𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔 (現代のドリゼラ)

第12章

HIS SACRIFICE

❝There is nothing that love cannot achieve, and there is nothing that love cannot sacrifice.❞
- Meher Baba

【Third-Person POV】

Darkness. When Mayumi stirred awake, she knew something was not right. Everything was dark. Her head throbbed with pain, and she couldn't move. 'Where am I? What happened?!'

All she remembered was watching the fireworks display with Ayeka after the anniversary program's closing. She had excused herself to go to the restroom, but before she could step inside, someone had covered her mouth with a cloth.

She tried to wriggle free from the ropes binding her hands and feet, but to no avail. They wouldn't budge, and the more she struggled, the tighter and more painful they became.

"M-Mayumi, a-are you okay?" It was Giichi. She could hear the pain in his voice. "M-Mayumi..."

"Giichi-sama?" she called out, trying to move closer to him, though she had no idea where he was. She knew they were both in the same room, wherever they were being held captive.

"Are you okay, Giichi-sama?" she asked again. When he didn't respond, she continued, "Why are we both kidnapped? Is it the Nakamura-gumi?"

"Mayumi, listen to me very carefully. I will get you out of here. You just have to trust me, okay? Don't speak and just obey whatever they might want us to do. I will protect you and I will not let anyone hurt you." Mayumi's heart skipped a beat at Giichi's words.

She was about to respond when they both heard a door opening. They fell silent, but she could hear Giichi's heavy breathing.

Mayumi gasped when someone harshly yanked the cloth covering her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden pain from the harsh lighting.

When her eyes finally adjusted, she could see the room where they were being held captive.

It was old and shabby, looking as if it hadn't been used in years.

She bit her lip to keep from shouting and asking questions when she realized it was the same room where she had been held captive when she was younger.

So, it wasn't a dream but a suppressed memory of mine, she thought, trying to look around despite being tied to a wooden chair. She finally saw where Giichi was.

He was also tied to a chair, a little distance away. His eyes weren't covered, and he was glaring daggers at the man standing in front of them. It was Nakamura Taichi. The devil himself.

"Why are you doing this, Taichi? You said you would not touch or hurt Mayumi as long as I followed your orders!" Giichi's voice was laced with anger, but Taichi smirked and turned towards Mayumi, making her flinch in fear.

"You're so beautiful. No wonder he loves you." Taichi said wearing no expression on his face. "But that's not what I want. He was the male protagonist of my sister's story, and you are the witch, the antagonist."

He looked back at Giichi, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "The male lead was never meant to fall for the antagonist. His heart was supposed to belong to the damsel in distress, the kindhearted female lead. You shattered my sister's perfect story, Giichi. I despise anyone who taints her story. And do you know what I do to those who ruin her beautiful story? I make their most cherished ones endure the deepest agony."

Mayumi couldn't help but stare at Taichi in disbelief, her fear growing with each passing moment.

Suddenly, as if a button had been pressed, memories from her past began to flood her mind. Tears flowed uncontrollably as she finally remembered everything.

She was five years old when their estate was attacked. Giichi was visiting her, and they were playing with the servants when armed men suddenly stormed in.

Her grandparents were shot before her eyes, while she and Giichi watched helplessly. The guards were swiftly eliminated. At that time, her parents were away on a business trip, and her older brother was still at school.

Once everyone in the household was either killed or incapacitated, she and Giichi were shoved into a car and driven to an unknown location, their hands tied and their faces covered.

Two weeks. They were held captive for two agonizing weeks with scarcely any food or water.

On the thirteenth day, they attempted to escape but were quickly caught. That's when Nakamura Taichi bound them again and prepared the whip.

But Mayumi was spared the pain as Giichi shielded her with his own body, taking the brutal lashes meant for her.

Fifteen lashes. She would never forget how many times Giichi was whipped that day just to protect her. "I will let you both go, Giichi. In exchange, you will do everything I say."

A book was carefully placed in front of them. "You will be my sister's perfect male lead while Mayumi will be the antagonist. This means you can't be friends with her anymore. You can't be with her. You must keep away from her. Do you understand? You can only love and care for the female lead I have prepared for you. Do we have a deal, Giichi-sama?" he said mockingly.

Despite his youth, Giichi looked at Taichi with unwavering determination. "I will follow whatever you say, but you must promise me that you will never touch or hurt Mayumi. Promise me!"

Taichi laughed maniacally. "Of course, Giichi-sama, as long as you obey me, your little girlfriend will remain unharmed."

'Why!? Why did I remember now?! How could I forget such a significant event in my life? How could I forget him!? Why!?'

Wow, I can hardly believe it's been over a year since my last update! I'm truly sorry for the long hiatus. Life got incredibly busy with work, leaving me little time to sit down, relax, and write updates for my stories. On a brighter note, I’ve been working on a new story, but I’ll only start publishing it once I have at least 10 chapters ready.

I’ll aim to update this story weekly from now on, though I can’t make any promises. I hope you all understand.

Thank you so much for your support and patience. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. There are probably about 5-8 chapters left before this story concludes, and I hope you’ll stick with me until the end.

Love you all, and see you in the next chapter!

XOXO,