Ch 49: Reminiscence- Part 1.

From the moment Kentaro Nomura came into the world, he never experienced an ounce of familial affection from anyone other than his birth mother. The glances he received from people made it clear that he was unwanted, and as an illegitimate child, his existence was a source of embarrassment for the main Harada family.

His grandparents despised him.

His half-siblings held disdain for him.

The Lady of the household was repulsed by his mere presence.

And as for his father... No one could fathom the thoughts that occupied that man's mind.

When it was discovered that the man had impregnated one of the household maids, Satoshi refused to acknowledge the truth immediately. He relocated the maid to a secluded cottage outside the main mansion, where her close companions cared for her, as Satoshi couldn't be bothered.

Though Yumiko Nomura, unable to leave the Estate, found solace in not having to endure the torment of residing under the same roof as her enemies and the man who completely neglected her and their son.

Especially considering she had given birth to such a frail child.

Yumiko had always struggled with her health, and the stress and despair only exacerbated her condition. Her existence remained hidden, known only to the family doctors who attended to her. She was never afforded the opportunity to leave the Estate and seek proper medical assistance.

Five years passed in this manner, and Kentaro's only family consisted of his mother and the two maids who cared for her. Until the day that marked the gradual shift in his life.

*

I'm completely lost...

Five-year-old Kentaro had strayed a considerable distance from the cottage and found himself unable to find his way back. However, despite this realization, he did not panic. He settled beneath the shade of a towering tree and surveyed his surroundings, attempting to recall the path he had taken.

The grand mansion he had always been warned to avoid lay just a short distance ahead. Ken could even make out the figures of individuals entering and exiting the building. Part of him toyed with the idea of approaching one of them and asking for directions, yet a hint of fear held him back.

These people were not his friends. His mother had made that abundantly clear countless times before.

Mommy's going to be really angry this time; little Ken pondered. His mother seldom expressed fury, but he preferred her scolding him over seeing her sadness. Sometimes, he would rather endure her yelling or any form of reprimand, as it seemed preferable to witnessing her sorrow.

And so, he decided to wait patiently, concealing himself behind the protective cover of the colossal tree. He maintained a significant distance from the mansion, ensuring he remained unnoticed. He had no choice but to sit and wait patiently for either Misa or Izumi to come searching for him.

Just then, a sudden, familiar irritation surged within his chest, causing Ken to cough lightly, but not audibly enough to attract attention. He really wanted to go back home.

"Hey, I've never seen you around. Are you new?"

Kentaro's head snapped up, his eyes anxiously scanning his surroundings, yet no one stood nearby. It was as if he had imagined the man's voice. Perhaps it wasn't addressed to him. Ken cautiously emerged from behind the tree, peeking from the side to discern if the person was in close proximity.

Thud!

Startled by the unexpected weight that landed near him, Kentaro jolted and swiftly glanced behind, his heart racing upon discovering an unfamiliar man in casual attire leaning against the tree trunk, observing him curiously with folded arms.

Upon capturing the child's attention, the man raised his hand, offering a friendly greeting with a cheerful wave and a grin.

Unfortunately, the ginger-haired boy perceived it as a stroke of misfortune. His mind whirled too much for him to register the man's amiability. Without uttering a word, the child scrambled to his feet and bolted, disregarding the man's bewildered calls.

Kentaro had no idea where he was headed, as long as it took him away from the mansion and the unfamiliar individuals. Surely, everything would be fine, right?

Wrong.

Having run only a short distance, he spotted two large, light-coated dogs leisurely approaching him, prompting an abrupt U-turn as he sprinted back in the direction he came from. Unfortunately, luck seemed to evade him on this day. The dogs caught sight of him and immediately gave chase, barking 'madly'.

Had he known there were dogs here, would he have ventured so far from home? He didn't want to die yet!

Kentaro possessed little expertise in the art of running away, and his short legs could only get him so far. There was no way he could outrun two fully grown dogs. Wandering into someone else's territory would only invite trouble—a clear indication of why his mother wished for him to remain close to their cottage.

