469 A maximum of one minute (1/2)
Some seconds later, a cell phone ringing broke the silence.
It was Hisashi's cell phone.
He slowly took out his cell phone, but paused in surprise when he saw who the caller was on his caller ID.
His ringtone, which was Honey Candy Girl's newest ending song, continued without stop.
Hisashi didn't pick up the call, nor did he reject it. He simply waited in a daze for the ringing to stop.
Then, Seiji's cell phone began to ring.
The caller was Kaede Juumonji.
Seiji looked at his cell phone for several seconds and chose to accept the call.
”Good evening, Harano-kun.”
”Good evening, Juumonji-sensei.”
”I apologize for suddenly calling you like this so late at night… I just felt… like something was off,” Kaede said in a light voice.
Seiji remained silent.
”Harano-kun… what's the matter?” Kaede sharply perceived that something was the matter on his side.
Seiji looked towards Hisashi.
Hisashi continued to lower his head.
”Harano-kun?” Kaede raised her voice slightly. ”You… could it be that you're currently together with my brother Hisashi?”
She guessed it right on the mark.
Seiji could only inwardly sigh.
”Yes.”
”What happened?” Kaede's voice became rather tense.
”Your oldest brother… something bad happened to Zankita Juumonji.”
Kaede rushed home to the Juumonji residence.
She felt chills all over her body upon seeing her oldest brother's abnormal condition and her second brother's depressed state.
”What exactly happened here?”
Seiji gave her an explanation.
Kaede's expression became grim as she listened to Seiji.
”Idiots… the both of them…”
While in her apartment room at the Uehara apartments, Kaede suddenly felt anxious inside, as if she had forgotten something important but couldn't recall it no matter what. It made her feel quite uneasy.
Then, she recalled that she hadn't contacted home in a long time. So, she decided to call Hisashi just to chat a little, but Hisashi didn't pick up her call.
Then, she called Seiji, also intending just to chat, but she didn't expect that…
Kaede really wanted to get angry at her two idiot older brothers but was unable to do so. In the end, she simply sighed.
”Second Brother, what are you just sitting around in a daze for? Aren't we going to save our brother Zankita? Hurry up and become more spirited.”
Hisashi slowly raised his head.
”Yes, I'm going to save him… Sister… If I fail, I leave Father's care up to you.”
”Hmm?” Kaede frowned. ”You… intend to try saving him by yourself?”
”Yep.”
”Stop being stupid! Harano-kun just said that with only one person—”
Kaede fell silent for a moment as something flashed in her eyes.
”Then you stay behind, and I'll go save our brother,” she stated calmly.
”You… what are you saying!?”
”If Second Brother and Eldest Brother are both gone, I alone won't be able to run the Juumonji Group! That also means I won't be able to take good care of Father. But if Second Brother stays behind instead, you'll be able to accomplish it!”
”Stop saying something so stupid! It's all my fault that everything became like this, since I didn't stop Eldest Brother in time. So that's why only I should take the responsibility to save him. It has nothing to do with you!” Hisashi scolded Kaede severely.
”You're the one saying something so stupid! If saving Eldest Brother is your responsibility, isn't running the Juumonji Group also one of your responsibilities!? Staying behind and making sure that the Juumonji Group continues to function is your greatest responsibility!” Kaede spoke in a cold tone.
”That's not my responsibility at all! That's Eldest Brother's responsibility! I shall drag him back to us!!”
”What if you fail!? If it's the same no matter who goes to save him, I should be the one to do it. That's far more logical—”
”Logical, the hell! Are you able to bring back that idiot with you!? It's far more likely that I'll succeed compared to you!!”
”My idiot Second Brother who didn't stop the idiot Eldest Brother in time doesn't have the right to say such a thing!!”
The siblings began to argue.
Seiji silently walked off and left them alone.