Family's Story -1-

Meanwhile, rewinding time a bit to about a month and a few days earlier—after sixteen people, including the F-class homeroom teacher, vanished from Rakushuin High School in Japan on Earth, the news spread and sent shockwaves through the area. That very evening, in front of Park Seokgil's house in a prestigious upscale residential neighborhood in Tokyo...

"Haa... son... where on earth are you...?"

There stood a beautiful woman exuding the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ripe allure unique to a married lady, yet somehow radiating a pure, innocent charm. She let out a sigh laced with equal parts worry and lament.

Her name was Haku Yumiko—or Park Yumiko. As her surname suggested, she was Park Seokgil's mother.

"Haa..."

The moment she heard her son had gone missing from school, she rushed to the scene. But since it was a sudden isekai summoning, the investigation yielded nothing, of course. Unable to find any trace of her disappeared son, she had no choice but to return home with a face full of anguish.

For the time being, I need to take a break from work and search for Seokgil...

On her way out, she'd hastily hung a sign on her beauty salon saying it would be closed for a few days.

I guess... I have no choice but to ask the main family for help...

Seeking help from her birth family—whom she'd cut ties with to marry her husband without a word—was shameless and brazen. But to her, nothing mattered more than her son.

He was her one and only, lovable boy who looked after his always-clumsy mother without a father around, indulging her whims as much as possible.

Yumiko was Seokgil's mother, but she'd always just received help from him and been a burden.

What choice did I have...?

Her birth family was one of Japan's most prominent houses. To marry the man she'd fallen for at first sight, she'd eloped to Korea. Her husband had been well-off by common standards, but that was it—nothing more.

Her ingrained sense of propriety and money from her upbringing clashed so hard with their life that adaptation had been a struggle. Even now, eighteen years later, she sometimes acted scatterbrained or foolish because of it.

Still, her deep love for her husband—and after his death, her even deeper love for her son, who was more mature than she was—had kept her going.

Now, her clumsy, immature son—who always took care of her and was the man of the house—was the one she needed to support.

-Creak.

With her resolve firm, she opened the door. She planned to call her birth family using the phone in the living room.

The instant she stepped inside—

"Huh?"

Through the frosted glass of the sliding door separating the entryway from the living room, she saw the light on—and sensed a presence.

-Rustle...

Tensing at the thought of a burglar, Yumiko grabbed an umbrella from the nearby stand and crept forward cautiously. She cracked the door open to peek inside, ready to bolt out the front door at any moment.

"Gulp..."

-Creak...

As she eased the door open and peered in—

"Huh?"

A bewildered voice escaped Yumiko's lips.

-Slide. Thud!!

She flung the sliding door wide open.

"..."

The living room was just as familiar as ever. But there, seated in a chair at the desk, was an old man.

Despite his snow-white hair, he had a imposing build and a stern, rugged face. Like her, he wore traditional attire—a black haori over his yukata.

"You're back."

The old man greeted her warmly.

She knew him well.

"D-Dad?"

The old man's name was Tokugawa Senjaemon—her father.

And with that, confusion and questions flooded Yumiko's mind.

"Yes, it's your father. I've come to see my insolent daughter who ran off after getting seduced by a man, after all these years."

"H-How...?"

She'd hidden it, or so she thought...

"If I want to know, there's nothing in Japan I can't uncover."

He'd been keeping tabs on her ever since she went to Korea.

"I see..."

She'd tried to hide, but she'd been in the palm of Buddha's hand all along. Or maybe it was only natural?

Her father, Senjaemon, was the head of Tokugawa Group—Japan's top conglomerate, number one in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠business world, a man even the prime minister couldn't touch lightly.

"Then why didn't you come looking for your runaway daughter all this time...?"

"I deliberately didn't."

Senjaemon explained. Out of respect for his beloved daughter's happiness, he'd chosen not to seek her out. In truth, aside from basic info like where she lived and if she was doing well, he'd honored her choice by gathering no further intelligence.

"Surprising, isn't it? I never imagined you'd run off and thrive like this."

Pride for his child shone in Senjaemon's eyes.

"I had no choice. It was the path I chose to live with the man I love. No regrets."

"That deadbeat..."

Senjaemon grimaced slightly at the mention. Like any typical father-in-law, while he respected her choice and admired her resilience, he still couldn't stand her husband.

"Dad, don't talk about him like that."

"Heh heh, you've changed. You used to tremble at my every word."

To think she'd grown bold enough to stand up to her father badmouthing her husband. Senjaemon marveled once more.

"I figured you couldn't hack commoner life and would come crawling back. If you did—and still loved that fool—I planned to formally approve the marriage."

"...!?"

Yumiko was stunned. Because surely—

"But the family elders said class differences made it impossible..."

"Hah, no need to heed those idiots. My will is the family's will. Who dares oppose me?"

As head of Tokugawa Group and patriarch of the Tokugawa clan, his authority was absolute. Powerless old family retainers couldn't touch him.

"If only..."