As the dogs drew closer, the young boy could already envision his life flashing before his eyes. However, in the next instant, the ground vanished beneath his feet as he was swiftly lifted up and enveloped in a protective embrace.

"There you are," he heard a familiar voice, and upon glancing up, little Ken realized that the person who had come to his rescue was none other than the man from earlier. "Oh, and you brought friends along too."

Friends? Don't you see that if we don't run, these beasts will devour us all!

Yet, when the child looked down at those "beasts" once more, he witnessed them happily wagging their tails around the man who cradled him, tongues lolling as they playfully bounded about.

Regrettably, in Ken's eyes, they remained colossal, ravenous beasts ready to consume him. Thus, he promptly buried his head in the man's shoulder, his entire being trembling with fear.

"Are you afraid of dogs? Did they frighten you?" the man discerned the situation and comforted him. Then, he admonished the two dogs, saying, "Peach, Spot, that was very naughty. Don't go chasing after people like that."

Peach? Spot??

The two dogs, caught in the act, plopped down on their hind legs as if scolded.

"Sorry about that. They must've thought you wanted to play, that's why they chased you," the man said.

Kentaro reluctantly stole another glance at the dogs. They were staring right at him, tongues hanging out of their grinning snouts. For some reason, he had this weird feeling that they were trying to tell him they meant no harm.

Seeing the kid's tension ease a bit, the man decided to let him down. But to his surprise, Kentaro clung to him tightly in a vice like grip around his neck.

Kentaro wasn't about to let go so easily. After all, he had just been chased by those same dogs a minute ago. Traumatic experiences like that didn't just disappear in an instant.

The man sighed, feeling a bit helpless. "Alright then, I'll take you to the mansion..."

Kentaro vigorously shook his head, as if his life depended on it.

"Don't you live there?" the man asked.

Kentaro shook his head again, his heart racing. Who was this man really? Would he actually take him to the mansion? But his mother had specifically warned him not to go there. What should he do now?

"Sir? Sir, where are you?" a woman's desperate voice echoed nearby. "Mr. Nakamura, please don't do this to us. It's time for your medication."

Kentaro didn't know who the person was, but the man holding him seemed to recognize the voice. He tensed up and muttered something under his breath.

Another voice, a man's this time, joined in. "Mr. Nakamura, how many times have we told you not to wander off? Come and take your medicine. You're always spirited when it comes to running away."

Medicine? Kentaro wrinkled his nose at the word, involuntarily coughing and catching his savior's attention.

"Go distract them for a bit," the man instructed the dogs with a wave of his hand.

The dogs barked once, as if understanding their task, and disappeared around the corner where the voices had come from.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Kentaro heard the man from before saying, "You two, where's your master? Take us to him right now."

"Mr. Nakamura really is... sigh~ Why does he have to be like this? I feel like his nanny," the woman complained. "If we follow these two, do you think they'll lead us to him?"

"They better, otherwise..." and they continued talking, but Kentaro couldn't make out their words anymore as they moved farther away. It seemed the dogs were doing a good job distracting them.

"Okay, that's taken care of," Kentaro snapped back from his thoughts when the man suddenly put him down and stood with one hand on his waist. "Now, will you tell me who you are?"

Kentaro still felt uneasy. He didn't want to casually give his name to a stranger. But then again, this stranger had just 'saved his life'.

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, a stifled cough escaped, sounding quite painful and unpleasant. The man in front of him crouched down and gently took his small right hand, placing two fingers on his wrist, checking his pulse.

"You always had that cough?" the man asked.

Kentaro nodded cautiously.

"Does your chest hurt or feel uncomfortable sometimes?"

Again, Kentaro nodded.

"I see," the man nodded to himself and straightened up. "Let's go back inside. I'll make you some medicine that might help..." His voice trailed off when he noticed how the kid suddenly backed away, shaking his head with fear in his eyes. "You don't want to go inside?"

Kentaro nodded once more. Only then did the man remember that the kid had denied living in the mansion earlier.

"Then where do you stay? You lost or something?" The words slipped out of the man's mouth, his tone filled with genuine concern.

