Chapter Text
Usually, Mary Sera would work on her MI6 files from home because her superior was worried that the people who killed Tsutomu Akai would wait for her near the headquarters of the MI6, now that she was back in England. About three years ago, some trusted colleagues of Tsutomu had told her they had seen a man that looked a lot like him in London, but that he had disappeared before they could talk to him. Why would Tsutomu be in England when he presumably died in the USA? Even though his sudden reappearance could be a trap, Mary needed to be sure that this man was not her beloved husband, or she would forever regret it. She decided to wait to announce it to Masumi until she could explain the situation to her benefactor, the father of Kouji Haneda. She would need some financial help to go back to England safely.
A few days later, Mary was still hesitating about going back to England. However, when Masumi came back to their apartment, she seemed worried.
“I saw Shuu-nii when I was in the metro. He was with two other men, and they were carrying bass cases, so I thought they were his friends, but when I went to talk to him, he was very angry that I had approached him. I think they were not carrying instruments, but sniper rifles. He didn’t even tell us that he was here in Japan, even if I would have loved to spend some time with him while he’s in Tokyo. Did he say anything to you? Is he on a job with the FBI?”
Mary was surprised, as her son had never mentioned to her his intention to come to Japan, be it for work or for vacations. But if her daughter was right about the rifles, Shuuichi might be working with very dangerous people, and they now knew the face of his sister. Masumi would no longer be safe in Japan.
“I’ll call him tonight”, she reassured her daughter, “Then we can decide what to do.”
Mary and Shuichi didn’t call each other very often, but he would answer her call if his situation were as dangerous as she thought. That night, she wanted to dial her son’s phone number, when she saw an incoming call from him.
“Don’t say anything”, he said coldly to her in English, his British accent audible, “I trust you to have already come to the right conclusions with what the princess told you. You should have taught her never to follow dangerous people. Leave your home as soon as possible, preferably to some other country. The prince should be safe, he’s no longer related to you. Be careful. Don’t contact me again.”
Mary heard some woman’s voice in the background before her son cut the call. Even if Shuuichi had been quite cryptic, she understood what he wanted to convey to her. Masumi and she were in danger because Masumi’s face was now known in dangerous circles. However, Shuukichi was safe because he had been adopted by the Haneda family. Masumi and she would be safer in London than they were in Tokyo. But how about Shuichi? He must be deeply involved in a criminal syndicate, probably the one that had taken away his father from him, but on the other hand, he had the time to have a girlfriend. Where did he meet her? Was he in love with that woman? Mary didn’t think so, as the woman she had heard called her son Dai-kun.
Mary went into her daughter's bedroom and sat on her bed.
“Masumi, you should not have followed your brother without thinking. He’s currently on a mission in Japan, and he seemed to be worried about your well-being, now that your face was seen by his collaborators. It is high time I told you something very important. A few days ago, my colleagues told me they had seen a man looking like your father in London.”
Masumi gasped in shock, sitting straight on her bed. Mary carried on.
“To be honest, I think this man is an impostor, trying to get us out of our hiding place. But I can’t be sure it’s not my Tsutomu. As we can’t stay in Japan anymore, I want us to go to England for a while so that I can assess the situation. However, I don’t want you to take any risk, like you’ve done with your brother. Promise me that you won’t investigate on you own. Finding that man is my mission”, Mary added softly.
Masumi swore she would not endanger herself, and that she would obey her mother while they would be in England. A few days later, they left Japan.