Chapter Text
Riko sat beside his uncle, and he waited. There was only one reason he was here. Arm broken as badly as his record, he had certainly outlived his usefulness. He had no control of his things, so there would be no mercy.
Riko Moriyama was a dead man.
I thought you at least would understand, Moriyama-san.
Kevin's awful words from before their final game echoed unbidden. He clenched his good hand against his knee, the pain of the words throbbing as badly as his arm.
Why had Kevin said something so awful? Were they not friends anymore? Did Kevin really hate him so much?
No, even hate would be better than such cold apathy. Moriyama-san, like they were nothing more than strangers.
Riko's gut clenched. To hear something so distant from his only friend, his confidant, his brother, his Kevin--maybe it really would be better to die.
If even Kevin rejected him, what did Riko have left worth living for?
Ichirou stood across the room, gazing silently out the window that showed the court. Cruelly dispassionate, when Riko knew he could only be here to oversee his death.
Why they were waiting, Riko didn't know. It granted him a few more minutes, but to what end? He would not be leaving this tower alive.
And really, it figured that the first time he met his brother, it would be down the barrel of a gun. It was a truth he'd seen only in his nightmares. And now, he would have to face it.
I thought you at least would understand, Moriyama-san.
And it would have to be with the reminder of Kevin's rejection ringing in his ears.
The door opened.
Nathaniel Wesninski let himself in, eyes scanning the room on his way to Ichirou.
He stopped midway between Riko and his brother, and he waited silently. So he could show some respect, he did know the value of it, just not for Riko.
Inpotent anger boiled behind his ribs, and it took all his restraint to remain seated. Even with only one arm in use, Riko wanted to throttle the disrespectful child. If it wasn't for him, Riko was sure Kevin would have returned to his side.
Maybe if he killed Nathaniel, Ichirou would spare his life.
Maybe he'd even kill him faster.
Must his final indignity be witnessed by his most hated enemy?
When Ichirou finally turned, Riko sunk deeper into the chair, unable to fight the instinct to hide.
"Lord Moriyama," Nathaniel said, his head bowed. "I wondered if I might first ask an... impertinent question."
Ichirou's brows rose. "Your service has earned you one question," he allowed.
Nathaniel took a slow, steadying breath. His eyes never lifted above Ichirou's collar. "May I attempt to... rehabilitate your brother?"
His uncle's punishing grip just above his cast was the only thing that kept Riko quiet and in his seat. He choked on his seething fury, good hand shaking where it was clenched against his knee.
Ichirou only crossed his arms. "That is certainly an impertinent question. Why do you ask it of me?"
Riko's lips parted on what were sure to be sharp and cutting demands for his own death, even despite his uncle's hold, but Nathaniel shot him a quelling look.
"Kevin Day asked it of me," Nathaniel told him. "I promised him I would do what I could, though of course I defer to you, my lord."
Kevin asked him?
Moriyama-san.
Riko wanted to scoff, but the sound was caught behind a lump in his throat.
Kevin wanted Nathaniel to intervene on his behalf? Nothing could be more unbelievable.
Kevin didn't care about him anymore. Riko was nothing to Kevin, even while Kevin was everything to Riko.
"What would I get out of this allowance?"
"Riko is still an incredible Exy player," Nathaniel said, voice colder and more calculating than Riko was used to hearing it. "He may no longer be a worthy successor to the branch family, but he could still be valuable to you in the same way Kevin, Jean, and I are. I would ensure he, too, gives you eighty percent of his earnings as a pro Exy player. And if I fail, I will kill him myself, should you so wish it."
This infuriating child--Riko would see him dead. He should have killed him when he had the chance. It would have been worth every punishment.
"You have given this some thought," Ichirou said, cutting through Riko's murderous fury. "You would kill him for me?"
"Yes, my lord, if that is what you wish. I would never dare to kill a Moriyama without your permission." Nathaniel's head was bowed. "I ask only to make the attempt. I believe, as he is sure to net a large salary given his fame and his reputation as an Exy player, securing Riko's future earnings for your family is a worthy investment."
Ichirou's gaze was steady and cold, but there was an edge of what Riko thought might be amusement. For a moment, he thought Ichirou might actually laugh.
"Very well." He turned his attention on Riko and Tetsuji. When he spoke again, it was in Japanese. "Uncle, you will be resigning. You have cost our family a great deal in your little pet projects. They have become a liability I will not tolerate."
"Yes, my lord." Tetsuji bowed his head over his knees.
Ichirou met Riko's eyes for the first time in their lives.
How he ever thought he could gain his favor or affection, Riko didn't know. There was not a shred of humanity to be seen.
"You will be leaving with Nathaniel. If you are still a liability in one year, I will kill you then. If Nathaniel succeeds, I will allow you to live in exchange for eighty percent of your professional salary. Do you understand?"
Riko would be no better than property of the family. Forced to live on the same level as Jean and Nathaniel. If this was what Kevin wanted, he might be crueler than Riko ever knew.
