My Young Husband, The Assasin-Chapter 76: A deal with Renji

Tetsuya opened his eyes. What he found instead wasn't the vast stretch of blue sky dotted with clouds he'd imagined but the white ceiling of the room. He glanced around. His body was bundled in a thick blanket; he wore a hospital gown and had a breathing tube in his mouth, with a heart rate monitor hooked to his finger.

After observing and thinking for a moment, he realized this was neither heaven nor hell nor a hospital. There was no scent of medicine but a pungent aroma of crushed leaves and spices mixed. He didn't need to guess where he was—Tetsuya already knew.

The first thing that came to Tetsuya's mind upon waking was the image of a girl with a blonde ponytail and nothing else. Vaguely, while he was asleep, he had heard Renji's words about going to save the little pony, which could only mean Saki.

The nickname Little Pony was something Tetsuya had reserved solely for Fujimoto Saki—no one else. In his heart, Saki was special, irreplaceable by anyone.

"S-Saki..." Tetsuya called out softly, his voice tinged with hope that nothing bad had happened to her.

His heart grew anxious, panicking at the thought of Saki's safety. If Renji had said something like that, it must have meant something had already happened to Saki. He didn't need to think hard about who could have done something so cruel—it had to be the work of his grandfather's men, specifically Ryoji. That cowardly, bespectacled man always resorted to underhanded tactics to win.

Tetsuya muttered under his breath, frustrated at himself for lying there instead of rushing to find and save Saki.

He couldn't move or lift his arms when he tried to sit up and reach for the call button to summon someone. His body felt utterly weak, as though he had been bedridden for years, not just a few days. His heart swirled with anger, and his hands balled into fists at his sides. He cursed at himself for being helpless. He couldn't even lift his arms, much less save Saki.

His heart never stopped to be worried slowly but surely. He was furious with himself for being so weak and powerless. How could he protect the people he loved if he could not get out of bed?

He wanted to scream to express his frustration, but he could not. His hands could only claw tight, suppressing the storm within.

A few minutes later, he heard a door open. Tetsuya turned the other way and saw a woman with long hair looking at him, shocked and in disbelief.

A glimmer of hope emerged. Even if this woman may not be inclined to give him a hand, there was still that chance — however small. He would try anyway. Tetsuya lifted the corners of his lips into a small smile. It wasn't wide or radiant like the sun, but it was enough to make the woman—his cousin's wife—freeze in surprise before breaking into a wide, tearful smile.

A few seconds later, Tetsuya found himself enveloped in a warm hug. His shoulder grew slightly damp from her tears.

Aira sobbed, releasing all her mixed emotions of joy and sadness. Seeing Tetsuya awake was overwhelming. Didn't he know how worried she and Renji had been, waiting for him to wake up these past few days? But thankfully, God had answered the prayers she had whispered every night.

"There, there, don't cry," Tetsuya murmured.

"Sob..."

"If Renji sees you crying, he'll scold me," Tetsuya chuckled faintly near Aira's ear. Aira let out a small laugh, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Pulling away from the hug, Aira looked at Tetsuya with happiness and sadness, seeing how weak he looked—unlike his usual self. In Aira's memory, Tetsuya was always lively, causing chaos with Saki or doing things that annoyed Renji. But because of him, Renji's days were also filled with color and noise.

Tetsuya was naturally pale, but his skin was paler this time, almost like a corpse. The only difference was that his body was warm, so he was neither dead nor a walking corpse.

"I'll call Dr. Aya to see how you are," Aira said, wiping away tears with the back of her hand.

"Hmm..." Tetsuya replied weakly.

Aira walked slowly out of the treatment room to look for the woman with golden hair. She still couldn't run or walk quickly because the stitches from her cesarean surgery hadn't fully healed. Although the wound had dried thanks to the medicine concocted by Tsuchihebi, Aira's movements were still limited.

Besides Aira, Aya was another person overjoyed by Tetsuya's awakening. The middle-aged woman was the doctor treating Tetsuya and a close friend of Renji's late mother. Aside from their doctor-patient relationship, Aya had come to see both Tetsuya and Renji as her children, even though she had a child with Tsuchihebi.

The first thing Tetsuya asked after waking up was about Renji's whereabouts. Tetsuya wanted to meet his cousin to ask him something, but Aira claimed that Renji had gone out to take care of some business.

