A month passed quietly, and the concert night that Kanjuro and Suzuki Ayako had agreed upon finally arrived. During this month, Kanjuro continued to deepen his connection with Ayako through phone calls and occasional 'chance encounters.' Like the most patient hunter, he used understanding, talent, and just the right amount of care to bit by bit dismantle the defenses of this gentle young lady, making her increasingly dependent on this'soulmate' bond.
On the night of the concert, Kanjuro was still as peerlessly handsome and elegant as ever. He considerately opened the car door for Ayako and carefully asked if she was comfortable; every detail was impeccable. Ayako wore an elegant dress with delicate light makeup. Looking at Kanjuro beside her, her eyes sparkled with irrepressible joy and a subtle affection that transcended friendship. She had almost forgotten about her titular fiancé.
However, fate (or rather, the 'coincidence' Kanjuro had meticulously calculated) always likes to arrange for uninvited guests at key moments.
Just as the two were walking toward the concert entrance side by side in a harmonious atmosphere, a male voice full of anger suddenly exploded:
"Ayako! What are you doing here?!"
The two looked toward the sound and saw Tomizawa Yuzo standing not far away, his face ashen and his eyes glaring at their close figures as if spitting fire. He had clearly seen the intimate gesture of Kanjuro tidying Ayako's hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.
Ayako was startled by this sudden shout and subconsciously took a half-step back, a flash of panic on her face. "Yu... Yuzo? Why are you here?"
"Why am I here?" Tomizawa Yuzo walked forward angrily, his gaze scraping over Kanjuro like a knife before fixing on Ayako. "I should be asking you! Who is he? You're actually out on a date with another man behind my back?! Suzuki Ayako, you're truly shameless! We have an engagement!"
His words were sharp and mean, showing no mercy, causing the crowd preparing to enter to look over one after another.
Ayako's face turned pale instantly. Being insulted like this in public, the immense grievance and shame made her eyes turn red immediately. "Yuzo! What... what are you talking about! Mr. Kanjuro is just my friend! We just came to see a concert together!"
"Friend? Ha!" Tomizawa Yuzo sneered, his face full of disbelief. He pointed at Kanjuro, his tone even worse. "A lone man and woman coming to a concert? Do you think I'm a three-year-old? I think you two hooked up a long time ago! You're really disgracing the Suzuki Family!"
"You...!" Ayako trembled all over with anger, tears welling in her eyes, but she was powerless to refute this malicious speculation.
At that moment, Kanjuro, who had been watching coldly from the side, moved.
Ignoring Tomizawa Yuzo's clamoring, he reached out and, in an irresistible yet perfectly natural manner, gently put his arm around Ayako's slightly trembling shoulder, shielding her by his side. This action was full of protectiveness and carried a clear declaration.
"Mr. Tomizawa," Kanjuro spoke, his voice calm but carrying a cold sense of pressure. "Please watch your words. Insulting a lady at will, especially your fiancée, is not the behavior of a gentleman."
His defense warmed Ayako's heart. It was as if she had found something to lean on, and she subconsciously huddled closer into his embrace.
This dependent posture completely enraged Tomizawa Yuzo. "What kind of thing are you! You think you're worthy of lecturing me?!" He had completely lost his mind, continuing to curse recklessly, "Ayako! Look at yourself! Cuddling with a wild man in front of your fiancé! All of the Tomizawa Family's face is being lost by you! You..."
Slap—!
A crisp and loud slap ruthlessly interrupted Tomizawa Yuzo's unfinished foul language!
Kanjuro's hand moved like lightning, so fast that his movements couldn't be seen clearly. Tomizawa Yuzo was sent staggering to one side by this sudden slap, a clear red five-finger print appearing on his face instantly, burning with pain. He clutched his face, staring at Kanjuro in disbelief.
However, it wasn't over yet!
The moment Tomizawa Yuzo was dazed from the slap, Kanjuro's eyes turned cold. His long leg whipped out sharply, and a precise, swift side kick slammed into Tomizawa Yuzo's abdomen!
"Ugh...!"
Tomizawa Yuzo let out a muffled groan of pain. His whole body flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily onto the ground several meters away. He curled up his body, unable to crawl up for a while.
The entire process happened in the blink of an eye, clean and neat, with a kind of violent beauty.
The surrounding crowd let out a chorus of exclamations and backed away.
Kanjuro withdrew his leg as if he had just done something insignificant. He straightened his lapels, which weren't even messy, then turned to Suzuki Ayako, who was completely stunned. He put on that reassuring, gentle smile again and reached out his hand to her.
"The trash has been cleaned up. Ayako, we should go in; the concert is about to start."
His tone was relaxed and natural, as if the person who had momentarily become cold and violent wasn't him.
Ayako looked at the groaning Tomizawa Yuzo on the ground, and then at the charming Mr. Kanjuro reaching out to her with his usual smile, her heart racing. Fear, shock, and a twisted sense of security and excitement from being protected by a powerful force mixed together, impacting her soul.
With almost no hesitation, she placed her slightly trembling hand into Mr. Kanjuro's warm, dry palm.
Mr. Kanjuro gripped her hand tightly, not sparing another glance at the loser on the ground. He led her away, turning gracefully and heading straight for the concert entrance amidst the fearful or curious gazes of the crowd.
Behind them were the humiliated and painful groans of Tomizawa Yuzo, along with the whispered discussions of the surrounding crowd.
Sitting in the car and driving toward the concert venue, Ayako was still somewhat shaken, but more than that, she felt an indescribable throbbing in her heart. She stole a glance at Mr. Kanjuro's profile as he focused on driving; his features were perfectly lined, carrying a hint of indifference, yet incredibly charming.
(He... for me... actually hit Yuzo...)
(So forceful, so... domineering...)
