Chapter 31
The days passed in an endless loop, and Usagi felt trapped in a spiral. Eleven days had gone by since she last saw or heard from Seiya, except for occasional updates in the group chat. Each day seemed almost identical.
Taiki usually left the house early in the morning, and before he went, there was only a brief exchange between them on superficial topics. To avoid being overwhelmed by thoughts of her siblings, Usagi immersed herself in her project for homeless children. She formed collaborations with various partners who supported her with warm meals or provided discounts on blankets and winter jackets. These activities served as a distraction, but once she was alone in the apartment, heavy thoughts about Chibiusa and Shingo returned. Seiya's absence left a void in her that she desperately tried to ignore.
Yesterday, the last pieces of furniture for her new apartment were finally delivered, and Usagi set the goal of arranging them today. Despite Taiki's repeated mention that there was staff available for this, she insisted on doing it herself. Every move seemed to take her further away from the life she wanted to lead, but she bravely blinked away her tears and got to work.
Usagi packed the boxes on the 33rd floor and then confidently pushed them into the elevator. The elevator smoothly ascended, and as the doors opened, she entered the empty apartment. Her gaze in the elevator lingered momentarily on the button marked 30. But Seiya was no longer here. He had been staying with Haruka for almost two weeks now, she painfully reminded herself, and then refocused on the task at hand.
As the boxes gradually disappeared, and the rooms filled with her few personal belongings, she felt a sense of comfort settling in. The apartment began to take on a touch of life.
After a while, exhausted, Usagi sank onto the freshly arranged couch. Her phone, lying on the table, lit up. She picked it up and opened the group chat connecting her with the others.
Blackmoon in an hour. Taiki
Everyone? Yaten
Yes, everyone. There's something important to discuss. Can someone pick up Serena? Taiki
Usagi glanced at the time; Taiki's last message was already 15 minutes old with no responses. Secretly hoping that Seiya would pick her up, she decided to take a different route.
Not necessary. Makoto can probably drive me. Don't go through any trouble for me. Usagi.
For a moment, she looked at her phone, waiting to see if anyone else would reply, but with neither rejection nor approval coming in, she pulled herself together and went downstairs.
Usagi entered Makoto and Tellu's apartment. At first glance, the apartment seemed empty. She called out a tentative "Hello," and shortly afterward, the kitchen door opened. Makoto blinked at her in surprise.
"Serena! What are you doing here? Did I forget an appointment?" Makoto asked with a smile.
"Hey, Makoto. I hope I'm not disturbing. I was hoping you could drive me to Blackmoon."
Makoto furrowed her brow. "To Blackmoon? What do you have to do there? You do know what kind of place that is, right?"
Usagi hesitated for a moment, searching for an evasive answer. "It's not what you think, Makoto. Taiki is waiting for me there... there's a meeting about to happen."
"In a brothel?" Makoto continued to inquire skeptically.
"Uh, yes. If you want to know exactly, it's in the rooms above. So, what do you say, can you give me a ride?"
Makoto glanced over her shoulder back into the kitchen. "Give me another 5 minutes, then the muffins can come out of the oven... But I'm really curious about what you have to discuss in a brothel."
"That Taiki can explain to you," mumbled Usagi and then started to sniff. "What are you baking? It smells delicious again."
Makoto's laughing voice echoed from the kitchen. "Lemon cake and apple-cinnamon muffins."
At the mention of lemon cake, Usagi's eyes suddenly widened, and she peered cautiously around the corner. "Do you think I could take a little piece of lemon cake for the road?" she asked.
Makoto couldn't help but smile. "Of course, but you've been quite hungry in the past few days. Have you noticed that?"
Usagi pouted. "I can't help it if you're such a good cook and baker."
She handed Usagi a small container with a fork. "Don't let Tellu hear that, or she'll lock the kitchen if you can't fit into your clothes anymore," Makoto laughed and took off her apron.
Now Usagi noticed the absence of her stylist. "Where's Tellu, actually?"
Makoto shrugged. "I don't know. She's been out more often again for the past few days. As soon as she finishes making you up, she leaves the house and often doesn't come back until late."
The two women made their way to Blackmoon. During the drive, they delved into an intense conversation about the further steps with the street kids. Makoto excitedly reported about the rooms she had found to distribute warm meals. This project had brought them closer, and gradually, Usagi felt like she had found a friend in Makoto.
"That sounds really fantastic, Makoto! I can't wait to see it all," Usagi said enthusiastically.
On the parking lot in front of Blackmoon, Makoto's vigilant eye scanned the area. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"
Usagi nodded, pointing to Taiki's car parked right at the entrance. "At least Taiki's car is here. I should go now, so I won't be late. Thanks for the ride, and you don't have to wait. Taiki will surely take me back."
Usagi entered the brothel and ran into Michiru. She greeted her politely and was escorted directly to the office where Taiki was already waiting. A smile crossed Taiki's face when he saw his wife. He stood up, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and led her to one of the comfortable chairs.
"Nice to see you, Serena. At least one person is punctual today," Taiki said, glancing at his watch.
Taiki, now more serious, turned to Michiru. "Are Haruka and Seiya back yet?"
Michiru shook her head. "You know how they are when they're out on their motorcycles. They probably just lost track of time."
Taiki didn't look very pleased. "What about Yaten?"
A soft chuckle escaped Michiru. "Well... he was here long before you. And apparently, he's still passing the time. Should I give you his room number, or would you prefer I knock on his door?"
Taiki closed his eyes and forced himself to remain calm. Concentrating, he took a deep breath. "Please do that, Chiru, and be so kind as to try getting a hold of your better half. I'd like to start here relatively soon."
