My Young Husband, The Assasin-Chapter 82: Lies, loss, and the last goodbye

"No!" Ryoji cried, breaths sputtering with anger.

"I saw it with my own eyes—Kaito drove his sword through my mother’s body!"

Nono was a caretaker at the orphanage and also Ryoji’s adoptive mother. She had raised him since he was a baby. She was the one who taught him about traditional medicine and other skills, as she considered him a genius compared to the other children at the orphanage.

Although she appeared to be a gentle and soft-spoken woman, no one knew that Nono was actually a former subordinate of Hiroshi. For years, she had lived in exile in a remote village, hiding from her past. But eventually, Hiroshi was able to find her.

Nono feared that Hiroshi being around made her and the innocent children in the orphanage potentially sign their death sentences. At first, Hiroshi asks Nono to do something for him. Still, when he inadvertently finds out about Ryoji, he decides to fill this boy with the skills he needs in the future as a spy. Naturally, Nono vehemently refused, not wanting Ryoji to endure the same horrific and painful life she had lived.

Nono wanted all the children at the orphanage to live happily and peacefully. Reluctantly, she agreed to Hiroshi’s demands on the condition that he would not take Ryoji or any of the other children down that hellish path.

An agreement was reached between the two. But Nono forgot something: Hiroshi was an extremely sly person, and he never fulfilled his promises. Once Nono finished her mission, Hiroshi would order one of the doctors from his secret laboratory to brainwash her, wiping all memories of the children from the orphanage and Ryoji. Hiroshi desperately needed Nono’s talent as a spy and assassin, after all.

In short, Nono died while carrying out her mission—or more accurately, she was killed by Hiroshi for trying to stop him from taking Ryoji away. To ensure his plan succeeded, Hiroshi twisted the facts and successfully made Ryoji harbor a deep hatred for Kaito and the Ishikawa family.

The only person who knew the truth was Hanae’s late father, who had accidentally witnessed and overheard everything Hiroshi said from behind some rocks during the incident.

"To fulfill his dirty ambitions, Hiroshi lied to you by twisting the facts, making you believe that Kaito Ishikawa was the one who killed your mother. He showed you a fake video of Kaito stabbing Nono-san with his sword."

"No. That’s impossible," Ryoji denied, still unwilling to accept the confusing and painful reality.

"Everyone has been deceived by Hiroshi for his ambition to become the ruler."

Ryoji’s body collapsed weakly to the ground as he let out a soft laugh, tears streaming down his face.

"AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" he screamed in frustration.

Kenzaki Haru had not actually disappeared and abandoned his family like the irresponsible man many people thought he was. The middle-aged man had left home intentionally because he was carrying out a secret mission for Tetsuya.

Not long after being exiled from the Kenzaki residence, Tetsuya secretly met with Haru without anyone’s knowledge and asked him to carry out a task. What a reward! If Haru is successful, he will be able to get back all the assets of the Kenzaki company. Well, it wasn’t like Haru was gonna let this opportunity slip through his fingers; after all, this was probably the only thing he could do to bring his family back to life.

It wasn’t anything too hard either, like searching for Hiroshi’s former subordinate, Hanae. This beautiful woman was the key to all the problems that had persisted after Mizuki failed to locate Hanae in Dubai. Even if he had to travel to the ends of the earth, Haru was determined to find Hanae and bring her before Tetsuya.

As a former spy or scout, this was not too challenging. Haru confirmed this when she tracked down Hanae and even brought her to Ryoji to explain everything and make sure there were no more misunderstandings.

Yet again, Yuki got in on the act. And so the insect-loving man guided them both to the now-chaotic Ishikawa Mansion as per Tetsuya’s orders. Tetsuya’s plan appeared to be working.

"Please stop all of this, Ryoji-san," Hanae knelt, pleading with Ryoji.

"So all this time, I was just being used," he murmured, his voice filled with disbelief and sorrow.

"Yes, so please, I beg you, let go of your vengeance. Nono-san deliberately sacrificed herself so that you could live a better and happier life," Hanae said as gently as possible.

"Mother..." he sobbed in grief.

Anyone would pity Ryoji upon seeing him so broken and powerless. He, also, was a victim of Hiroshi Okada’s dishonesty. Much to my relief, that miserable old man was dead, so I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else being sucked into his machinations.

Just like there was no one left he wanted to exact revenge on. He had harbored his grudge against the wrong person and had been manipulated by the very man who had killed his mother. Now, on top of that, he had also lost his beloved because of his vendetta. At this moment, Ryoji felt like he had no reason left to live.

Without hesitation, Ryoji shot himself in the head with his pistol. He chose to end his own life, following his lover into the afterlife. He would go with Shin wherever he went, like he’d once promised—to always be together.

