Reunion

In a Tokyo alley, Shiruu sang, "Watashi no ai wa, yoru no hibi no honō no yōni, Kono hiroi sekai de, anata wa watashi no michibikikata. Watashi no kokoro wa anata no yasuragi, eien ni todomaru, Anata no tame ni tsukurareta takara, subete no katachi de.

Dakara watashi no te o tori, toshi o koeyō, Shinpai suru hitsuyō wa nai, osore no kyabin wa nai. Kono ai o mitsuketa toki, eien ni ite, Watashi no yakusoku, anata no kokoro wa watashi to tomo ni anzen desu. My promise to you, your heart is safe with me."

While he sang, a few people lingered to enjoy his performance. Unbeknownst to Shiruu, a group of men in black suits left their cars and approached him. As they neared, the onlookers quickly dispersed.

Shiruu noticed the commotion but continued to sing. When he finished, he gazed at the man who had approached him and inquired, "Are you connected to my father?"

Saito Nakamura, the man who had come forward, shook his head and replied, "No. Just come with us."

Shiruu eyed them cautiously.

Upon hearing this, Saito calmly stated, "Your younger brother is searching for you."

Shiruu, upon realizing that it must be Seki, shook his head and responded, "If you're one of Seki's men, the answer is no. I won't be coming."

Saito shook his head in response and added, "No, the one seeking you is Shinro."

Shiruu was taken aback by this revelation and thought to himself, 'Shinro?'

Eventually, Shiruu nodded to Saito and agreed to accompany him. He followed Saito and entered the black car. As they passed a line of black cars, Shiruu grew increasingly perplexed, harboring doubts about whether it was truly Shinro who was looking for him.

---

The car journey continued for a while until they reached a traditional Japanese mansion. Shiruu started to feel a sense of unease as he followed Saito, observing the disciplined presence of numerous men in black suits surrounding the area.

'This resembles...' Shiruu cast a gloomy glance at his surroundings and grimly pondered, 'A Yakuza hideout!'

With his doubts lingering, Shiruu accompanied Saito into a specific room within the mansion.

Upon entering the room, Shiruu spotted a young man casually dressed in a jacket. His eyes widened in surprise. It was his fourth brother, Shinro Suzuki.

Relief washed over Shiruu's face, and he quickly made his way over to Shinro with a smile. "Hey, little brother. How have you been?" he inquired.

Shinro, who was seated, returned the smile and nodded. He rose to embrace his brother lightly and reciprocated, "I'm doing well. But enough about me, how are you?"

Shiruu let out a wry chuckle and replied, "I'm doing more than fine." He took a seat and noticed a table adorned with various Japanese dishes and even a bottle of sake.

Without delving too deep into questions about his second brother, Shinro invited Shiruu to partake in the meal.

As they engaged in light conversation, Shiruu suddenly inquired, "Did Father send you to persuade me to return?" He chuckled as he posed the question.

Shinro maintained a smile and responded, "Of course not."

Shiruu regarded Shinro with skepticism and remarked, "Really?" He surveyed their opulent surroundings and the significant number of men present. "You've arranged a room for me in this mansion, and there are many people here..." Shiruu looked at Shinro thoughtfully and added with doubt, "I'm not convinced that you have these resources at your disposal..."

Shin simply smiled in response to his second brother's inquiry. He playfully shook his head and said, "Hehe, you might be surprised, but I'm a big boss now," with a hint of pride in his voice.

Shiruu chuckled, as if taking it as a jest. "Hehe, really? I didn't know you could tell such a tall tale," he quipped.

Shin firmly shook his head and adopted a serious tone. "I'm dead serious, second brother," he declared. Shin pointed to the KiShin logo adorning his blue jacket and continued, "This is my company now, older brother."

Sipping his sake, Shiruu peered at Shinro, silently contemplating. 'He doesn't appear to be lying,' he thought.

With a smile and a touch of confidence, Shin affirmed, "I am the owner of KiShin."

Shiruu, upon hearing this, was somewhat taken aback. He had heard of KiShin before; it was a video game company that had been gaining popularity in Tokyo in recent months.

Curious, Shiruu inquired, "Did Father assist you in this endeavor?"

Shin shook his head and replied, "No, in fact, I've become independent. I haven't had contact with the family for a while now."

Shiruu nodded, starting to grasp the situation.

'It appears that my little brother has already achieved his dream,' Shiruu observed, casting an envious glance at Shinro. 'While I'm still out here performing on the streets,' he mused, looking down momentarily. He reached for the sake bottle, filling his cup, and downed it in one go.

Noticing Shiruu's reaction, Shin quickly interjected, "Second Brother, would you like to make your dream come true?" He gazed warmly at Shiruu, recalling how his second brother had looked after him until he left home to chase his own aspirations.

From what Shin remembered, the original Shin had been heavily influenced by Shiruu.

Shiruu was taken aback by the offer, and he responded with enthusiasm, "Fulfill my dream? Of course, I want to!"

Upon hearing Shiruu's eagerness, Shin continued with his invitation, "I want you to join my company, KiShin Entertainment!"

Shiruu's eyes widened a little, and he looked at Shinro with a glimmer of hope. "Really..."

Shin nodded and stated, "I've even prepared lyrics for you to sing," as he retrieved a piece of paper and placed it in front of Shiruu.

Curiosity piqued, Shiruu examined the paper and found the song title to be 'Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou).' As he read the composed lyrics, excitement welled up within him, and he felt genuinely inspired. "Woah! This song is fantastic!" he exclaimed, offering his praise to Shinro.

Shin wore a contented smile and nodded in agreement.

With a smile of his own, Shiruu declared, "Alright. I'll join you."

Shin reciprocated the smile and said, "Yeah, let's surprise Father together."

Shiruu chuckled and smiled.

Following their decision, Shinro and Shiruu delved into the contract discussions. As Shiruu was Shin's brother, Shinro extended a special and generous contract to him, which left Shiruu pleasantly surprised.

As they continued to enjoy their meal and engage in conversation, Shiruu learned that Shin was already engaged. This revelation prompted Shiruu to exclaim, "Really?! You're getting married before me!?"

Shin chuckled at his brother's words.

[The next chapter will feature a slight time skip.]