229 Chapter two, 2016, just another Christmas: 10 (2/2)
”I would expect nothing less. She's my family after all,” Mitsuo said, and Tadao could see how proud he was of the girl.
He sighed and made the mistake of drinking some more of the swill. It was just as disgusting as before. ”Someone pulled rank. They got a member of the diet involved. It was all I could do to save Hamarugen-san's company.”
A flash on anger flared alive in Mitsuo's eyes and vanished. ”OK, I accepted him as her boyfriend, but he'd better run his own business. What's it to me?”
”You met him, didn't you?”
”Sure, so what?”
”Would you picture him as someone who'd crawl around begging for help?”
Mitsuo grimaced. ”No, he's way too arrogant for that.”
”Well he did. While they dragged his company down, he was pleading for me to help your Tina.” For the first time Tadao felt irritation at his friend's stubbornness. ”If you're not willing to help Natsumi, you'd damn better be prepared to help the man who was willing to sacrifice his future for your granddaughter!”
It was like watching someone turn on a switch. Mitsuo's face froze into an absolutely neutral expression. You had to have known him for years to know how he expressed rage.
”You're going to tell me everything that happened. And by everything I mean everything, got it?”
Tadao flinched but nodded. Across the table Natsumi did the same. When Mitsuo looked this way he was scary, but only the two of hem knew exactly how scary he really became. And they needed that hidden demon.
”I promise,” Natsumi said. ”We both do. You can trust us.”
”What do you want,” Mitsuo growled.
Tadao felt something cold crawl down his spine, and from Natsumi's eyes he knew she felt the same.
”I want that diet member destroyed. I want every remnant of the lunatics behind Red Rose permanently disgraced...” Tadao began.
”I want you to side with us,” Natsumi interrupted. ”The other faction is going down, and you'll help us pull them into the abyss.”
'You always had a flare for the theatrical. I must have caught some of it,' Tadao added in his mind and grinned.
”You won't like what you'll see. I did some things during my previous life that I'm not very proud of,” Mitsuo said, and Tadao saw something in his friend's face that belonged to another man from a very different time.
Tadao understood part of it, and right now he needed that part of his friend. ”We'll have your back, like we always did. We're your friends.”
A little bit of life left Mitsuo's eyes. ”I hope you will still be when we're finished. With your help I'm going to hurt a lot of people.”
Even though he had requested it, Tadao still shivered despite the foyer being anything but cold. ”I understand,” he said and met his wife's eyes.
”No you don't,” Mitsuo said. ”When we're done you will. It will haunt you for the rest of your lives.”