Everyone cried out in despair, refusing to accept that Ryoji had killed himself. It was truly a tragic end. Ryoji was dead by the time Renji got there, his coiled cadaver holding Shin’s body.

That night, the Ishikawa Mansion was completely engulfed in flames and burned to the ground. Not only that, but the Onibara group also crumbled following the death of Kaito and almost all of its members at the hands of the Hayabusa group.

It wasn’t just the Onibara who suffered losses. Renji’s group also experienced heavy casualties, with many of his men killed. Several others sustained serious injuries, some barely clinging to life and needing immediate hospitalization.

At the hospital, Arashi, Ryuji, and Tetsuya were all admitted to the emergency unit. Their injuries were serious, and they were said to be critically injured.

They were taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital, which was quickly overwhelmed by the bludgeoning number of wounded. Those three weren’t the only ones—dozens of injured Hayabusa members had been brought in to be treated.

The hospital atmosphere turned chaotic with commotion as the injured gang members arrived. The hospital staff could not refuse to treat them, as doing so could cost them their lives.

During the journey to the hospital, Tetsuya coughed up blood twice and was barely conscious. Arashi was in a similarly dire condition, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Tetsuya’s heartbeat was so weak that when the doctors examined him, it was almost undetectable, and the medical staff was confused and scared. And any doctor, however talented, was still a person, not a god who could choose between life and death. Yet, as sworn medical professionals, they tried their best. But Tetsuya was hopeless, and he was desperate. His heart condition was so severe that it was a miracle he had still been able to fight earlier.

Beside Tetsuya’s bed, another doctor attending to Arashi sounded panicked—Arashi was still bleeding heavily from his wound. If they couldn’t stop the bleeding, he would die from blood loss.

The scene outside the emergency unit was utter chaos. Renji was screaming and wanted to get in and see Tetsuya, but he was being held back with all their might by Fujita, Haruto, and Shiro. Renji was powerful enough that it took all three of them to restrain him.

As for Keiko, like Renji, a shock and worry hit her; she became teary, thinking of Ryuji, who had also been whisked into the emergency unit. But there was nothing she could do except try to stay calm and silently pray to God for their safety.

"Calm yourself, Renji!" Haruto barked at his nephew.

Haruto was the only remaining member of the Ishikawa family, as Shiro had no intention of killing him. Instead, he wanted to bring him back to the right path. And his efforts succeeded.

"Sob~" Renji sobbed, hiding his face on Haruto’s shoulder.

"What should I do, Uncle?" he inquired tremulously.

"All we can do is pray and leave it in God," Haruto soothed him.

But Renji was not the only one in a rush. Tearing his hair out and bitterly crying on his knees, Renji did not give a fuck about the fact that he was the leader of the elite Hayabusa group, a man known and feared by many.

"Tetsuya..." he whispered sorrowfully.

.

.

.

Today, everyone gathered in a grand hall. However, they weren’t there for a celebration or a party—it was a funeral. Everyone in attendance was dressed in black, mourning the loss and sharing in the grief of the bereaved family.

Large flower wreaths expressing condolences from various parties lined the corridor from the entrance to the hotel’s outer doors. Among them was a floral tribute from Tsuchihebi and his wife, who also attended the funeral as a gesture of sympathy for the Ishikawa family, especially for Renji.

Renji wore a black suit with a white shirt, a black tie, and no pin. His shoes, belt, and socks were also black. Meanwhile, Aira donned a formal black kimono with a string of pearls elegantly encircling her neck.

Their child, Ryuzaki, was carried by Hinami as Aira had to welcome the arriving mourners—most of whom were prominent business figures and a few well-known artists from both Japan and abroad who had come to pay their final respects.

As in many other cultures, funerals hold deep significance in Japanese tradition. Japanese funerals are typically Buddhist, and the deceased is more often cremated than buried.

Aira wept bitterly during the incineration as Renji silently held her without saying a word. But his eyes betrayed deep sadness. Neither was Haruto, who was also stunned and couldn’t comprehend what had gone down.

It was Renji himself who placed the ashes into a ceramic urn, which was later buried in a plot arranged by the Ishikawa family.

Throughout the burial ceremony, Aira and Renji’s closest friends remained by their side until the very end. Among them was Saki Fujimoto, an employee from Asahi Café, who attended in a long black dress. She wore her trademark ponytail in a smooth bun, leaving her delicate neck completely bare. Rika stood next to her, providing quiet support.

When Saki’s relationship with Issei even became cold as ice, not as sweet as it used to be. Those nearby knew—even considering the horrific experience Saki had gone through, almost losing her life. Meanwhile, Issei’s cowardly actions had angered many of their friends, who believed he had failed to act as a true man, let alone as Saki’s supposed future husband.

...