this clan also had to do with the separation of those two and also had to do with Megumi resigning as leader.
About Maki's parents, NO they don't know anything about their grandchildren and YES, they believe their "mistake" (daughter) is dead.
About Naobito, he "found out" that Maki might have been pregnant the last time he saw her, but at the beginning he believed that it was just a rumor and months later, he was led to believe that she is dead, so he wonders if the pregnancy was carried to term or not before she "died" in the alley, maybe he is already suffering from guilt due to his age and alcoholism. And how did he know that they were twins? Well, it was through one of her informants, but this one was already eliminated by Maki. Yes, that informant is one of the victims of this sorcerer killer.
Besides, that old man kept that secret for seven years.
And about Naoya, in previous chapters, more specifically in chapter 09 " Reunions under the fireworks ", I told you the situation with Naoya. In case you don't remember, you can go back and read it.
So here, some lies will serve to continue protecting those little ones, but remember that "the devil is in the details" so there is more to come with this story.
I will also talk later about the mask Maki chose for her revenge.
As you may have noticed, the first flashback of seven years ago is coming but told by someone who lived it first hand, Mai. I can only say that there are some interesting things coming up that I hope you like. I will still be reading your theories.
I also want to thank you for your reads, votes and comments, Wow, ❤ Thank you so much for the support.
I hope to be able to update before I leave my country, because as some of you may know, I will be leaving my country for a while at the end of December and I will be back until the end of January. So I hope to be able to write something before I leave or in your case, until I return to my country.
Without further ado, thank you very much for everything, we'll keep reading ❤