CHAPTER 35 - Secrets Unveiled (4)

Despite everything, Ichiro continued to stay at home, hidden away from the world. His decision baffled Akihiko, who had spoken rudely to him on numerous occasions, convinced that Ichiro had lost his mind by choosing to live this way. Akihiko had even offered to find him a different place to stay, somewhere far away from the oppressive confinement of his own home, but Ichiro had adamantly refused.

"If I leave," Ichiro had explained, his voice trembling with determination, "then they'll know everything, and they'll surely clean all the evidence."

Akihiko couldn't fathom what evidence Ichiro was referring to. He looked at his friend, annoyance etched across his face, and thought him foolish for making such a risky decision. "What evidence can there be when you're dead?" Akihiko retorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

Ichiro, however, remained resolute. He believed that by continuing to live in this self-imposed isolation, he could prove to his family that they weren't worried about him. He thought that his actions would give them a reason to care, to intervene, and to help him find a way out of the darkness that had consumed his life.

"Whatever," Akihiko muttered in frustration. "Just don't die," he stated plainly, as though it were an inconvenience for him to be a part of Ichiro's unusual plan.

As days turned into weeks, Ichiro found himself spending some alone time in his room, surrounded by the oppressive silence. He often thought back to the heated arguments he had had with Akihiko. There were moments when Akihiko had been on the verge of physically confronting him, trying to shake some sense into his friend. Ichiro knew that things hadn't gone too far south to turn back, that he could still hang on and see this strange endeavor through.

Lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, Ichiro couldn't help but wonder if he had made a colossal mistake. 

"Young master, are you still awake?" a voice echoed through Ichiro's dimly lit room. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It had been so long since they addressed him in such a formal manner.

Ichiro lay in his bed, unmoving, his heart pounding in his chest. He chose not to respond, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they would leave him alone.

"Young master, there will be a gathering in the main house. Master has invited you," the voice persisted, clearly not willing to give up.

Ichiro muttered to himself, his voice barely audible, "Yeah, right, another reason for you all to threaten my life." He couldn't help but wonder who could the family have possibly invited that would compel them to allow him to attend such a gathering.

"Well then, I'll leave your attire here," the voice said, indicating a departure. Ichiro remained resolutely silent, not wanting to engage. He had grown accustomed to being a shadow, an invisible presence within his own home. For months, he had managed to maintain this stealthy existence, slipping out each morning unnoticed and returning home undetected.

But this time was different. Everyone knew he was home because Akihiko had dropped him off. The mere sight of Akihiko had sent shivers down everyone's spines. The atmosphere had turned eerie and tense, as though the air itself carried a heavy foreboding.

As Ichiro lay in his room, contemplating whether to attend the gathering or not, he couldn't help but wonder if this was a turning point, an opportunity to confront the family and their menacing secrets. But he also knew that venturing out of his sanctuary meant exposing himself to dangers he might not be ready to face.

they all felt suffocated. But, little did Ichiro know that Akihiko did make the air that time suffocating for everyone. He was making the air so dense that it was unbreathable for everyone but Ichiro was not noticing it. 

Ichiro ventured outside cautiously, knowing that the world beyond his sanctuary was filled with uncertainties. He had learned to trust his instincts and the system that had become his lifeline. The system was his guardian, capable of detecting danger and warning him with a flashing red sign, but this time, it remained silent.

"HA- seriously?" Ichiro couldn't believe his eyes as he examined the attire laid out for him. It was nothing out of the ordinary, certainly not the kind of clothing that would warrant a warning from the system. They were treating him with an unusual amount of respect, as though he were a young master rather than a hidden outcast. "I wonder what's going on in my uncle's head."

As he pondered the sudden change in his family's treatment, Ichiro came to a realization. It was Akihiko's visit earlier that had caused this shift in their behavior. Akihiko's presence had cast an intimidating shadow over the household, making them reconsider their actions. But Ichiro knew that his uncle's intentions were far from benevolent; he still harbored the desire to see him dead.

Ichiro carefully placed the attire back in the box and decided to venture outside without it. His stealth abilities had improved significantly over the months of training with the system, and now he could easily slip past the guards without raising any suspicion.

"Did you feel that?" one of the guards by the gate whispered to his companion.

"Felt what, dummy?" the other guard replied, clearly baffled.

The first guard was certain he had sensed something. "Seriously, I just felt something pass by."

"Are you sick?" his companion asked, concern lacing his voice.

"No, I'm not," the first guard insisted.

Ichiro couldn't help but chuckle as he listened to their argument. The skills granted by the system had proven invaluable, allowing him to move like a phantom in the night. Thanks to these newfound abilities, he had begun to craft a secret identity, one he hadn't even revealed to Akihiko.

Dressed in sporty attire and a hooded jacket to obscure his face, Ichiro moved further into the night, determined to uncover the secrets hidden within his family's estate and to protect the newfound identity he had carefully forged.

Ichiro had discovered an unconventional way to improve himself, one that didn't involve facing his fears of monsters. Instead, he had chosen to fight crime, a pursuit that many ordinary people took up to make their communities safer. Despite lacking any supernatural abilities, magical powers, or special auras, Ichiro had honed his physical skills, turning himself into an extraordinary ordinary person.

He had learned that certain areas in the city were plagued by regular criminal activity, areas that people with abilities tended to ignore, not out of fear but simply because they couldn't be bothered with them.

One night, as he patrolled the dimly lit streets of the city, Ichiro couldn't help but smile as he found his target for the evening. It had been unusually quiet in the past few nights, and he had begun to wonder if his efforts were making a difference.

In front of him, a group of people had set up a makeshift stall, peddling goods of uncertain origin. Ichiro couldn't discern exactly what they were selling, but the dubious nature of the operation suggested trouble.

"Who would have thought," Ichiro mused to himself as he approached the group cautiously. He blended into the shadows, using his heightened awareness to assess the situation.

As he observed from the darkness, Ichiro realized that the group was not just selling ordinary items; they were involved in something more sinister. The exchange of hushed words, the furtive glances, and the hidden packages hinted at illicit dealings.

Ichiro took a deep breath and steeled himself for action. He might not have magical powers or supernatural abilities, but he had determination and the element of surprise on his side. With a quiet resolve, he stepped out of the shadows and approached the group, ready to confront the criminals and make a difference in the city he had chosen to protect.

Before Ichiro could even make his move, a stranger materialized seemingly out of nowhere, their actions swift and decisive. Ichiro watched in awe as this mysterious figure engaged the criminals with remarkable skill and precision. It was as if they had been born to battle crime, moving gracefully between punches, kicks, and evasive maneuvers.

Ichiro couldn't help but be curious about the stranger's identity. Who was this enigmatic person who fought with such finesse? How had they honed their abilities to this level of mastery? These questions swirled in Ichiro's mind as he observed the stranger in action.

Even though the stranger's combat skills were impressive, they were still outnumbered. As the tension escalated, one of the criminals pulled out a gun, and the situation became infinitely more dangerous.

"Damn it!" Ichiro couldn't stand by any longer. He sprinted into action, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His heart pounded as he rushed toward the gunman, determined to intervene before the mysterious individual could be harmed.

BANG!

The deafening sound of a gunshot echoed through the dimly lit alley, causing everyone to freeze for a fraction of a second.