az: Reviews are hard to get, isn't it? But I'd be glad regardless if I could spread the Hidarime love...

[EDIT] Because finally the proper subs cleared the part of the parents... so I needed to correct this part as well. Now I go fixing the other shots that mentioned this part.

The Next Movement: Act 2

Written by Izzu alias honou-no-izumi

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Yumehito could not help snickering at the look that Ainosuke had given him earlier. It was nice... bullying his little, adorable brother. One reason that he would not allow other people laid a hand towards him, he for one would not allow such opportunity to ever present itself.

"If you tell someone about me, at that point the third person's life will be gone."

He grinned again. Ainosuke had looked so devastated; he just had to try comforting him. To other's point of view, it would have appeared that he was just exchanging kind words or words of praise towards the boy. How wrong those people would be, how easily their perceptions could be deceived.

He shrugged. This would certainly allow him to get into the investigation team. Detective Fukuchi was the kind of person who would not overlook any potential, useful officer. All he should do now was to gain his trust... little by little.

Yumehito paused as he stopped his bike near a house where incidentally, his contractor had continued with her normal daily job. Kaito Sonae, a single mother who worked as a helper at the local community centre nearby. Just another normal, underprivileged single parent; with a young son around Ainosuke's age who was not at his best of health. With the way they had been living right now, it must have been hard... for them to even sustain a stable lifestyle. Coupled with an anaemic son, she must have been desperate enough to accept his offer in order for a faintest chance to save her son. How admirable.

Then again, their father had been like that as well. And he had both Ainosuke and him to look after, both still lucky enough to be able to continue studying at their schools without much trouble. Their father might not have earned that much but at least their lives had been decent. They had never hurt anyone, they had never caused anyone trouble... but why had they ended up being targeted anyway?

Those two Ikeuchi brothers, compared to him they were even worse than him—purposely targeting little kids, kidnapping them and demanding ransom from the unfortunate parents of that child. If he had not come pick Ainosuke up from school that day—as he always had done after all—he might not ended up being taken away as well. And Ainosuke probably would end up being killed by them, the nerve...

Or was it? Was it all happening by chance instead? If they haven't detoured towards their secret base before heading home, could they have avoided stumbling onto the Ikeuchi brothers and ended up being kidnapped? If he had accompanied Ainosuke out of the caves, those two people might have not had captured him. If he had been there sooner...

Regardless, knowing it now... did not change anything.

Because of those people, their parents had met their untimely death. And what had become of them? The younger man had ended up dead under his hands. The elder of the two, just ended up being locked inside the prison—and that was only for the crime they've committed, kidnapping them. He's not even being punished for causing their parents' death. How... unfair.

Yet, here he was... planning something as ridiculous as another kidnapping. Though, he could not pity this woman. She had already accepted the consequences of his plan, he might as well just continue with it.

Life was indeed unfair...

If there were any unfortunate casualties that appearing on the sidelines, there's nothing that he could do. It's either you get stronger, or continued to be weak. The strong would always attempt to trample on the weak... don't you think?

It was no surprise that he intentionally target his 'victims' near and around Ainosuke. And for a good reason as well. Considering, this giant puzzle was intended solely for that child. The problem now, would he be able to solve it?

So how about it?

I would wait for your move after this.

So what would your choice of action be now?

I'll be waiting...

Don't disappoint me... Ainosuke.