Regret washed over her. If she'd been a bit weaker-willed, her husband might not have died so pointlessly—and maybe Seokgil wouldn't have gone missing.

But regrets over the past were meaningless.

"So why come now? Could it be...?"

Because her son had gone missing? Before she could finish, Senjaemon answered as if reading her mind.

"Yes, because of my grandson. I planned to see him and make him my heir."

"What?!"

Another bombshell left Yumiko reeling. Her father's heir meant inheriting the presidency of Tokugawa Group and the patriarchy—power and wealth rivaling a king's in Japan.

But doubt crept in.

"But that position was always meant for Brother..."

A faint shadow of sorrow crossed Senjaemon's face for the first time.

"Shoji's dead."

"What!?"

"That fool... why drink and drive...?"

The barrage of shocks today left Yumiko's mind in deeper chaos. Her beloved brother—who'd even helped her elope—dead? It was second only to her son's disappearance in impact.

"Shoji died two months ago. That's why I came this morning to check if my grandson qualifies as heir."

That's why he'd disguised himself as a ragged old homeless man that morning, hiring thugs with money to test Seokgil on his way to school. The suspicious old man and delinquents Seokgil had encountered at an oddly early hour in broad daylight.

And the results exceeded expectations.

"Your son—my grandson Yutakichi—is a monster beyond my wildest dreams."

They were supposed nationwide delinquents with some real skill, yet they'd dropped in one hit. And those fierce eyes, sturdy frame, natural charisma... In Senjaemon's long life atop the world, sizing up countless people, this was a bottomless freak.

He was convinced.

This is the one. Only my grandson is fit to succeed me.

If Seokgil took his place, Tokugawa would prosper endlessly. Senjaemon had all but decided to make it so—and came tonight to tell him.

But...

"For my heir to vanish the very day I decide..."

He'd mobilized all his power and wealth, but the disappearance defied explanation. Even experts had given up.

"On what should have been a joyous day, not even knowing if he's alive... Maybe like Shoji, he's..."

"No. Seokgil is alive."

Yumiko cut him off, denying it flatly.

Senjaemon stared, wondering if his daughter was denying reality in her desperation.

But...

"Heh..."

Her face held no negativity or escapism—just the calm certainty of one stating fact.

She truly believed her son was alive.

"If you'd seen Seokgil, Dad, you'd know too..."

My son is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠special.

Words any loving parent says once. But truly exceptional children are rare—or the world wouldn't be such a mess.

Seokgil is special...

Seokgil probably saw her as just a ditzy, quirky mom. But she was undeniably a daughter of Tokugawa. Despite her common-sense gaps and lifestyle adjustment issues, her imperial education as direct lineage gave her sharp insight.

And above all, she'd glimpsed his real power—despite his efforts to hide incidents he'd handled alone. She was one of the precious few who knew.

Yumiko recalled the Seokgil she'd witnessed over the years.

The last one, Yumiko only vaguely suspected without full details. But even excluding that, Seokgil was unmistakably no ordinary human. Genius, prodigy, plague—he'd overcome it all with one fist.

Normal parents might fear such a monstrous son. But Yumiko wasn't from ordinary stock; she saw his anomalies as mere specialness and loved it. Her husband Park Sangmin—kind enough to win her heart—simply rejoiced at his son's sturdy, precocious body.

"So Seokgil can't be dead... He's strong. Stronger than anyone."

"Heh..."

Senjaemon marveled at the tales. His grandson exceeded even his imaginings. And maybe she was right. Strangling a tiger at ten? What was he, Hercules?

"So Dad, please... find Seokgil for me."

-Bow.

Yumiko deeply bowed to her father.

I taught Tokugawa daughters never to bow easily...

Senjaemon thought it, but held his tongue. He understood a parent's grief all too well.

"Very well. I'll do my utmost."

Senjaemon would give his all.

-Vroom.

After meeting his daughter and finishing their talk, Senjaemon boarded the car waiting outside and headed back to his residence.

"Hanayama."

"Yes, Oyabun."

He addressed Hanayama Gozen, his driver and secretary.

"Tell Minamoto Seiji this: if he doesn't find my grandson in two months..."

Senjaemon recalled the intel from investigating his grandson's background.

He'd quickly uncovered the insidious social bullying against him. He hadn't told his daughter to spare her more turmoil. Besides, if her description held, her son was exceptional enough not to burden his parents without reason.

"He and his entire clan won't see another sunrise."

"Understood, Oyabun."

But that was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that. Now aware such trash had dared mess with his sole grandson—however ignorantly—he couldn't let it slide. Grandpa avenging his grandson was one thing, but challenging Tokugawa blood was unforgivable.

"And tell the underlings to quietly handle the involved students and teachers too."

"Yes, I'll relay the orders."

Power. He'd just ordered dozens submerged without a trace, and his secretary raised no question or objection—like it was natural. A force even Yumiko, belonging to that world, didn't fully grasp.

In a little time, it would wield megacorp influence straight out of cyberpunk.

The might of Tokugawa Group.