Pick The Second Male Lead

02.7 - Endou Kai

When three weeks passed and the suspension was lifted, Mia again took Noah to school like she normally would. The three boys whom her son had beaten up, as expected, was nowhere in sight. The boys' parents not only withdraw them from the school, two of the boys family moved to the other side of the country while the third boy who had inflicted most injury to Kai Endou's nephew cause his family to bankrupted and was now living in the slums. Mia knew that it had to do with Kai Endou. Being a lawyer and a good one at that, Mia was sure the man scared the bejesus out of the boys' parents because of what happened with his nephew.

"Mommy! You came!"

And as usual, at the end of the day, Mia stood waiting outside the school for her son. By this time, the students all knew better than to mess with Noah who had beaten bigger boys to tears. The teachers, on the other hand, knew better than to mess with Mia who not only handled the boys' parents beautifully - but the Principal as well. Both mother and son pair grew many admirers after words spread of the event that had happened.

"Sorry I was a little late. Ready to go home?" Mia asked her son even as she noticed a frail boy standing at the entrance of the school.

Each day as she saw Kai Endou's nephew the sadder she felt to see empty eyes. For an innocent child to have such vacant expression was truly deplorable.And knowing how his uncle was still ignorant to the matter pissed off Mia more and more.

"Who is your little friend waiting on?" Mia asked her son even though she already knew the answer.

"Friend?Who?" Noah was confused until Mia pointed to the direction of the frail boy. "Peter? Peter isn't my friend"

"Oh? But didn't you help him before?" Mia smiled softly.

"I didn't like how those jerks pushed him around" Noah made a face at the memory of those three little boys who insulted his mother.

For a mother to hear her son helping the weak and innocent, Mia could only feel proud. Turning to look at Peter Endou, Mia slowly made her way toward the small boy.

"Hello" Mia bent down to her knees to look at the small child.

Peter Endou was startled to be suddenly greeted by the beautiful woman.

"I'm Noah's mom. Do you remember?"

The introverted child was nervous but nodded quietly.

"School already ended for a while now sweetheart, where is your parents?"

Mia knew the boy lost his parents but purposely asked to invoke a response out of him. As expected, the boy's eyes grew sorrowful.

"Mommy" Noah tugged at his mother's arm. "Peter doesn't have parents"

Her gullible son, of course, did not know she already knew.

"I see..." Mia patted her son's cheek before looking at Peter Endou again. "I'm sorry..."

Peter Endou didn't know why the beautiful woman suddenly apologized but her words caused tears to fall from his eyes. Startled, Mia placed a hand on the child's head, comforting him with a gentle pat. But when a child felt kindness for the first time, it only stirred his sadness more.When Peter Endou begins to cry, Mia immediately wrapped her arms around him and comforted his heart. She clearly knew he was hurt and wanted to find a way to help the child. In that moment, she decided to speed up the process and hugged the boy so tight; he let out a painful cry. Using the excuse to check to see if she had hurt him, she undoes the button on his shirt to check. Who knew in that moment, Kai Endou appeared and yanked her arm up, causing her to crash into his hard chest.Stunned eyes met angry ones; Mia was not surprised when the man accused her of hurting his nephew. The fact that the small child was still crying so loudly was proof.

"Let go of my mommy" Noah pounded against Kai Endou's back angrily.

"What did you do to my nephew?" Kai Endou ignored the small boy as if his pounding was light as a feather while keeping angry eyes at the woman he has in his tight grip.

"What did it look like I was doing?" Mia's eyes flash with anger.

"Why is he crying?" Kai Endou tightened his gripped on Mia even though his heart was pounding fiercely at the sight of her clear, dark eyes.

"How should I know?" Mia shot back, her eyes and tone held strength. "Have you stop to ask your nephew what happened before you jumped into conclusion?"

Kai Endou flashed with confusion.

"For a lawyer, you sure are stupid" Mia insulted mercilessly.

Kai Endou had never been insulted so sternly and so let go reflexively. Turning to his crying nephew, he bent to his knees and tried to ask what happened. But the child continued to cry, unable to vent his sorrow. And because his shirt was partial opened, Kai Endou instantly took notice of the bruise. Stunned, he opened the boy's shirt and saw for the first time, all the heavy, dark bruise on the frail white body. His eyes went murderous as he glared at Mia.

"Ask him who did that to him you fool" Mia eyes met his angrily, startling him.

Then Kai Endou realized how some of the bruises appeared old - several days old. It was impossible for Mia Clark to have caused it. It was even more impossible for anyone at the school to cause it. After at day where he learn his nephew was bullied in school, he took the child to the hospital to ensure he was safe. Everyone had assumed his beat, bruised body was due to all the bullying at school. But see the fresh and old bruise on the little boy's chest; it was impossible for anyone outside the introverted child's family to have caused such wounds. And who was the one closest to the child - the woman who was supposed to take care of the child, the nanny. In an instant, Kai Endou knew the truth and felt intense guilt toward his nephew. His only brother had left his only son to him. Kai Endou thought the boy was well taken care of.

"Peter..." Kai asked gently even though he already knew the answer. "Who hurt you?"

Peter Endou stared at his uncles in tears, revealing pain and fear. He could never tell his uncle who had hurt him. He was afraid of the repercussion.

"Does it matter who hurt him?" Mia angry voice caused both the uncle and nephew to stare up at her. "From the looks of it, he suffered for quite a long time now you big fool"

Mia looked like she wanted to smack Kai Endou. She didn't know her fierce expression stirred Kai Endou's heart while her fierce words stirred Peter's.

"You better find out who did this to the poor boy or I'll swear to God, you'll never see your nephew again" Mia scolded the man angrily, losing herself to her emotion. "No matter how good of a lawyer you are, the child services will not allow harm by giving guardianship rights to a stupid, unreliable uncle"

Speechless, Kai Endou could only stare up at the angry but beautiful woman.

"Don't look at me you stupid excuse for a lawyer!" Mia snapped.

Kai Endou immediately turned to look at his nephew with wide eyes. The expression had been so comical that it cause the boy to stop crying and laughed instead. At the sight of his nephew laughing, the guilt in his heart slightly lifted.

"Mommy" Noah did not like how angry his mother was so, gently tug at her hand.

Sighing softly, Mia tried to calm her temper. Moments later, she opened her eyes and smile again like usual.While Kai Endou was surprised, Noah was not.

"I'm okay baby" Mia patted her son's head before smiling gently at Peter Endou. "Don't be scared sweetheart. After today, no one will ever hurt you again"

Peter was started by the confidence in the woman's tone. He didn't know why but he truly believed her when she said no one would hurt him again.

"If I see another bruise on that child" Mia eyes flash murderously at Kai Endou. "The one I'll beat won't be the person who did it, it'll be the useless uncle. Understand?"

Kai Endou just stared at Mia while she gave him the cold shoulder as she took her son's hand and turned to leave. Even when the woman disappeared, the man was still staring after her.