Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 38: Punishment

"You've helped me a lot. I say you are."

"Family needs to help each other, right? That's what I learned staying with the Del Valle's."

Hindi ko nabigyang atensyon na natutunan niya ang ugali sa mga Del Valle dahil sa unang sinabi niya.

"Family?"

"Your father didn't even tell you?" Tumawa siya at inilatag ang pinggan naming dalawa sa lababo, pagkatapos ay sumandal sa mismong counter. "We're cousins. Well, second cousins, but cousins nonetheless."

Napanganga ako at natulala sa babaeng tinawag ang sarili niya na pinsan ko.

Kaya ba Ojisan ang tawag niya sa tatay ko? I thought she called my father that way kasi pareho silang Japanese. Tito niya pala talaga ang tatay ko.

"It's so funny that your face exactly reflects what you're feeling. Fascinating." Nakangiti siyang nakatingin sa akin. "The man looking for you, the man who hired people to do shit—your father's cousin... That's my father."

Naalala ko ang boses ni TJ sa yate, nang tinawag niya si Hera bilang anak ng boss ng mga goons na dumating.

Mas naguluhan ako sa mga salita ni Hera at litong litong napatitig sa kanya. Her father isn't just some boss. He's royalty. She's also a yakuza princess—as she likes to call me.

"H-hindi ka ba hinahanap ng... ng dad mo? Hindi ka ba niya sinusubukang hulihin para bumalik ng Japan?"

"Oh, he is. They're working on it. But the thing is, I can protect myself." She boops my nose. "You little Hope cannot."

Napairap ako. "Don't call me that."

Tumaas ang kilay niya sa'kin at napaiwas ako ng tingin.

"Si TJ lang tumatawag sa'kin ng ganon."

"TJ? Cute. You have pet names for each other." Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. Ewan ko, gusto ko lang. Hindi parin kasi ako makapaniwala, magkamaganak kami. Blood related and someone my age. A family member. "You miss him? He's recovering fast, so you'll see him soon."

Mabilis akong napatigil sa iniisip at tinitigan siya ng mariin, "Recover? Recover saan?"

"His punishment." She says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Punishment? Hera, anong hindi ko alam? He was punished?"

Tumango siya, "Yup, for disclosing information to an outsider. He's a Del Valle, so he should be safe. But yeah, he faced his sanctions."

Wala nakong nagawa kundi mapanganga uli dahil sa sinabi niya. Binigay ni TJ sa'kin ang file niya noong nakaraang araw. Tangina. Napahamak nanaman siya dahil sa'kin.

"H-hindi naman incriminating information ang binigay niya sa'kin. It was just his information."

"There's no just his information. He discussed confidential topics with you. End of story. We can't discuss it, legally and traditionally. That's the rule that keeps everyone in place."

"Pero sinasabi mo ang lahat ng 'to sa'kin."

"Are you going to tell them?" Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay at mabilis akong umiling. "Good. That was his problem. He wasn't careful enough. He's too arrogant to hide, and they found out he released files."

Tumawa siya at naiinis akong tumitig sa kanya. Bakit siya tumatawa tungkol dito? They torture people for training... what did they do to him for punishment?

"Anong nangyari sa kanya? Anong parusa? Bakit kailangan pa nilang parusahan si TJ, eh wala naman akong balak pagsabihan!"

Kumibit balikat siya, "You might."

"I signed an NDA." Paalala ko sa kanya.

"What will an NDA do if you already sang to people? They've already heard and learned the song even if you're silenced." Napailing ako sa metaphor niya. "And... you might also be a spy."

"Hindi ako spy." Hindi ko na napigilang mapairap sa kanya. "Hindi ko nga kilala ang mga kamaganak natin sa Japan, aba malay ko kung ano dapat kong ikalat?"

"I'm simply telling you the council's perspective." Minata niya ako. "Your father didn't say anything to you about them? About Itasaki?"

May council na nag d-desisyon sa mga bagay bagay.

Sinagot ko ang tanong niya, "No. Hindi naman kami nag uusap ng ganon. If hindi mo alam, I was and am busy avoiding my parents."

Tumango siya, halatang may iniisip at hindi ko napigilang matahin siya.

"Anong meron? Ano ba ang dapat kong malaman?"

Hindi niya ako sinagot.

"Anong meron sa pamilya na'tin? Hindi ko kasi naiintindihan eh, ba't ba—Anong hawak ni... ni papa—Sir Ayahiko na impormasyon? Bakit sobrang importante niya na willing ang Ces Vallis maglabas ng maraming tauhan para sa amin?"

Napailing si Hera.

"Ano?" Pagdiin ko.

"Your father is such a coward. He didn't tell you why?"

"Hera, sabihin mo na."

"Your father is one of the six men—the seventh, who was there that night."

For the nth time, my eyes widened, and my jaw fell as I quickly pieced the pieces together while Hera talked.

"He was their getaway driver. He knows all the people involved. He knows everything behind the scenes, including why and how it happened."

My father is not only a part of Itasaki... He's also one of the six people who caused these hellish nightmares to the Del Valle's... To TJ.

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