If nothing else, the attempt would give him the opportunity to overwrite Moriyama-san, so Riko could die with a memory of Kevin calling him by name instead.
Riko swallowed his hate and his fear and his resentment; it burned like acid at the back of his throat.
He bowed his head. "I understand, my lord."
Ichirou turned back to Nathaniel and resumed speaking in English. "You have cost the Ravens their coach and their captain. Are you satisfied?"
Nathaniel had the audacity to look surprised, but nodded. Riko hated him. "Your people are safe, as are mine. Yes, I'm satisfied."
Ichirou's smile sent a chill down Riko's spine. There was no warmth in the expression. "Let them call you by whatever name they like. You will always be a Wesninski at heart." Acknowledgment, and it belonged to Nathaniel. He gave a short wave of his hand. "You are dismissed."
Tetsuji urged Riko to his feet with a tug and a push, and Nathaniel took over from there, hurrying him out of the room.
With the door closed behind them, Riko shook off the hand on his back, disgusted. They were both silent until they were in the elevator.
As soon as it began moving downward, Riko spun and shoved Nathaniel into the wall by his shoulder with his good arm. He hit with a satisfying thud, but his expression didn't waver.
"Who the fuck do you think you are? That was a Moriyama matter." Riko's grip tightened past what he knew would bruise.
"I used to be Nathaniel Wesninski; that means something to your brother." He looked down at Riko's hand. "Is this any way to treat someone who just saved your life?"
Riko laughed, the sound jagged and sharp like shrapnel tearing through his lungs. "Saved me? What a joke. You may as well have let him kill me. Living in your debt would be pointless."
"Good thing you aren't in my debt. You're in Kevin's debt."
Riko reeled back. "Why do you keep saying that? Kevin wants nothing to do with me; he made that abundantly clear today."
Nathaniel rolled his shoulder. The elevator doors opened.
Nathaniel stepped off and motioned for Riko to follow him. They stood by the stands, but Riko could barely hold still. He wanted to hit Nathaniel, or barring that, he wanted to go back to his room and tear it to pieces again.
"Kevin asked me to do what I could for you weeks ago," Nathaniel said. He was leaning against the bars behind him like they were having a casual chat. "I still don't understand why, but I'm going to honor his request. If you want to disappoint him, you can always go back upstairs and tell your brother you'd rather die. I'd rather you did, honestly. I hate you."
Moriyama-san. "Maybe I will."
Nathaniel stood up straighter. "Will you now." He closed the distance between them. "Go on then. I'll tell Kevin that I did my best, but you were too much of a coward to see the chance through."
Riko raised his good hand to finally strike him; Nathaniel smirked.
"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" Nathaniel stepped around him. "You should probably pack a bag. I'll see if my uncle can drive you to South Carolina. No way in hell the Foxes let you on the bus after everything you've done."
Riko was too angry to speak, the words caught in his chest. Nathaniel walked away, no doubt to see Kevin and tell him how far he'd fallen. Gloating together over his failure.
Riko fumed all the way back down to the Nest. As soon as he had his door shut behind him, he threw his desk lamp against the wall, shattering glass like a balm on his every wound.
He broke his mirror next (the third this year), and then tore his bed apart, tossing the bedding everywhere. Normally the bed only took a minute or two; with only one arm, it took much longer and a lot more effort.
Finally, panting, his arms shaking badly enough it jarred painfully even in his cast, Riko collapsed on his matteress and doubled over his knees.
He lifted his head only to look over at Kevin's untouched half of the room.
The door opened. No knock meant it could only be one person.
Tetsuji took in the state of the room with dispassion. "You will be leaving with a Mr. Hatford in thirty minutes. Why aren't you packing?"
Riko didn't bother to glare at him. "I haven't decided if I'm going or not."
Riko's head whipped to one side before the pain of the backhand registered against his cheek and jaw.
"You will be going, and you will not like what happens if I am made to pack for you."
Riko held his cheek. "Yes, Uncle." He kept his eyes on Kevin's bed. "I'll be ready in time."
"See that you are. I will escort you to Mr. Hatford myself. Do not keep me waiting."
Tetsuji closed the door behind him; he didn't even have the decency to slam it.
Riko's cheek throbbed. It would certainly bruise. Tetsuji must be confident he wouldn't be in the public eye for quite some time if he was willing to take such a risk.
Disgusted, with himself or Tetsuji, he wasn't sure, Riko pulled out his suitcase and started to pack. Mostly clothes and accessories, an extra pair of shoes, postcards he never sent, a photo album of him and Kevin.
Riko frowned at the other half of the room. They would be emptying it, no doubt, and Kevin had left with the clothes on his back.
He glanced over his things and finally sighed.
He pulled out Kevin's suitcase and packed the outfits Kevin always liked best (and one that Riko missed seeing him in), his favorite pair of shoes, his history books, and all of his postcards and post-it notes. He unearthed some of Kevin's keepsakes of his mother and tucked those carefully between the folds of his clothes.
Packed, Riko stepped into the hallway taking both bags one after the other and didn't look back.
Never in his life had he been so exhausted.