Not wanting to believe her fully, Tetsuya secretly tried to gather information from some of Tsuchihebi's subordinates who might know something. Unfortunately, none of them had any idea; they only knew that Renji had left his wife and child behind and gone somewhere.

It wouldn't be Tetsuya if he gave up so easily, especially when he couldn't get what he wanted. Without anyone's knowledge, he sent a message to Shin to inquire about the situation at the Ishikawa mansion and what kind of scheme Ryoji was plotting this time.

"Cough~" A thick, dark red liquid spurted from his mouth. The red on his palm contrasted sharply with his pale white skin.

His hand trembled as he stared blankly at the red stain on his palm. A bitter smile formed on his pale face. He was aware that he didn't have much time left—the cursed illness he suffered from was getting worse. But even so, there was something he had to do before he died.

.

.

.

Renji stared blankly at the all-black uniform bearing the emblem of his group, Hayabusa.

Hayabusa was a large, secret organization led by Renji operating in the underworld. This elite group's work as top-class assassins and vast business network made it famous and prominent. No assassin group was more powerful or renowned than Renji's. If any rival could match them, it was the Onibara group, led by Kaito Ishikawa. Beyond that, all other forces were inferior.

In Renji's mind, he had never imagined he would have to wear this uniform again—a piece of clothing that held so many dark memories. He had lost count of how much blood had been spilled and soaked into it. Perhaps the black color of this uniform never faded because of the blood of its victims, making the fabric even darker and more intense.

Even though he had received news about Saki's location at the Ishikawa mansion, it didn't mean Renji would recklessly attack without preparation. The opponent he was about to face was the leader of the Onibara group, who commanded thousands of members, as well as the head of the Ishikawa family—Renji's grandfather. Therefore, he needed to make special preparations before going. He didn't want to disappoint and wanted his arrival to leave a lasting impression.

Kaito was well aware of this, so the old man chose to wait several days for Renji's arrival without doing anything to the girl named Saki. He wanted to torture her directly in front of Tetsuya, unaware that his grandson was in critical condition, lying in a hospital bed.

Renji's ears caught the sound of a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" he asked coldly.

"It's me, Fujita, Master Renji," came the polite reply.

"Come in."

The man named Fujita opened the door after receiving permission and stepped inside.

"Master Renji," he greeted respectfully.

"What is it, Fujita?" Renji asked without turning his gaze, already familiar with the voice of his assistant.

"Miss Keiko has come," Fujita told him.

"Send her to me."

"Understood."

Following directions, Fujita entertained Keiko and took her to Renji's private room. But Keiko hadn't come alone — she'd brought someone unexpected.

Momentarily, Renji's eyes widened in surprise. "You?! "

"Good evening, Young master. I apologize if my presence is an inconvenience," the person said without losing an ounce of respect.

Renji was genuinely shocked to see the young man with the distinctive piercings. Shaking off his surprise, Renji gestured for Keiko and the young man to sit down while Fujita served glasses of wine in crystal goblets.

The atmosphere in Renji's private office was slightly awkward. Just from his expression alone, it was evident that Renji was both surprised and displeased at the sight of the young man.

"Why is he with you, Keiko?"

"I will kill you..." Renji spoke coldly, the malice of his eyes breathtaking

"He—"

"Forgive my audacity, young master Renji, for intruding uninvited," Arashi interjected, interrupting Keiko mid-sentence.

"What is your purpose here?" Renji hissed suspicion tart in his tone. Arashi declared, showing his hands.

Renji's eyes blurred before he released a heavy sigh. "Who do you think you are?" he sneered, looking down at Arashi.

Renji's searched for Arashi's gaze, unwavering. "I'm Saki's friend. "Please let me help save her," he begged, even bowing low before Renji.

Renji rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I want to thank you for being loyal, but what are you trying to do? Get yourself killed, huh?!" he snapped, warning him.

Arashi's request was not only reckless, but it could also cost him his life. Renji thought that it was better to reflect on things well in advance rather than before it was too late and end up regretting in the future. Not to mention, Renji's reason for assaulting the Ishikawa mansion was to rescue Saki and put an end to his grandfather's plot so there would be no trouble in the future.

"And you, Master Renji? Don't you worry about dying and leaving your wife and child behind? Turning Aira into a widow?"

