Chapter 31

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Takemichi POV

Something didn't add up.

Yaz and I sat in the guest lounge, away from the others, letting the quiet sink in. The mansion was huge-ridiculously huge-but at that moment, it felt small, like its walls were closing in on me with unanswered questions.

Izana.

Who the hell was he?

Mikey's reaction told me he knew him. The way Baji, Chifuyu, and Draken stiffened at his presence meant they did too.

But why didn't Yaz and I know him?

And more importantly...

What was he doing in our house?

Yaz sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Taki, are we just gonna pretend that wasn't weird as hell?"

"No," I muttered. "We need to figure this out."

"He walked in like he lived here-like he belonged."

That was what was bothering me the most.

My dad-who usually never let anyone into the family business-welcomed him like an old friend. Even Grandma didn't question it. It was like Izana was always meant to be here.

Yaz leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. "You think he's... like, a relative?"

I frowned. "He doesn't look anything like us."

"True, but that doesn't mean anything. He could be, like, some long-lost cousin or something."

The idea sent a weird chill down my spine.

Because if that was the case, why did no one ever mention him?

I thought back to the way he smirked when he saw us-like he knew something we didn't.

Like he was waiting for us to figure it out.

I clenched my fists.

"There's something off about this."

Yaz nodded in agreement. "And I don't like being kept in the dark."

Neither did I.

But one thing was certain-Izana wasn't just some guest.

He was here for a reason.

And I needed to find out what that reason was.

The air inside the mansion felt heavy, like it was pressing down on my chest. Yaz and I sat there, still trying to piece together the puzzle that was Izana Kurokawa.

Who was he? Why was he here? Why did my dad welcome him like family?

Before we could even start guessing, the door swung open.

My father walked in, his presence commanding the room as always. But this time, he wasn't alone.

Izana followed behind him, hands tucked into his pockets, that same damn smirk on his face. Like he was waiting for us to explode with questions.

I felt Yaz stiffen beside me.

"Alright, I can see the confusion on your faces," Dad said, letting out a sigh. "You both deserve an explanation."

I straightened up, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Dad walked further into the room, gesturing for Izana to stand beside him.

"Takemichi, Yaz... this is Izana." He paused, his expression unreadable. "He's been part of our family for a long time."

What?

Yaz blinked. "What do you mean?"

Dad glanced at Izana, who didn't say a word.

"Izana was adopted into our family years ago. He grew up with us, but due to certain circumstances, he... left."

Adopted?

I felt my stomach churn. How did we not know this?

Dad continued. "But there's something else you need to know." His voice turned more serious, like he was about to drop a bomb on us.

I braced myself.

"Izana is Shinichiro Sano's younger brother."

The words slammed into me like a truck.

Sano?

My head snapped toward Izana, but he didn't react.

Yaz shot up from her seat. "Wait-what?! You're saying Izana is related to Mikey?!"

Dad nodded. "Yes. By blood. Mikey, Izana, and Shinichiro are brothers. Half-brothers, to be exact. They share the same father."

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Mikey. Izana. Brothers.

I glanced at Izana again, searching for any sign of hesitation. Anything to tell me this was some sort of joke.

But all I saw was acceptance.

Like he'd known this truth all his life.

"How... how is this possible?" I croaked out.

Dad sighed. "Their father, Sano Masachika, was with Mikey's mother for a time, but before that... he had another family."

Izana let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah. And that family abandoned me."

His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a knife.

I flinched. Abandoned?

Dad's face darkened. "Izana was left in an orphanage at a young age. When I found out about him, I couldn't leave him there. So, I brought him into our home."

My mind whirled.

So, Izana had no idea he was a Sano until later?

And instead of growing up with Mikey and Shinichiro, he grew up with us?

I tried to process everything, but it felt like my brain was short-circuiting.

Izana scoffed, finally speaking. "But, of course, no one told you two about me. Guess I was just a secret no one wanted to bring up."

His words stung.

Not because he was angry-but because I could hear the pain beneath it.

Yaz swallowed hard. "Izana... we didn't know. We had no idea."

Izana's eyes flickered toward us. For a second-just a second-something softened.

But it disappeared just as fast.

"It doesn't matter," he said coolly. "I'm here now."

And somehow, that sounded more like a warning than a reassurance.

To be continued...

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Heyy! Please tell me if my story is still on the line huhu, I need help and feedback or else I'm gonna drop this😡

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