Chapter 51: Hidden Truths, Early Changes, A Glimpse of the Conglomerate, and Side Effects
The atmosphere had thawed slightly after Haruka's little performance, but the calm was shattered by his next words.
"You have what?!" Yukinoshita was on her feet, her composed facade cracked.
Beside him, Shoko's eyes went wide with pure shock. Hitori, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to physically shrink into her chair.
Haruka stirred his coffee, annoyingly calm. "I said I have a neurological condition. Similar to dissociative identity disorder. It's not a big deal."
His tone was so casual, so dismissive, you'd think he was talking about seasonal allergies.
"Not a big deal?" Yukinoshita sank back into her seat, pinning him with a laser-focused stare. "A psychiatric condition is 'not a big deal'? You're sure it's DID?"
He took a sip of the bitter coffee. He still hated the stuff. Some things, like bad coffee and messed-up brain chemistry, just couldn't be sweetened enough.
"I've had it checked. It's like DID. It's not life threatening."
Not life-threatening. Shoko's grip on his hand became vicelike. "A doctor. We need to find a doctor. Now. We're going to the hospital."
"Shoko, I've been seeing doctors. Regularly. I'm telling you, it doesn't affect my lifespan."
"Can it be cured?"
Looking at the naked worry on her face, he finally understood why people lied to those they loved. To spare them this. To keep that fear out of their eyes.
He forced a smile, the kind meant to reassure. "I'm already in treatment. Remember what I do for a living? The only reason I haven't gotten down on one knee yet is because I wanted to be further along with treatment. A few more years. It'll be manageable."
"Really?"
"Would I joke about this?"
The table held its breath. Slowly, the tension seeped out of Yukinoshita's shoulders. Hitori peeked over the table's edge.
"No more all-nighters in the lab," Shoko said softly, giving his side a gentle pinch. Her tone left no room for argument. Even if it wasn't fatal, she was putting him on a strict health regimen, effective immediately.
Haruka made a face. "You're banning a researcher from pulling all-nighters? That's like banning a guitarist from power chords."
His attempted pity-play earned zero sympathy from the suddenly stern woman beside him.
The rest of the meal passed with lighter conversation, though the portions were ridiculously small. 'Note to self,' Haruka thought, 'steak good, value proposition terrible.'
"Alright, let's get out of here," he said, standing up. "There's a park nearby, and I saw a couple of decent food stalls on the way. My stomach needs a second round."
***
[In the end, you withheld the full, grim truth about your condition.]
[The reunion ended.]
[It was a gathering tinged with regret, with too many empty chairs.]
[You didn't know that shortly after you left, Kazusa Touma's plane landed. She came straight to the restaurant, only to watch your car drive away from a distance.]
[Life settled back into a routine, now with Shoko acting as a much stricter health warden.]
[You also started monthly physicals—a rule she enforced absolutely.]
[You may have occasionally fudged a result or two on the paperwork.]
[Time flowed on.]
[Another half a year passed.]
[According to those fragmented tragic memories, Shoko's grandmother should have passed by now. But you'd long since prevented that. Your financial support had lifted the Nishimiya family's burdens years ago. Her grandmother lived a comfortable, quiet life.]
[Yet, the other predicted event arrived on schedule.]
[Shoko's hearing began to deteriorate.]
[You were prepared. You looked her dead in the eye and said, "If you ever choose to leave me, I'm following you. Tandem suicide. Romantic, right?"]
[The sheer, terrifying seriousness in your expression shocked her out of her spiral.]
[She abandoned those dark thoughts.]
[But it didn't solve the core problem.]
[Complete deafness? That was an ending you refused to accept.]
[As these critical 'plot points' emerged, the tragic memories surged back with a vengeance.]
[Nights were spent locked in the bathroom, clutching your head, secretly chasing painkillers with water.]
[The half year brought other developments.]
[Your talent seemed to be amplifying. You'd perfected several drugs, becoming the company's rising star.]
[You attracted serious attention from Hayasaka and Kaguya Shinomiya. You got a promotion.]
[Frankly, you didn't care about the title. You only cared if it gave you more resources for your real research.]
[You focused everything on auditory nerve regeneration.]
[Along the way, a byproduct emerged from your research: a treatment effective against early-stage, non-metastatic cancers.]
[You reported it.]
[Suddenly, a lot of powerful people knew your name.]
The morning Hayasaka Ai came for him, she was dressed in sleek, practical athletic wear, looking more like a special agent than a corporate assistant. She pulled him straight out of the lab and into her car without ceremony.
Haruka didn't resist. He just settled into the passenger seat as she peeled away from the curb.
"Who am I meeting?"
"Kaguya-sama."
"Figured. My stock just went way up, huh?"
Hayasaka's grip on the wheel tightened slightly. 'Went up'? He'd just discovered a potential goldmine. A person who could develop a viable cancer treatment wasn't just an asset; he was a strategic resource.
International pharmaceutical giants would be taking notes. The fact it was for early-stage cases was perfect—valuable enough to be a game changer for Kaguya's faction, but not so world-shattering that they couldn't protect it.
This could be the leverage Kaguya needed.
They arrived at a villa that redefined 'spacious.' Manicured gardens, a serene koi pond, the works. A perimeter of unsmiling men in black suits and sunglasses patrolled the grounds.
"And this is just her private residence," Hayasaka said, noting his gaze. "Not the main family estate."
Haruka couldn't even imagine the main estate.
After passing through security, they entered the villa. It was aflutter with efficient, impeccably dressed maids tending to every detail. They all bowed respectfully as Hayasaka passed, their eyes flicking to him with curious assessment.
'So this is the zaibatsu life,' Haruka mused. It felt less luxurious and more like a beautifully gilded cage.
"Impressed?" Hayasaka asked quietly.
"Eh. Feels a bit archaic."
She gave a thin smile. "You'll get used to it. A word of advice: Kaguya-sama values loyalty in her subordinates. Try to... embody that concept today."
Even she seemed to know asking for undying fealty from him was a stretch.
They stopped before a heavy wooden door. Hayasaka's posture became rigidly formal. She knocked.
"Enter." The voice from within was cold, sharp, and carried absolute authority.
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We've passed 300 stones, so 2 chapters coming today! Let's push for 400. Once we hit that, I'll drop the next one immediately!!
Hand over those power stones or I'm coming to get them myself!!!
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