Cardfight!! Vanguard: Heiwa - Volume II

-Part 4

Minutes before Izuru, Ibuki and Tate arrived at the Ban family's apartment for the Christmas Eve party, Airi rushed across a nearby riverbank. While she could have headed directly for the apartment building to arrive at the party on time, she decided to walk alongside the river.

"Waaa, I spent so much time looking at the water that I lost track of time!! Airi, you idiot!" Airi cried to herself. "And of course I lose track of time while in heels! The crushing weight of my life choices is destroying me!"

Huh, maybe she and Izuru were really made for each other. Both had problems related to middle school students, both like to kick Endo in the ass, both make poor life decisions in the heat of the moment. What a beautiful romance this could have been.

But as she rushed along the safety rails at the riverbank, she suddenly stopped. She caught sight of somene sitted on a bench near a stairway that'd take her off the riverbank. Someone she hadn't seen in years.

"The rivers during winter have a special glow to them... Eh, for an adult, you still stop to stare at snow in a river like a little kid, don't you?"

"No... Nobu..." Airi muttered.

"No. I thought your friends would have given you the memo by now. Name's Junpei. Kotomine Junpei." Junpei spoke, lifting himself off the bench. "Let's talk business, daughter of the Nijimura." He said, looking at his sister.

"B-brother-!"

"I hate you."

"...eh...?" Airi muttered, her eyes widened.

"You know, I got screwed by that pathetic Nijimura family, but I don't hate even the man who tried to raise me. At best, I feel pity for him. He's going to die like the pathetic fool he always was, all alone, as it should be. But you're a different matter. You chose to stay as a Nijimura. For what? To avenge a broken family? Man, you're pathetic. But even then, I don't hate you for staying with them." Junpei explained.

"I don't understand... Your spent years without saying anything... Y-you texted me the day Endo and Izuru fought... A-and now you show yourself?! Why?!"

"Because you made mom cry! She spent years blaming herself for you staying in the Nijimura! No matter how much I told her otherwise, she wouldn't change her mind! You broke her heart for choosing to stay with that piece of shit creature then to go away with your mother! Your own damn mother! You chose riches over a family! The fame and fortune of a useless family over the woman who raised you all by herself when no one else would help her!"

"Junpei... I... I didn't know what to do... I-i wanted to..."

"Avenge your family by destroying the one who made it fall apart. Yeah, I know. And then you ruined your own life. It took Endo's daughter to snap you back to reality. Maybe now you can see who truly ended our family." Junpei scoffed.

"Mom... Let me talk to her! Please!" Airi cried out.

"I'll never let you come close to her. You're better off being dead than making her feel bad again. But... I'll cut you a deal. If you can do me a favour, I'll arrange a meeting between you two."

"W-what?! I-i'll do anything you want!"

"Call your friend Izuru here." Junpei said.

"Eh? I-izuru? What do you want with-"

"Do you want a chance at apologizing to mom after all these years or not?"

"Y-yes!" Airi cried, taking out her phone.

As if fate had decided it, her phone began ringing with a call from Izuru himself. Airi quickly picked it up.

"Yo. Where are you? Got jammed in traffic or something? Everyone's here already."