Netori: I Shall Steal All Of My Enemies' Women For Revenge!-Chapter 263: The Rumor Is True?

The sigh that escaped the couple grew heavier as they exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

At that moment, Haruto understood. This was no longer just a rumor. The way they looked at him was different now, filled with something close to pity.

"It's better if you don't know," Mr. Suzuki said quietly. "It won't bring you anything good."

Haruto frowned. "But I'm already eighteen! I can handle it. And I deserve to know."

His voice softened. "Everyone hid this from me."

The couple fell silent. Their eyes met again, silently weighing something Haruto could not hear. Finally, Mr. Suzuki nodded, and Mrs. Suzuki let out a slow breath before speaking.

"Your father, your mother, and Mira all grew up in this village," she began. "They have known each other since they were young. And everyone knew how deeply your father loved Mira"

Haruto blinked. "What?" His voice was flat. "Not my mom?"

Mr. Suzuki shook his head. "No. They were classmates. Most of us believed they would marry each other."

He hesitated. "But then your mother became pregnant with you. Your father married her before he ever broke things off with Mrs. Yoshida."

Haruto froze. So he was born from an affair.

The thought landed heavily, leaving him unsure how to react. This was the first time he had ever heard any of this.

Mrs. Suzuki continued softly, "Mari-chan… she was devastated. After that, she became strange. She daydreamed a lot. Sometimes people saw her wandering outside at night, barefoot."

Her expression tightened as she spoke.

"That's where the rumors started," she went on. "People said they saw your father and Mira at the temple together. Just the two of them. A few times."

She paused. "Then she suddenly married a doctor from the neighboring town and became pregnant with Ayaka not long after."

She reached out and gently took Haruto's hand. "But it was only a rumor. You don't need to think too deeply about it."

Haruto nodded automatically, but her words barely reached him.

He did not even remember standing up, or walking away, or thanking them. By the time he realized it, he was already heading toward his grandparents' house, the curry packed neatly in a plastic bag.

His mind was a mess. He could not believe his father had done something worse than becoming a violent drunk and a gambler. An affair, lies. A broken past he had never known.

His chest felt tight, crowded with emotions he could not sort through. The worst part was that he had gotten Ayaka pregnant too.

Strangely, that did not disturb him as much as it should have.

What truly unsettled him was the thought that his father might have lied when he said he loved his mother.

"Then why did he fall apart when Mom died?" Haruto muttered under his breath as he walked. "Was it guilt? Or did he really come to love her?"

He clenched his hand around the plastic bag. "Either way… he got her pregnant."

The answers only led to more questions, and none of them felt comforting.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. Haruto jolted and spun around, his fist already halfway up before he stopped himself just in time.

His grandpa stood there, gripping a broom with both hands, staring at him in confusion.

Haruto exhaled sharply. His grandfather had Alzheimer's. He probably did not even remember that heavy snow had fallen just yesterday.

Haruto gently took the broom from his hands. "Grandpa, what are you doing out here? There aren't any leaves to clean."

"That's what I should be asking," the old man replied. His empty gaze flickered, then slowly focused. "Did I forget that you were coming today?"

Something sad passed through his eyes as he reached for the broom again. "It's getting worse, soon I won't even remember my own name."

"No," Haruto said softly, forcing a smile. "You still remember me, right?"

He guided him toward the house. "Come on. It's cold out here."

He led his grandfather inside, where the housekeeper nearly jumped when she saw them.

"Hayase-san? You're here?" the young woman said, blinking.

Then her attention snapped to the old man, worried about flooding her face.

"Oh no… Mr. Hayase."

She hurried forward. "I should be the one cleaning. Please, let me take that."

The old man handed her the broom without protest.

"I just came by for a bit, where's Grandma?"

"She's knitting in her room," the housekeeper replied. "It's not as cold as yesterday, so I opened the sliding door to the garden."

"Thanks, Ueda, I'll take him to her."

She nodded. "I'll bring some warm tea and refreshments."

The house was an old traditional Japanese home. Not as large as Akane's, but still spacious. His mother's family had been well off.

He had spent part of his childhood here. Or at least, he was told he had.

Most of those memories were missing, replaced instead by stories his grandmother liked to tell. And like all grandmothers, she only ever spoke of the good parts, even when her grandson had been anything but.

They stopped in front of her room.

"Grandma," Haruto called gently. "It's Haruto. May I come in?"

"Haruto?" Her voice sounded startled.

He heard movement inside, hurried footsteps, then the sliding door opened. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

She beamed at him. "You're still as handsome as ever."

"Well, I wanted to surprise you."

She laughed. "Let's talk in the living room. My room is a mess right now."

The three of them moved slowly down the hallway. Haruto walked behind them, watching as his grandmother kept glancing nervously at her husband, clearly shaken by the thought of him standing outside in the snow with a broom.

He understood her worry. His grandfather was not in the worst stage yet, but he still needed constant attention.

And Haruto knew this might be his only chance.

His parents had lived here before moving to the city. His grandparents would know the truth. Especially his grandfather, though he might no longer remember it.

Before his mother died, she had told Haruto about how strict her father had been with her. How disciplined and harsh.

And yet she had ended up pregnant and married to a man who loved another woman.

When they were seated in the living room, after he talked about school, about his days, even briefly about his love life, Haruto let the silence stretch.

Then he spoke. "Grandma was my mom pregnant before she got married?"

The room went still as his grandma gasped and grandpa's eyes opened wide. He hit the jack pot.