The sky was overcast when Hiroyuki and Fumi arrived at the cemetery.
A gentle wind moved quietly through the rows of stone graves while distant prayer bells echoed faintly through the peaceful atmosphere.
Hiroyuki stood silently before a familiar gravestone.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Then slowly—
He knelt down.
Carefully placing the bouquet of flowers before the grave.
Beside it, he lit a single incense stick and rested it gently into the holder nearby.
Thin trails of smoke rose softly into the air.
Fumi stood a short distance behind him quietly.
She never interrupted moments like these.
Hiroyuki closed his eyes.
Pressed his hands together.
And prayed.
Inside the silence of his mind—
He saw her again.
His mother.
Standing beneath warm sunlight with that same gentle smile on her face.
A smile filled with endless love…
…and hidden sorrow.
The kind of sorrow only a mother carried when leaving behind the people she loved most.
A small breeze brushed against Hiroyuki's face.
Warm.
Soft.
Almost like an embrace.
His expression softened slightly.
For a brief moment—
It felt as though his mother herself had wrapped him in her arms through the wind.
A tiny smile appeared on Hiroyuki's face.
Then slowly—
He opened his eyes again.
"...Fumi."
She looked toward him.
"Mhm?"
"Let's head home."
Fumi nodded gently.
"You still need rest."
Rainwater reflected the city lights as a taxi stopped in front of Hiroyuki's house.
Fumi stepped out first before carefully helping Hiroyuki out of the vehicle.
"Careful."
"I'm injured, not eighty years old."
"With the way you fight, you might become eighty years old tomorrow."
"Fair point."
Hiroyuki unlocked the front door slowly.
The moment they stepped inside—
He sighed.
The house was a mess.
Tools scattered across tables.
Mechanical parts piled near shelves.
Sketchbooks everywhere.
Fumi placed her hands on her hips immediately.
"...How are you even surviving in here?"
"Skill."
"This is not skill."
"This is a disaster."
Hiroyuki laughed weakly.
Despite the mess—
The house felt strangely empty.
Quiet.
The kind of quiet that reminded him he lived alone.
Fumi noticed it too.
Which was exactly why she visited so often.
After helping him settle down, she glanced toward the door.
"I should get going now."
Hiroyuki looked up.
"Already?"
"Your medicines are on the dining table."
"And don't skip meals."
"Yes, mom."
"I'm serious."
They walked together toward the front entrance.
The evening sky outside had darkened slightly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Hiroyuki smiled softly.
"Thanks for taking care of m—"
Suddenly—
Fumi stepped forward.
And kissed him.
Hiroyuki's entire brain stopped functioning instantly.
Time froze.
His eyes widened so hard it physically hurt.
Fumi's face turned bright red the moment she realized what she had done.
She immediately stepped backward in panic.
"T-THE MEDICINES ARE ON THE TABLE!"
"TAKE THEM ON TIME!"
"W-WAIT WHAT JUST HAPPENED—"
But she was already running away.
"FUMI?!"
The front gate slammed shut outside.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Hiroyuki remained frozen at the doorway.
His face slowly turned red.
"...What the hell…"
He touched his lips carefully.
Still unable to process reality.
Then slowly—
He closed the front door.
Elsewhere—
A black luxury car stopped in front of a massive estate.
The Yashida residence.
Rain continued falling softly as Shinn stepped out of the vehicle calmly.
A servant waiting beneath the entrance immediately opened an umbrella above him.
An older man with silver hair and calm eyes.
Williams.
Not merely a servant—
But someone who had practically helped raise Shinn.
Shinn handed him the umbrella casually while removing his shoes near the entrance.
"How is Hiroyuki?"
Williams asked quietly.
Shinn loosened his collar slightly.
"Still alive."
"Barely."
Williams chuckled softly.
"That boy seems troublesome."
"Very."
Despite his words—
A faint smile appeared on Shinn's face.
"He fights like someone trying to prove he can survive anything."
Williams studied him carefully.
"And what do you think of him?"
Shinn paused briefly.
Then continued walking deeper into the mansion.
"...Interesting."
They eventually entered a large private workshop filled with mechanical equipment, holographic screens, tools, and unfinished prototypes.
On one side of the room rested metallic propulsion components and engineering blueprints.
Williams glanced toward the workbench.
"Still continuing the project?"
Shinn smirked slightly.
"Of course."
He sat down before a holographic interface.
Mechanical blueprints illuminated across the dark room.
"Just sit back and watch, Williams."
His fingers moved across the controls confidently.
"I'll show everyone what I'm capable of."
The glowing blueprints reflected quietly within his eyes.
And somewhere deep within that hidden ambition—
The path leading toward Hiroyuki's future had already begun moving forward.