Chapter 18

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Reika stayed behind to protect the children, her mind already racing through possibilities, while Kenji grabbed his coat and keys, preparing to leave.

"I'll find him," he assured, slipping a knife into his sleeve as he reached for the door.

Reika didn't look at him. Her gaze was sharp, calculating, her phone already in hand as she scrolled through her contacts. "Make sure you do," she said coolly.

Kenji only nodded and stepped out into the night.

The door clicked shut.

Silence.

Reika inhaled slowly, then turned to her sons. Nagi and Arato stood near the entrance, both watching her carefully. Nagi had his arms crossed. Arato… was just staring. His eyes weren't obviously focused on her. 

Reika moved toward them, slow and deliberate. "You two," she said, voice stressed but soft, "are going to tell me exactly what happened."

Nagi hesitated. "…We were chased by a sniper and lost him."

Reika's smile was thin. "Is that all?"

Nagi exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "We weren't far from the school. I don't think the sniper cared about whether he shot other people."

Reika's grip on her phone tightened. "You mean he shot whilst other students were around you?"

"Well, yeah," Nagi said. "That's what I just said."

Reika gave him a sharp look, but she didn't argue. Instead, she turned to Arato. "Did you get a good look at them?" Arato has a knack for observing these things; especially from far distances.

Arato blinked. He opened his mouth— Then, very suddenly, he took a step forward. Reika tensed. He reached out, slowly— And touched her wrist.

"You're scared," Reika said. She seemed to move her hand up a little, awkwardly making gestures around his torso. Arato's grip on her hand tightened. Her jaw clenched. "Don't be ridiculous," she said, but she hugged him tightly all the same. 

Nagi looked at them with wide eyes and wondered if he'd have to behave like a maniac in order to get a hug too. 

Arato tilted his head. 

For a long moment, Reika didn't move, then, quietly, she exhaled and peeled her hands from Arato. "Go to your rooms," she said. "Now."

Nagi hesitated, but Arato just nodded and turned away, heading upstairs without another word. Nagi followed a beat later. He wasn't going to be left alone with the Reikatron.

Kenji spent over five hours searching.

Five hours of driving through the city, checking every spot Rei might have gone—restaurants, malls, bars, even the dumb boutique shops he liked to waste money in. After five hours of calling whoever knew Rei, he pulled up outside a massive house.

The deep bass of music was already thrumming through the pavement. The entire giant driveway was lined with expensive cars, and the front yard was filled with teenagers, half of them drunk or high, the other half trying to hook up with each other. This was Rei's beloved best friend's house.

Kenji clenched his jaw and stormed inside.

The second he stepped in, the smell of alcohol and sweat hit him. Strobe lights flashed through the massive living room, bodies moving in time with the music. Some kid nearly tripped into him, mumbling an apology before stumbling away.

Kenji barely registered it. His eyes were locked on one person. There, in the middle of the dance floor, was Rei. He was dancing but managing to fall at the same time, his hair was a mess, and he moved lazily, rolling his hips in time with the music, a stupid grin plastered on his face.

Kenji's temple throbbed. He was wondering if Nagi felt good strangling this fool. This fool had just wasted five hours of Kenji's life. Kenji took a slow breath in.

Patience.

Then he stalked forward, shoving past drunk teenagers, eyes locked on his idiot son.

Kenji didn't barge in like an angry father ready to scold his idiot son. No—he was too experienced for that.

Instead, he planted himself near the edge of the dance floor, arms crossed, expression unreadable. The flashing lights did little to soften the sharpness of his gaze so Rei noticed him.

For a split second, Rei froze mid-step, his drunken grin flickering. A sane person would've taken the out Kenji was giving him—quietly leave, no scene, no humiliation.

But Rei? Rei was an idiot.

He had an audience, a reputation to uphold, and a little too much alcohol swimming in his system.

So what did he do?

He smirked. Tilted his chin up. And—like the absolute dumbass he was—he danced harder.

Kenji's eye twitched.

Fine.

The second Rei turned his back, Kenji cut across the dance floor with practiced ease, weaving past sweaty, intoxicated teenagers. Then, before Rei could so much as react, Kenji grabbed him by the collar.

The music kept blasting, but a shift rippled through the crowd. One person stopped dancing. Then another.

And then—whispers.

"Oh my god—"

"Wait, is that—?"

"Holy shit, it's him— Rei's ripped dad."

"He's so hot!

Now, every single person at this party was watching the infamous  Rei's ripped dad manhandle Rei off the dance floor. Rei, for his part, finally had the sense to keep his mouth shut. People started pulling out their phones. "Rei is soo over." someone whispered, seeing the phones.

Kenji shoved Rei into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut before walking around to the driver's side. He barely spared his son a glance as he started the car, grip tight on the wheel.

Rei, still sluggish with alcohol, blinked slowly at him. "You're mad." Kenji's jaw clenched again for the gazillionth time for the night. "I swear to god, Rei—"

Kenji drove in tense silence, hands gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles were pale. Rei, slumped against the passenger seat, groggily messed with the radio.