Kentaro contemplated for a moment, his initial inclination to shake his head giving way to a reluctant nod.

Scratching his head in puzzled contemplation, the man was at a loss for what to do next. It was clear that this kid had little experience with people, and the last thing he wanted was for the main family to discover his presence. Asking around would prove challenging.

"Is your home nearby?" The man inquired, hoping for a stroke of luck.

Kentaro nodded once more.

"Alright then," relief washed over the man. With a decisive gesture, he scooped up Kentaro, hoisting him onto his shoulders. The bewildered child clung onto the man's head, fearing for his life.

Chuckling softly, the man teased, "You're not showing any mercy to my poor old eyes. Can't see a thing with your little hands covering them."

"D-Down," Kentaro managed to squeeze out a word, his voice trembling.

"Oh, so you can speak after all. I almost thought you were mute," the man jested.

"I want... to get down."

"If I put you down, you won't be able to look around and see if you spot your house from here," the man reasoned.

Admittedly, the man had a point. As Kentaro glanced around more intently, his newfound vantage point revealed more than his short legs ever allowed him.

Noticing the child's guard had dropped, the man carefully shifted Kentaro's small claws from his eyes, allowing them to dig into his forehead instead.

"Can you see your house?" he inquired.

"No," Kentaro replied, his disappointment palpable.

"Not yet? Well, let's move around a bit. It'll come into view eventually," the man suggested, starting to walk. Surprisingly, the child didn't dig his claws deeper in protest.

They continued in silence for a while until the man broke it. "Since you don't belong to the main family, you must be a worker's kid, right?"

"Yeah," Kentaro's voice was soft.

"What's your name?"

"Kentaro," he blurted out without thinking, realizing it was too late to take it back as the man had already heard.

"Hmm, 'Ginger' sounds more fitting," the man proposed.

Kentaro frowned, clearly displeased with the nickname.

"So, how old are you, Ginger?"

"Five," he replied.

"Really? You're so tiny," the man remarked.

"Sick," Kentaro croaked, his voice hoarse.

The man deduced the distortion must have been caused by his coughing. "Are you given medicine for that cough?"

"Yeah," Kentaro admitted, adding, "Don't like it."

"Haha, I can't blame you," the man chuckled. "That's why I ran away from mine."

"Are you sick too?" Kentaro inquired.

"I'm as healthy as a horse," the man cleared his throat awkwardly. "But when you're as old as me, you end up taking all sorts of medication."

Kentaro didn't fully grasp the concept but listened attentively. After a brief pause, he spoke again, "Mommy's sick too. But she's worse than me. It hurts when she coughs, and sometimes she even coughs up 'red'."

Red? Blood? That was concerning.

"Have you called the doctors?" the man asked, his tone serious.

"Yeah, they gave her medicine," Kentaro replied before his voice considerably lowered as he added, "But it's useless."

He remembered how his mother used to be more active in the past, but now she spent most of her time in bed. She reassured him she was fine, but even at his tender age, he knew she was lying.

The man intended to respond but Kentaro swiftly changed the subject.

"Home," Ginger pointed in a particular direction. "I see it."

"Where?" the man questioned.

"Look there, roses," Kentaro pointed.

Indeed, there was a rose garden not far from where they stood, and tucked away in one corner was a modest cottage, discreetly nestled amidst the blooms.

"I know the way now, you can put me down," Kentaro said, and the man obliged after a moment's hesitation. Grateful, the child nodded. "Thank you for your help."

For a five-year-old, Kentaro displayed more courtesy than some adults.

Watching the child hurry off, Ryuji Nakamura maintained his gentle smile until he was certain the kid had reached home safely. As he turned towards the Harada mansion, his smile slowly faded. There was no denying it— that child, just now, was undoubtedly Satoshi's.

During Suguru Harada's tenure as chairman, Ryuji had frequented this particular estate, making it easy for him to recognize the unmistakable Harada genes. Despite their different hair colors, Kentaro was an uncanny replica of a young Satoshi, even more so than the legal heir, Izuki.

It seemed Ryuji had stumbled upon something intriguing.

~~~~~~