Chapter 38

(First pov)

What's the common issue in relationships?

Trust. Commitment... sure, there's a lot.

As a realist, I'd rather trust in a solid stock investment—something that'll turn green in a few years. It's not exactly brilliant to invest in dating, especially when everyone has their own biases. That's one reason why I stay away from relationships, it is why I've remained single.

In my past life, my parents were the worst. My dad disappeared, leaving my mother with a huge debt. After that, she turned to drugs to cope with the stress, and I eventually found her lifeless body in the bathroom from an overdose.

In this new life, my parents' marriage isn't great either, but they're better in many ways. Still, it's far from the ideal I once imagined, even though I'm living alongside people I once only saw in anime.

"You dare to show up here after five years."

I chuckle lightly, "Let's not forget who kicked me out—physically, mentally, and legally speaking."

At my words, my father furrows his brow while sitting at the dining table. I'm at the far end, with my sister and mother beside me, while he is alone across from me.

I can clearly see how angry he is now. According to Masamune's memories—which are now mine, he used to look at me like I was nothing, just dirty air that needed to be purified. But now? It's different from the last time we met in New York.

I was wondering when I watch the spoiler that system gave me. I never saw him in the anime. Is he got arrested because in the anime that my mother is a loli? There's a lot thing different like my mother is not a loli but an adult woman. Maybe it's just an exaggerated characterization?

"You don't belong here. Don't expect me to welcome you back as family or heir. Shame on you. Ungrateful brat."

I smirk. "I couldn't care less about those things. My net worth is higher than the entire Hayase Group combined, so why would I be interested in becoming your successor? If I owe anyone, it's my mother for bringing me into this world. As for why I'm here—well, I noticed that Chinatsu couldn't put up with your nonsense anymore, so I decided to return sooner than I had planned."

"Mind your own business. This is my family's concern," my father snaps.

I'm not angry; I expected this. He's a pathetic and petty man, after all. However, I glance at my mother and notice she's trembling with rage. Gently, I place my hand over hers. She calms down a bit, and when she looks at me, I quietly shake my head, signaling that it's not worth it and that I've got this covered.

Turning back to my father—or rather, my biological father—I meet his gaze with a calm, unwavering look.

"That's fine. Still, I'll be taking my sister and mother with me tonight."

"What?" My father laughs. "This brat… even with your money, you're still a fool. You think it'll be that easy? Chinatsu is being raised as the heir of this family. A life of honor awaits her."

"Honor?" I chuckle. "What kind of honor awaits her when you couldn't even make her the CEO of the Hayase Group?"

His eyes narrow. "Don't test me, and don't talk as if you have any stake in the Hayase Group. I AM THE OWNER OF HAYASE!"

I can't help but laugh. My sister shoots me a look, as if to say, now's not the time to be laughing like that.

"Of course, I do," I reply, my voice steady. My words cause him, Chinatsu, and my mother to pause. I lean back in my chair, before continuing, "After all, I'm the major shareholder now."

"What?" He pause a little before laughing, "Hah! You're bluffing."

Instead of answering, I turn to Chinatsu. "Go pack your clothes. You'll live with me now, okay? I'll wrap this up quickly so we can get to that frozen food we bought."

She stares at me for a moment, then nods, a slight blush on her face.

"Mom, can you help her?" I ask gently.

My mother hesitates, then smiles at me and heads off with Chinatsu, leaving just my father and me in the room. When I look back at him, I see the fury on his face, clearly upset that I'd ignored him.

"Well, of course, you wouldn't notice," I say casually, "since I bought the shares through every means possible. I won't bore you with the details, but I hold 39.75% of the company."

I watch as sweat starts to bead on his forehead.

"Such an obvious lie," he mutters.

"Did I stutter?" I smirk. "You already know Madam Flower holds the other 39.75%, and she happens to be a friend of mine. She's given me her voting rights, meaning I get to make the key decisions in the company. So, Mr. Minoru..." I lean back in my chair, arms crossed, a calm smile on my face. "Consider this a heads-up for the next board meeting. I'm going to have you removed as CEO."

"Th—this can't be. H-How is this even possible? T-That's right! You can't possibly do this! Shinomiya has been backing me up! If you're messing with me, that means you're messing with them."

His face twists in confusion and disbelief as I smile wider, amused.

"Call them," I say, watching his bewildered expression.

