Bounded by Secrets

"A Fragile Return"?

"Enough with the nails, already. Here," he said, handing her a stack of forms. "You want back in? Fill these out and try not to make a mess of it."

Mayumi blushed but smiled, grateful to be home, even with Ren's relentless teasing.

Mayumi nervously dialed Jack's number, hoping he'd pick up, only to be greeted by Norio's voice instead.

"Norio?" she asked, surprised. "I was actually hoping to talk to Jack."

Norio paused, sounding hesitant. "Jack... isn't exactly in the mood to talk right now."

Mayumi could hear the heaviness in his voice, and a strange suspicion crept up on her. "Why, Norio? Is something wrong?"

There was a long silence. When Norio finally responded, his voice was subdued. "It's... not a good time, Mayumi. Jack's-he's not himself right now."

Her concern deepened. "Norio, please. What's going on? And why are you dressed so formally?"

Norio exhaled, realizing he couldn't hide it from her any longer. Slowly, he turned on the back camera, and Mayumi's screen filled with a somber scene. It was raining, the gray skies casting a heavy pall over everything. People were gathered around, their faces solemn. In the midst of them stood a single coffin.

Norio's voice was quiet as he explained, "One of Jack's closest friends... didn't make it back from the last mission. We're at his funeral."

Mayumi's breath caught as the camera panned, showing Jack seated on the ground, just beyond the reach of the umbrella that Rimmy held over him. His shoulders were slumped, his expression hollow, as though all the light and life had drained from his face. He sat there, silent and unmoving, a small bouquet of flowers in his hands. Raindrops mixed with the few tears that traced down his cheeks.

"He's barely spoken or eaten," Norio murmured, his own voice thick with emotion. "He's been... completely shut down."

Through the screen, Mayumi watched as Jack slowly moved closer to the coffin, placing the flowers on top with a trembling hand. He remained beside it, his gaze distant and unfocused, as though he were lost in a world of his own sorrow.

Mayumi's heart ached at the sight, feeling the weight of Jack's grief. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but found herself speechless. Before she could gather her thoughts, Norio quietly ended the call, leaving her staring at her phone, haunted by the image of Jack's broken expression in the pouring rain.

Jack and Ted arrived at Ren's headquarters late that night by private jet, exhausted from their journey. However, by 6 a.m., Jack was already sitting at his study table, attending an online business meeting on his laptop. Meanwhile, Ted was lounging on the sofa, lost in his music with his headphones on. Despite his best efforts, Jack soon fell asleep right in the middle of the meeting. The men in the call were calling his name repeatedly, but Ted, absorbed in his music, didn't notice.

At that moment, Ren walked into the room, holding breakfast. He immediately noticed the situation, chuckling as he took off Ted's headphones and handed him his breakfast. Then, Ren moved over to Jack and gave him a light slap on the head, jolting him awake. Jack startled, falling off his chair in surprise. Ren laughed, sitting down in Jack's chair as Jack rubbed his head and sat beside him.

Handing Jack a plate, Ren asked, "What were you doing?"

Jack forced a smile. "Uh... just a quick nap, sir."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "A quick nap? During a business meeting?"

Jack chuckled awkwardly. Ren's eyes landed on Jack's new look. "Although I have to say, this new style suits you," he commented, eyeing Jack's newly curled, military-cut hairstyle.

"Please, sir, stop teasing," Jack muttered, a bit embarrassed.

Ren smirked. "All right, all right. But why are you punishing yourself like this?"

Jack shrugged. "Not punishing myself, sir. Just... I've had a high fever the past few days. Even the AC wasn't cooling me down, so I thought a fresh cut was necessary. Plus, I think the military style looks pretty good on me."

Ren looked at him knowingly. "Relax, Jack. Don't try lying to me-I can see through your little mistakes in seconds. It's pointless." He gestured to the plate of breakfast. "My daughter, Midori, had a fever too, so Sindy made omelet, tomato soup, and bread. Eat up."

Jack looked at the plate, grimacing. "Uh... eggs? Sir, I hate them. And tomatoes? Just looking at them makes me want to throw up."

Ren crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Don't try being clever. Eat what's on your plate."

Jack pouted childishly. "And what if I ordered my guards to bring me some chocolate instead?"

Ren raised an eyebrow and deadpanned, "Then I'll give you a nice, hard slap below your ears, and you'll happily eat your bread and water."

Jack gave a sheepish grin, reluctantly picking up his fork as Ren chuckled, settling in to enjoy breakfast together.

Jack, Ted, and Mayumi walked together to Hiroto's office. As soon as they arrived, Hiroto noticed that Jack was visibly nervous-he was shivering slightly, his face tense. Sensing something was wrong, Hiroto asked Ted and Mayumi to step out, then gently pulled Jack to sit in a chair. He poured a small glass of vodka, sliding it over to Jack.

"No, sir... I'm fine," Jack mumbled, trying to refuse. But Hiroto knew better. He was aware that Kevin had been keeping Jack on a strict regimen, preventing him from relaxing for months, which had taken a toll on Jack's nerves. Hiroto urged him to drink it, and Jack, reluctantly, took a sip, then thanked him before leaving.

When Jack returned to his room, he received an unexpected video call from Kevin. Ted was already there, along with a few nurses, preparing for their routine medical check-up. Kevin was watching the nurses closely as they administered injections, one after another, to both brothers. Finally, it was Jack's turn, and the nurse applied his specific medication-one that always caused him intense pain. Jack flinched as the pain shot through him, irritation flashing across his face.

"Dad, seriously, stop watching us like this," Jack protested.

Kevin's face darkened. "You idiot, just shut up. How dare you talk back to your elders? Do you even understand responsibility enough for me to trust you without keeping an eye on you?"

Jack's frustration melted into a sad, vulnerable expression. "No, sir... I'm sorry. I was always wrong," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

But Kevin cut him off, shouting, "Enough with that emotional act! I expect respect from everyone, no matter what."

Unable to take more, Jack ended the call, throwing his phone aside in anger. He turned to the nurses, his voice rising. "Just leave. All of you," he demanded. The nurses quickly exited, leaving Jack and Ted alone.

Ted put a hand on Jack's shoulder, gently advising him, "You really shouldn't have spoken to Dad like that."

But Jack, now holding back tears, muttered, "I'm sleepy, sorry..." and retreated to his bed. Wrapping himself in his blanket, he buried his face in his pillow, signaling the conversation was over.

Ted watched him with a small, affectionate smile and sighed. "Ugh... Is he really my elder brother?"