Shimura Ao adjusted his collar and raised his hand to knock on the door.
"Mr. Shizuka, why bring gifts again? Please, come in." Mrs. Yamazaki, her figure graceful and distinctly that of a married woman, opened the door for Shimura Ao.
Shimura Ao took off his shoes and entered, smiling, "It’s just some inexpensive pastries."
He said as he walked through the entrance hall towards the living room.
"Mr. Shizuka, you’re here." Yamazaki Katsu, rising from the sofa, bowed deeply to Shimura Ao.
As always, very respectful.
"Mr. Yamasaki is even more polite than I am; I’ve told you many times there’s no need for such formality." Shimura Ao, clearly helpless, shook his head and then walked over to tease the baby lying in the crib, his face genuinely breaking into a smile.
This is his own bloodline, how wonderful.
Yamazaki Katsu, watching his smile, felt a sharp sting in his eyes, his fist involuntarily clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palm. After feeling the pain, he slowly relaxed and jokingly said, "This child seems closer to Mr. Shizuka than to me, usually indifferent towards me, looking more like your own son."
No wonder he felt the child didn’t resemble him.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Mr. Yamasaki?" Shimura Ao, startled by these words, trembled inwardly, but sighed outwardly without changing his expression, "I wish I had such a lovely son, but unfortunately, I am not so blessed, and I do envy you for that."
"It’s ready, let’s eat," Mrs. Yamazaki, having set the table, turned and called out to the two.
Shimura Ao stepped forward to help Yamazaki Katsu, "Let’s go."
"Thanks, Mr. Shizuka." Yamazaki Katsu said his thanks, but his glance was unchanging as he spoke to his wife, "There’s a bottle of wine in the cabinet I specially went out to buy this afternoon to serve Mr. Shizuka."
Only, it had a little extra ingredient added.
"Hey!" Mrs. Yamazaki responded, turning to retrieve a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, "This one?"
"Yes," Yamazaki Katsu nodded.
Mrs. Yamazaki opened the wine and poured three glasses.
After Yamazaki Katsu took his seat, he lifted his glass and said to both, "Wife, this first glass we dedicate to Mr. Shizuka, for all the help he has given our family, without him, we wouldn’t have today."
"Hey!" Mrs. Yamazaki, radiant with a bright smile and completely unguarded, lifted her glass, "Mr. Shizuka, please."
"To show respect, you really should finish it," said Yamazaki Katsu with a slight smile, then looking towards Shimura Ao, "Mr. Shizuka, just a sip will do for you."
"What are you saying, how could I be so rude and spoil the mood?" Shimura Ao, feigning displeasure, shook his head and lifted his glass to drink it all in one go.
At the corner of his mouth, Yamazaki Katsu’s lips curved up slightly.
After Shimura Ao and Mrs. Yamazaki had finished their drinks, they realized that not a drop had decreased in Yamazaki Katsu’s glass. He still hadn’t grasped the seriousness of the situation, jokingly chided, "Mr. Yamasaki, we’ve drunk but you have not, that shouldn’t be. Hurry up and finish this glass, otherwise, I’ll be upset."
"Because I suddenly feel that just toasting one glass really can’t express my gratitude." Shimura Ao grinned, putting down his glass with a dark tone, "I’ve prepared a fine coffin for you."
"Husband! What are you talking about!" Mrs. Yamazaki’s face changed, and she quickly stood up to scold.
Shimura Ao became more sensitive, sensing something was amiss, "Mr. Yamasaki, is there anything displeasing you? If there are any issues between us, just speak openly, and I’ll surely correct them."
"Issues? I have no issues." Yamazaki Katsu laughed harshly, bitterly saying, "Not only did you find me a wife, considering my difficulty in walking, you even helped satisfy my wife’s needs and even gave me a plump and healthy son; I’m profoundly grateful! How could I have any complaints?"
"Ah!" Mrs. Yamazaki exclaimed, her face losing color in an instant, involuntarily looking towards Shimura Ao.
Shimura Ao was also completely caught off guard by this exposure, but still instinctively tried to argue, "Mr. Yamasaki, there might be some misunderstanding..."
Before he finished, he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blurring. It was then he realized: there was something in the wine.
Then he collapsed into darkness.
When Shimura Ao and Mrs. Yamazaki woke up, they found themselves in a basement, tied to chairs, unable to move.
"Ah, so you’ve finally awakened?"
As Yamazaki Katsu’s voice reached their ears,
They suddenly remembered what had happened before passing out and, following the sound, stared in horror and confusion at Yamazaki Katsu holding a hammer.
"Husband! Husband you can’t do this! This has nothing to do with me! I gave you a son!"
Mrs. Yamazaki, her face deathly pale, pleaded repeatedly.
"Shut up!" Yamazaki Katsu roared, lifting the hammer high and smashing it onto Mrs. Yamazaki’s knee.
With a crisp breaking sound, Mrs. Yamazaki’s left knee collapsed instantly, her stockings soaked with bright red blood, bits of bloodied bone and flesh visibly mixed in.
Mrs. Yamazaki screamed in agonizing pain.
Beside her, Shimura Ao trembled in fear, urine soaking his pants, its odor permeating the air.
Too old to hold his bladder.
Yamazaki Katsu grabbed his wife’s hair, his face contorted as he screamed, "To this day you whore still try to deceive me! Is that bastard really mine? Clearly, he’s Shimura Ao’s, that old thief’s! It’s you and him!"
"Wuh wuh wuh," Mrs. Yamazaki burst into tears, crying out.