"What?"

"I said, call them."

Shuddering, he opens his mouth, then pauses. "Y-You… you must be bluffing again. This is Shinomiya, you brat. If I ask for their help, you're finished."

I chuckle. "I said, call them. You keep saying Shinomiya this, Shinomiya that, but there's something more important here that you're forgetting—the man sitting in front of you."

He chuckles. "A brat like you?"

I sigh. "Say my name…"

I look deep into his eyes as I wait. I see him glance around, but he tries his best to meet my gaze.

"You're Hayase Masamune."

"Wrong. I am Makabe Masamune," I reply firmly, rejecting any connection to him. "The world believes my grandfather is behind it all. I get it—it's hard to believe that a 15-year-old like me could have billions of dollars. But as a father, you refuse to believe it, even though deep down, you know it was me."

I smile as I continue.

"Funny, isn't it? You've walked right into my trap, Father."

"What?"

His eyes lock onto mine.

"The Hayase Group has been bleeding since the Great Recession. Unable to handle the situation, you chose to take the company public as soon as an opportunity knocked on your door. But for your information, I orchestrated that. I set up the cruise ship project, advised your closest men to convince you to go public. It's a bit technical, but yeah… it was all part of my plan."

As my words sink in, I see his face shift from rage to shock, then to pure paleness.

"N-No… there's no way I've been betrayed by my own people."

He's realizing how completely I've outmaneuvered him. He knows I've built something unshakeable.

It's not like I haven't noticed how tired my sister is from trying to live up to the impossible expectations placed on her. And my mother, always hoping my father will change, is too kind and naive. Even Grandpa, who's a great person, hasn't been able to do anything against Shinomiya's iron-fisted support of him. But now, everything has changed.

With the knowledge I've gained and five years of hard work, I'm finally taking control—doing this for my sister and mother.

"Onii-chan…"

I turn my head to see Chinatsu standing there with two suitcases beside her, peeking around the corner. I push my chair back, stand, and walk toward her, away from the dining table. "Let's meet again at the board meeting, Mr. Minoru," I say, walking away without bothering to look back at him.

Sure, if he has the guts to come after I spoil everything that will happen to him… a crushing defeat awaits.

As I approach Chinatsu, I notice something. "Where's your blue hair tie?"

"I—I put it in the suitcase…" she replies softly.

"Chinatsu, I'll ask you one more time. Did he hurt you?"

"No… it's my first time seeing Father like that. Maybe he was just frustrated."

When it comes to this, I know Chinatsu won't lie to me. She's smart enough and has the courage to leave home if she were being abused physically. But I won't let this slide.

I nod, taking hold of her suitcase handle.

Just then, Mom comes down the stairs with two more suitcases.

"Can you both wait outside and stop a taxi?" she asks, giving us a meek smile.

"Mom, are you sure?"

"Yes, please. There's something I want to talk about with your father, alone."

I understand and nod, knowing she needs this moment.

Sigh, should I really have a girlfriend?

Waiting outside with Chinatsu beside me, she look rather down now. Hm... so, I just put my left arm on her shoulder and pull her closer.

"Onii-chan, did you plan all of this since the beginning?"

I nod a little, "Yeah. It took me years, sorry for that."

"Hm..." She hums softly, "You don't have to be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry... I didn't help you at all and ended up being an annoying little sister all the time."

Hearing this, I sigh inwardly and gently pat her head.

"Nah. You know what. Relying on your brother is not something you need to be sorry too."

After that, we didn't really talk much. She just held onto me, burying her face in my chest while I flagged down a taxi. Mom finally wrapped up her business, and we left the place together. Even inside the taxi, the only thing between us was silence.

After a while, we arrived at the apartment complex and made our way to Grandpa's place.

As I unlocked the door, the warm, familiar scent of curry filled the air. Walking inside, I heard his voice.

"Oh, you're all here. I'm still working on dinner, so please take a seat. I hope you don't mind that I cook the frozen food. Did you finish your business?"

I watched his back and couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah. We're back, Gramps..."

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[Name: Hayase Chinatsu]

[Age: 13]

[Rating: S]

[Likability: 100%]

[Current Status: Grateful]

[Spoiler: Masamune-kun's Revenge S1, S2, & OVA]

[Unused x1 SSR Package: Cristiano Ronaldo]

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