Renji's hands were balling up tightly on his thighs, and his face was expressionless, but inside, his chest was roaring with anger, and he wanted to punch Arashi in the face.

"Watch your mouth, Arashi!!" Keiko shouted angrily. Fujita shot a nervous look and wondered if he could find a way to prevent Renji from flipping out.

Renji smiled faintly, and his eyes were cold. "Of course, I'm afraid. But this is routine for me, like a daily meal. But not for you—someone who spends every day holding wooden trays, cleaning tools, and brooms. What do you know about killing people?"

"I still have both hands to throw a punch, even if I'm not skilled with guns or swords," Arashi retorted confidently.

Arashi took great pride in his hand-to-hand combat skills. Although he had never held a gun in his life, when it came to the matter of killing someone, he had done it once—albeit unintentionally. Still, he had taken a life, regardless of the circumstances.

"Good grief~" Renji sighed in exasperation, seeing Arashi's relentless determination not to give up.

"I know you'll likely refuse my request, which is why I want to propose a deal to you," Arashi said.

"A deal?" Renji cocked an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Yes. Master Renji, how about we strike a deal," Arashi asked boldly. He was sure Renji would want to take the offer he did.

"Hahahahaha..."

Sunlight flooded the room, and Renji's laugh rang out. Arashi and the others did not respond, staying calm and non-confrontational.

"What kind of deal are you offering me? And what's in it for me if I agree?" Renji asked coldly.

"The deal I'm offering is highly beneficial to you. So, please let me join this mission," Arashi insisted, unwavering even after being rejected.

"You should've known who I am and what kind of enemy we're facing when you saw the large emblem at the entrance gate."

"I know."

"Then why do you still want to join after knowing that?"

"Like I said earlier, I'm not afraid to die if it means saving Saki."

Renji smiled faintly. Arashi's persistence and determination earned Renji's admiration and respect. Such loyalty was rare, and Renji rarely encountered someone as devoted as Arashi.

"Fujita, please take Keiko outside. I want to speak with him alone."

Fujita walked over to Keiko. "Let's step outside, Miss Keiko," he said politely, guiding her.

Keiko followed Fujita out without complaint, waiting in front of the office. Both she and Fujita were curious about what would be discussed.

"Don't disappoint me or make me regret giving you my trust."

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"Don't worry, Master Renji."

The two spoke privately for less than ten minutes. At first, Renji was confident he could reject Arashi's offer. But after hearing what the young man proposed, he was left speechless and stunned.

"T-this..." Renji stared at Arashi in disbelief.

It wasn't without reason that Renji reacted so strongly. Arashi's offer was extraordinary—more valuable than anything, including the entire Ishikawa family fortune.

"But Master Renji, is my offer worthy of your interest?" Renji's response made Arashi a bit happy, and he smiled.

Renji paused for a moment before staring deep into Arashi's dark eyes.

"You're in love with Fujimoto Saki," he exclaimed, speaking in a voice that probably reflected his thoughts after observing how Arashi behaved toward Saki. Arashi did not deny it or offer any excuses. He confessed his feelings for Saki out loud.

"More than just love. I always want to protect her, regardless."

"You can't do that if..."

"Please don't make me regret the decision I've made."

"Besides love, I'm sure there's more to it," Renji said, growing curious. If it was about love, why hadn't Saki's fiancé, the blond-haired Issei, come here with him?

As her future husband, Issei should have shown the demeanor of a true man, not sat idly at home waiting for the police to handle the case. He didn't realize that no police force in the country would dare arrest, let alone prosecute, Kaito Ishikawa, given his immense influence.

"Let's just say I'm returning what I once stole from her. Please keep it between us, everybody, even Saki," he added, looking serious as if bearing heavy grief and remorse.

"Okay, then, if that's what you want," Renshi said, granting Arashi his wish.

"Thank you, Master Renji." Arashi felt a sense of relief and joy. His exertions had borne fruit; they weren't in vain.

"Fujita," Renji called out loudly so his voice could be heard outside. The man hurried in.

"Yes, Master Renji."

"Get Arashi uniform for our red and blue, even weapons," ordered Renji.

Fujita hesitated, gazing at Renji's face. His master's expression showed no indecision, which meant the Arashi youth had been accepted.

"Please follow me, Arashi-san," Fujita spoke formally, leading Arashi to the men's changing room.

....