The first song that played was obnoxious EDM. Rei groaned and skipped it. Country. Rei made a face. "Eugh."

"Leave it alone." Kenji swatted his arm, though half-heartedly.

Rei ignored him, flipping through stations. "Hold on, I need something dramatic." He stopped on a station playing some overly tragic breakup ballad.

Kenji exhaled slowly through his nose. "Turn that off."

"Why?" Rei said, tilting his head against the seat. "It fits. You just stormed into a party to drag me out like an overbearing parent from an 80's movie. I feel like I'm in a coming-of-age drama." He sniffled dramatically. "What if I never recover from this emotional trauma?"

Kenji's hand dented the steering wheel. "You'll recover in the trunk if you keep talking."

Rei smirked but kept flipping through stations. Then, finally, he settled on something ridiculous—Barbie Girl by Aqua.

Kenji visibly flinched. "Turn it off."

"No." Rei—being Rei—just leaned back, arms crossed, lips quirking up like the little shit he was.

Kenji reached for the dial himself, but Rei swatted his hand away, giggling like an idiot. "My car, my rules," Kenji growled. They had reached the highway by then. It was a slow night with few cars around. They drove like that for another ten minutes. The city lights flickered past, and Rei hummed obnoxiously along to the music.

Then—Kenji's stomach tightened. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. That same SUV. Two of them were two lanes back. Kenji intentionally sped up slightly. Rei yawned. "So, where exactly are we going? Are you taking me home, or are you about to sell me off to some underground labour ring?"

Kenji didn't answer. He changed lanes. The black car did too. Kenji's fingers flexed. This could not be happening right now.

Rei's expression slowly morphed from lazy amusement to vague concern. "Uh… why did you just go full Terminator mode?"

Kenji changed lanes again. The black car followed. Rei looked at his own rearview mirror. He sat up properly, finally catching on. "Oh."

Kenji took a deep breath. Then, calmly, he said, "Rei. Put your seatbelt on." 

Rei paled slightly and decided to ask. "So, uh. They're following us, huh?"

"No, Rei, it's just a coincidence," Kenji deadpanned. "Maybe they're also looking for the best fast food drive-thru."

Rei pressed his back against the seat, eyes flicking nervously to the mirror. "Okay, so… what's the plan?"

Kenji took a slow turn onto a less crowded street. The black car followed. "I lose them." His eyes flicked to Rei's waist. "And put on your damn seatbelt!"

"I think I'm frozen, Dad." Rei was truly frozen, his hands gripping onto his seat in fear. He had never been in a high speed chase before. Then, suddenly, "Orrrrr—hear me out—we pull over and ask them what they want?"

Kenji gave him a look. Rei lifted his hands. "I'm just saying, maybe they just want directions! …Maybe they just suck at driving?"

Kenji resisted the urge to shove him out of the moving vehicle. Then—headlights flared behind them. The black car suddenly sped up. Kenji cursed. "Hold on." Then he sped all the way up, but not enough to avoid a rough bump to the back of his car.

The sudden acceleration nearly sent Rei flying into the dashboard. "Oh, shit—"

"Put your bloody seatbelt on!" He was full on shouting when he swerved onto a main road, cutting across two lanes of traffic. Horns blared. Tires screeched. The black car shot forward in pursuit.

How Rei put on his seatbelt with his shaking hands was a miracle.. "Oh yeah, they definitely wanna kill us."

"No kidding."

"Okay, but, like—why? What did we do?"

Kenji was too busy weaving through traffic to answer.

Rei groaned, bracing himself against the door. "I knew I should've stayed at the party. I could be drunk and grinding on some hot—OH MY GOD, LOOK OUT!"

Kenji yanked the wheel, barely dodging a pedestrian who had horrible timing. Rei let out an unholy screech, gripping the handlebar so hard his knuckles turned white. "WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Not if you shut up and let me drive!"

The black car rammed into their bumper. The entire vehicle lurched.

Rei screamed. "THEY JUST HIT US AGAIN!!"

"Yes, I noticed, Rei!"

Rei whipped around, practically foaming at the mouth. "WHO EVEN DOES THAT? HAVE THEY NEVER HEARD OF ROAD SAFETY?!"

Kenji sharply turned into another highway, tires screeching. The black car followed.

Then—another hit. Harder this time.

Rei slammed against the door. "UGH! DRIVE FASTER!"

Kenji barely managed to keep control of the wheel. His eyes darted around, searching for an exit, a way to shake them—

Then—another sharp impact.

Kenji lost control.

The car spun—metal shrieking, glass shattering. Rei's screams of bloody murder overtook everything else. For a brief, horrifying moment, everything flipped—then slammed into stillness. They were upside down.

Rei groaned. Kenji let out a sigh of relief. At least he was alive. Kenji didn't even get a chance to react before the doors were wrenched open. And just like that—rough hands grabbed them.