A complex emotion, a mixture of fear and adoration, grew wildly in her heart. She knew it was wrong, she knew it was dangerous, but the absolute power and unhesitating protection Mr. Kanjuro displayed were like the most potent poison, making her indulge in it, unable to extricate herself.
Tonight's concert was destined to become another indelible mark in her life, woven with violence, betrayal, and forbidden attraction. And Mr. Kanjuro, in his dark collection, added a bold and heavy stroke to the page for Suzuki Ayako. The lights and waves of sound from the concert venue were isolated outside the car windows, while a strange tranquility after tension filled the cabin. Ayako curled up in the passenger seat, her hands still trembling slightly from the earlier conflict, her mind repeatedly replaying the fierce figure of Mr. Kanjuro striking for her sake, and the humiliated, painful expression of Tomizawa Yuzo as he fell.
"Mr. Kanjuro..." She finally plucked up the courage, her voice still carrying a hint of a sob, "You actually... didn't need to do that for me. He is my fiancé; this will make things very troublesome..."
Mr. Kanjuro didn't answer immediately. He simply slowed down and parked the car smoothly under a relatively quiet shade of trees by the roadside. He turned around, his deep gaze like a dark pool, firmly locking onto Ayako's somewhat flustered eyes.
"Didn't need to?" He repeated the words, the corners of his mouth curving into a nearly cruel yet gentle arc, "Ayako, you're wrong."
His voice was low and firm, carrying an unquestionable power that echoed within the small space.
"I don't care if I'm standing by your side as a friend or if, as you feel, there exists an emotion between us that transcends friendship... none of that matters." He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them, his breath brushing against her cheek, "What matters is that I will never allow anyone, under any name, to insult you or trample on your dignity like that. No one."
His gaze was sharp as a blade, as if it could cut through all shackles.
"Tomizawa Yuzo? An engagement? The family?" Mr. Kanjuro sneered, his laughter filled with contempt for worldly rules, "In my eyes, these things should not become the shackles that imprison your freedom. Ayako, you deserve better, you deserve true respect and to be cherished, rather than being treated as a commodity to maintain family interests."
His words were like a heavy hammer, striking one after another against Suzuki Ayako's already wavering defenses.
Then, he threw out a sentence sufficient to shake the soul of anyone trapped in a cage, his tone resolute, carrying a nearly crazed romance and determination:
"To me, no one can force you to give up your right to pursue freedom. If the so-called family, the so-called engagement becomes your obstacle..."
He paused, his eyes burning like the fires of hell, and said each word clearly and unmistakably:
"Even if I am hunted by the whole world, I will take you away and wander to the ends of the earth."
"...Are you willing to follow me?"
These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Ayako's world. She snapped her head up, meeting Mr. Kanjuro's deep eyes that were like a sea of stars, now filled with unquestionable determination. Her heart felt as though it was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, followed by a wild throbbing. Tears welled up uncontrollably again, blurring her vision.
Willing? Of course she was willing! This was almost the most secret, most unspoken longing in the depths of her heart! To escape that magnificent, cold cage, to fly away with this powerful, mysterious man who wouldn't hesitate to make the whole world his enemy for her... But... the Suzuki Family... responsibility... and the fear of the unknown... Seeing the intense struggle in Ayako's eyes, the way she was filled with tears but hesitated to nod, Mr. Kanjuro let out a nearly inaudible sigh. There was no disappointment in that sigh; instead, it carried a sort of all-knowing, almost merciful tolerance.
He reached out and very gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb, his movements so tender they were worlds apart from his previous ferocity.
"I understand, family responsibility is like a mountain, weighing you down until you can't breathe." His voice slowed, carrying a seductive magic, "I won't force you to make a decision right now. But Ayako..."
He gazed into her eyes, his tone carrying a strange expectation and guidance:
"I hope that next time, when you feel suffocated, when you can no longer bear it, you will come to me of your own accord, look into my eyes, and say to me—"
He imitated her tone, his voice low and full of temptation:
"'Kanjuro, take me away, okay?'"
These few short words, when spoken by him, seemed to carry a magical incantation, filled with the power to break free from everything and the temptation of the forbidden.
Ayako's defenses completely collapsed at this moment. Tears surged out, but they were no longer purely from sadness and fear; those tears were mixed with emotion, longing, and a huge sense of solace from being understood. She looked at Mr. Kanjuro, her gaze infatuated and hazy, as if he were the only light guiding the way in the darkness.
She nodded vigorously, her voice carrying a heavy nasal sound, but responding exceptionally clearly:
"Yes."
This one word was like the most solemn promise.
Mr. Kanjuro smiled with satisfaction, a smile that was no longer cold but carried a deep, controlling pleasure. He withdrew his hand, sat up straight again, and started the car.
"Alright, stop crying." He looked ahead, his tone returning to its usual gentleness, as if that thrilling conversation had never happened, "Remember your words today, Ayako."
He paused, his profile appearing somewhat hazy in the shifting light and shadow outside the window, his voice ethereal yet carrying a strange sense of reality:
"Ayako, do you know? I am a man full of lies and schemes; perhaps I'm really not a good person."
His confession made Ayako startle slightly.
"But," his tone suddenly became incredibly serious, even carrying a hint of resolute ferocity, "only in this matter—protecting your freedom and not allowing anyone to bully you—I absolutely will not permit it."
"No matter the cost."
The car merged back into the traffic, driving toward the unknown night. Suzuki Ayako leaned against the seat back, her heart surging. Mr. Kanjuro's honesty and his "paranoid" devotion, far from scaring her, acted like a shot of adrenaline, making her heart, which had been bound for so long, feel the throb of "being alive" clearly for the first time, as well as... a dark and charming longing for the "ends of the earth" he had described.
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