Michiru nodded and left them alone.
Taiki raised his gaze, smiling encouragingly at his wife. "How are you doing?"
"I think the move is done. We don't have many personal items. Everything is arranged upstairs. I think we can sleep there tonight."
"And it really didn't cause you any trouble?" he continued.
Usagi shook her head slightly. "No, everything's fine. It was a bit distracting..."
Taiki gently placed his hand on hers. "Have a little more patience and hang in there. We'll find your siblings."
At that moment, the door swung open, and Yaten strolled in with a satisfied grin. "Why is Chiru bothering me when not everyone is here yet?" he asked casually, taking the chair next to Usagi.
Taiki was noticeably annoyed. "Because we were supposed to meet here fifteen minutes ago. But there's still no sign of Seiya and Ruka. They haven't responded in the chat either. Chiru is trying to reach Ruka on the phone now. Hopefully, there's nothing wrong."
In contrast to his brother, Yaten seemed deeply relaxed. "You're worrying too much again, Tai... Seiya picked up his motorcycle from the tower this morning; he had to go to one of the warehouses outside because there were issues there... You know how it is... sometimes it takes longer, and if Ruka is with him, they'll probably have a few more races... with their constant rivalry, it's always the same. The main thing is they have something to compete with."
As Yaten finished, Michiru knocked and stuck her head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but I reached Haruka. She says they're almost here."
Indeed, it didn't take long, and Haruka and Seiya entered the room in good spirits. Each had their motorcycle helmet under their arms, teasing each other until Taiki's sharp gaze silenced them. Seiya placed his helmet next to Usagi on the table and scratched the back of his head. "Um... yeah, sorry for the delay, but Ruka couldn't find the gas on the last stretch."
"The snail says, whom I passed twice," countered Haruka, taking a seat opposite Seiya.
"Be that as it may... now that you're here, can we start, or does anyone else have something important to clarify first?" Taiki interjected, standing up.
A unanimous nod signaled that he could proceed.
"So, first, I'd like to know what's new regarding Serena's siblings. Yaten?"
Yaten surveyed the room. "The sister spent some time in a province in West China, under Kenji's care. However, he relocated her elsewhere. It seems he changes her location every week, making our job significantly challenging. But I have someone remotely monitoring her. However, all the houses are under the strictest security measures. It will be difficult to get her out. So far, she seems to be a lively little girl." Yaten paused and pulled out a few pictures from the inner pocket of his jacket, handing them to Usagi.
The pictures depicted Chibiusa in different situations, but in each one, she radiated a childlike joy. Usagi's heart skipped a beat, and tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the photos of her sister. She could hardly control her emotions. She wished so much to hold her little sister in her arms, providing her with protection and comfort.
Ignoring her tears, Yaten continued unabated. "The brother is a bit more complicated. He is under Father's supervision... and he knows how my men operate. Meaning, he is one step ahead of us. I've already checked our properties, as well as the acquisitions Father made in the past weeks. I'm running out of ideas on where he could have placed him. So, if anyone has suggestions..." He looked at puzzled faces.
"And if he's using Kenji's properties for that?" Haruka suggested to the group.
Yaten made a brief note. "I find that less likely, but I'll put it on the list."
Thoughtfully, Taiki waved a pen. "What if we bluff? If we confront him and claim to know the whereabouts, he'll probably relocate him again or at least get in touch with his people. We can then follow this lead."
"That sounds right up my alley," Yaten replied. He seemed pleased with the idea of outsmarting his old man.
Usagi forced herself to look away from the photo. Suddenly, she made a decision, and she wanted to act on it. She stood up determinedly. "And I will confront Kenji. After all, we had entirely different agreements when I agreed to his proposal, and he told me I could see them after the wedding," she said firmly. Shocked faces looked at her as the words faded.
"Serena, are you sure you want to go to Kenji?" Taiki asked uncertainly, but his wife just nodded decisively. "Yes. I won't hide anymore. If you're fighting for their downfall, I will too, by your side. This is about my siblings; I can't let you handle this alone. This is my matter that I need to settle with my progenitor."
"Good, if you want it, then go. But take Seiya with you. I don't want you to be alone with him. Yaten, come with me and grab some of your toys. Father will certainly not just back down," he said, already planning his next move in his thoughts.
It was the first time since his arrival that Seiya directed his gaze at Usagi. Conflicting emotions surged through him. The idea of being alone with her suddenly awakened desires and suppressed feelings. Yet, he couldn't find suitable arguments to avoid this fate. He nodded silently in agreement.
"Oh, one more thing before we leave. I would like to invite Mamoru Chiba to our next meeting here. I think he should be aware of our fathers' machinations and plans."
Yaten's eyes widened. "You must be kidding, right?" he exclaimed in horror.
"No. Not at all. I firmly believe that he will still be of use to us. After all, if we objectively consider it, it's in his interest to strip them of their power," Taiki replied calmly.
The silver-haired man jumped up, anger written all over his face. "No, that's out of the question. I will not work with Chiba. Not until I know the truth! I don't trust him an inch," he shouted over his shoulder as he headed for the door. He slammed it shut with a loud bang.
Haruka refrained from laughing. "I'll go catch our little firecracker."
As Haruka opened the door, Michiru stood directly in front of her. Grinning, she stole a kiss from her friend. "I'll be right back, don't run away."
Michiru just grinned cheekily and then sought Taiki's gaze. "Taiki, I really don't want to disturb you... But downstairs, we picked up a woman who was snooping around. I think you should know."
Tensely, Taiki rubbed his temples. "Then bring her in..."
Usagi, Taiki, and Seiya anxiously directed their gaze toward the door.