NOVEL WEB Chapter 251: Chapter 225 Aftermath
Akechi helped Zaboru into his car, and Ayumi quickly joined them, holding onto Zaboru's arm as they made their way to the hospital. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. "I'm sorry, Zabo. It's my fault. It's all my fault."
Zaboru lay back in the car, his body bruised and battered, his face swollen from the beating he had taken. He sighed, wincing from the pain. "It's not your fault, Ayumi. What your father said wasn't entirely wrong. There will always be enemies out there, and if I can't protect you, then I'm just a liability. Still, he hits like a damn gorilla! Ugh... Besides, did I look cool when I beat up his thugs and fought him? Trust me, I almost had him! If Akechi-san hadn't shown up, I swear I would've won."
Akechi, driving in silence, smirked at Zaboru's words. The guy was tough—stubborn, even. He didn't want Ayumi to worry, even in his state. Soon, they arrived at the hospital, and Zaboru was immediately taken in for treatment. His ribs were cracked, his nose slightly fractured, and his body covered in bruises. The doctors estimated it would take weeks, maybe months, for a full recovery. Meanwhile, Ayumi refused to leave his side, crying beside his bed.
"Don't act tough, Zabo! Please, don't do something like that again. I can't take it! Maybe we should break up, Zabo... It's my fault. I should have known better. I can't be with you. I'm not a normal girl..."
She sobbed uncontrollably. Zaboru sighed, forcing a weak chuckle. "Heh, who said that? You can be whatever the hell you want, Ayumi. And there's no way you'd dump a handsome guy like me, right? Don't worry too much. This is just a scratch... Ugh!" He groaned in pain.
Akechi grinned. "He's right, Ayumi. Don't worry too much. I'll take care of everything. You focus on making sure this idiot doesn't do something reckless again. Anyway, I'm leaving. Zaboru, I'll handle this incident. Ayumi, he's in your care now."
With that, Akechi left the hospital, determined to ensure nothing like this happened again.
Zaboru lay back, sighing in exhaustion, but something felt different. His body, despite being injured, seemed to be healing faster than expected. His Enlightenment abilities were likely aiding his recovery. But right now, one thing was clear—he was starving. "Ayumi, I'm really hungry. Hospital food sucks. Can you get me a bunch of food?"
Ayumi wiped her tears and nodded. "Okay, I'll get you something right away!"
She rushed out and returned with bags full of food. Zaboru devoured everything in front of him. As he ate, Ayumi fidgeted, looking down. "You must hate me now, right, Zabo? I'm so sorry..."
Zaboru paused, looking at her. "Why would I hate you? That's nonsense. And hey, don't tell my family about this, okay? They'll just worry. I'll recover fast. My metabolism is incredible!"
Hours passed, and by the time it was 11 PM, something shocking happened. Zaboru's body had almost completely recovered. The doctors were baffled, unable to understand how his wounds were healing at such an accelerated rate. But Zaboru and Ayumi left the hospital that night, heading back to ZAGE.
Meanwhile, at the Hamazou headquarters, the higher-ups had gathered. Akechi stood alongside a battered and bruised Akira. Across from them sat Akira's father, Azai, and his older brother, Abarai Hamazou.
Azai leaned forward. "So, Akira, what exactly did you do to your daughter's boyfriend?"
Akira groaned, still aching from his wounds. "I just wanted to test him. I swear I wasn't trying to kill him! I needed to see if he was worthy of Ayumi."
Abarai sighed. "You do realize he's a civilian, right? And from what I hear, he holds a lot of influence. What if he had decided to go to the police and bribe them? You think we have it easy as it is? The police are getting more competent—or at the very least, more expensive. Your little stunt made things harder for all of us."
Azai shook his head. "At this rate, Ayumi is going to leave the family for good. I wouldn't be surprised if she ran away and cut ties with us altogether. Worse, what if she would commit suicide"
Akira's eyes widened in fear. "No... there's no way that would happen. Right?"
Abarai gave him a sharp look. "You don't understand people's hearts, Akira. All you've ever relied on is brute strength, just like your father used to. Did you know you had an aunt? She couldn't handle this life and ended up taking her own. Your father changed after that. Do you want to make the same mistake?"
Azai sighed. "When you lose something important because of your own pride, you'll understand. But by then, it will be too late."
Akechi, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "Uncle, Granduncle, I've always had a vision for the future. And in the next ten to twenty years, the yakuza will lose its meaning. We will no longer be a force of power—we'll just be thugs, preying on civilians and serving the highest bidder. That's not what yakuza were meant to be. We were supposed to protect the weak from the strong and have our pride as a base. But if we keep going like this, we'll be nothing more than parasites."
His eyes darkened. "That's why I've been working on legitimate businesses, ensuring that the Hamazou family isn't dependent on dirty money. But this brute keeps screwing up my plans. Honestly, if he weren't my father, I would've killed him already and covered it up. But I suppose I still have a heart."
Akira, Abarai, and Azai shuddered. Akechi wasn't just angry—he was dangerous.
"So now you have a choice. It's either him or me. Put a leash on him, or I walk. And trust me, if I leave, I won't be looking back."
Akira clenched his teeth. He knew Akechi was right. His pride had blinded him, and now everything was at risk.
Azai sighed deeply. "I understand. From now on, Akira will answer to me. If he messes up one more time, you have my permission to do whatever is necessary."
Akechi smirked, his eyes glinting with something cold and final. "That's all I needed to hear."
Without another word, Akechi turned and left the Hamazou headquarters, heading straight to Akaishidan to continue working on his projects.
Akira sat in silence, his mind spinning. For the first time in his life, he felt something he had never experienced before—powerlessness. He had always believed in his strength, in his ability to control things through force. But now, for the first time, he understood.
He wasn't the strongest anymore. And maybe, just maybe, he never had been.
The thought of Ayumi committed Suicide are really scared him, he will apologize to her at some point.
to be continue
AN: Sorry guys if this chapter feel like bullshit , i just want to write something like this lol! , don`t worry too much , next chapter will went to normal
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