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Chapter 16 – Echoes of the Past
The purr of the Rolls-Royce engine filled the silence as the car moved through the city's night lights. Ayanokoji sat quietly in the back seat, his gaze distant, reflecting in the tinted window. The faint glow of passing streetlights painted brief streaks of gold across his face.
Ryuuen was behind the wheel, one hand casually resting on the steering wheel while the other drummed against the side. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"So," he said, eyes still on the road. "What's the real reason you saved the Horikita family from bankruptcy?"
Ayanokoji didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone. After a few seconds, he handed it toward Ryuuen. On the screen was a picture — a woman smiling softly, her eyes full of warmth.
Ryuuen glanced at it, his brow furrowing. "Why are you showing me a picture of Suzune?"
Ayanokoji's voice was calm, but heavy. "That's not Suzune," he said quietly. "That's my first love."
Ryuuen blinked, looking again. The resemblance was uncanny — almost identical. "You're kidding me," he muttered. "They look exactly the same."
Ayanokoji leaned back, his tone distant. "That's why I agreed to meet her. When I saw her face, it was like… time stopped for a second."
Ryuuen whistled low. "So, what, you're trying to see if you can feel love again?"
"In a way," Ayanokoji replied softly, his gaze fixed out the window. The streetlights kept sliding past, each reflection flickering like old memories.
Ryuuen smirked. "That's some deep shit, man. But you're Ayanokoji. You could just ask her to marry you and she'd say yes before you even finish the sentence. With your name, your money, and that face, no woman's rejecting you."
Ayanokoji's eyes lowered slightly. "And what if I don't love her?" he asked. "What if she says yes because of who I am, not who I am to her? What if neither of us ever truly feels anything?"
For a moment, the car was silent except for the hum of the tires against the road.
Ryuuen glanced at him through the rear-view mirror and chuckled lightly. "I never thought I'd see the day you gave a damn about feelings."
Ayanokoji's lips curved faintly — not a smile, not quite. "Neither did I," he said. "But for some reason… I care. Maybe because she reminds me of her."
Ryuuen leaned back in his seat, resting one arm on the window. "Guess even a monster like you has a heart somewhere."
Ayanokoji ignored the jab, instead looking at the phone again — the picture still glowing faintly in his hand. "Did you finish the task I gave you?"
"Yeah," Ryuuen said. "Everything's been handled. Clean and quiet."
"Good," Ayanokoji replied.
Ryuuen hesitated before speaking again. "So, what's next? Any new project lined up?"
"There isn't one for now," Ayanokoji said. "Just… keep monitoring that car accident case I told you about."
Ryuuen frowned slightly. "That same one, huh? The one from years ago?"
"Yes."
"So the woman in that accident… that was your first love, wasn't it?" Ryuuen asked, his tone unusually serious.
Ayanokoji didn't answer, but the silence was enough. He simply nodded once.
Ryuuen looked back at the road, the weight of the revelation sinking in. "No wonder you keep asking me to recheck it. You're still trying to find whoever's connected to it, aren't you?"
Ayanokoji's eyes darkened slightly. "There's something about that night that doesn't add up. Until I know the truth, I won't stop."
Neither spoke again. The hum of the engine filled the air, a lullaby of secrets and regrets.
When they reached the Ayanokoji Corporation building, Ryuuen parked the car in front of the entrance. Both stepped out.
Ryuuen stretched his arms and tossed the car keys lazily toward Ayanokoji. "I'm heading off. Try not to brood yourself to death, yeah?"
Ayanokoji caught the keys effortlessly. "Drive safe."
Ryuuen smirked, walking toward his black Lamborghini parked nearby. "I always do."
The engine of Ryuuen's supercar roared to life before he sped off into the distance, leaving only the sound of fading thunder behind.
Ayanokoji stood there for a moment, looking up at the massive tower that bore his name. Then, without another word, he turned and walked inside — his expression calm, but his eyes clouded with something long buried and still unresolved.
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