"The new office layout is really nice. I prefer the new one," Akiko said to Kyoko, who was walking ahead of her down the stairs at Ueno Station.
The data processing division’s office has improved, thanks to the new wide windows, which make the atmosphere feel more open and fresh.
They had just visited Shingi Fusaya and taken a quick look at how the office had been renovated. They were allowed to visit the office, though not for long.
Akiko had accompanied Kyoko, who needed to retrieve some data from her computer that hadn’t been saved online yet. It was just a brief visit, and now they were heading home.
The invitation to leave the house was welcome, even though Akiko had no business at the office. She didn’t want her thoughts to spiral out of control. Her imagination had grown increasingly troubling.
"It’s very nice. I’m surprised they care so much about us now."
Kyoko responded to Akiko’s remark wi
TING TONG!Kenji jolted. He had forgotten his house even had a working doorbell, as there was no reason for anyone to visit. He set the laptop aside and stood up, confusion growing as he made his way to the front door.Upon reaching the gate, Kenji overheard an unhappy conversation outside. He pulled the gate open, ready to chase off whoever was there, but instead was met with a surprise."Hey! I'm so glad you're home. Look, I brought my parents. They wanted to meet you."Sakura began with a lie, knowing full well that Kenji was home. Not long ago, Kenji replied toSakura’s message asking about his whereabouts.He had given a simple response, unsure why she was asking. And when he questioned her reason, Sakura had offered no reply. Her purpose was now clear, but her reasoning was still confusing to Kenji.Sakura stepped aside from the gate, revealing a middle-aged couple who also looked surprised. They were taken aback
Akiko felt incredibly foolish.Even with her mind—clearly teetering on the edge of madness—Akiko easily admitted that Kenji was a man who couldn’t be ignored. He was someone who naturally drew attention, and it was impossible that he would remain single for long.There would come a time when Kenji would marry—have a family and children like any other normal person. His marriage with Karin may have failed, but that didn’t mean Kenji’s love life would stop there.Akiko chuckled softly, laughing at herself for subconsciously thinking that Kenji would act like she did.She might no longer want men around because of past heartbreak, and now she was confused. Of course, Kenji was different.It was very possible for Kenji to want another woman after divorcing Karin. Akiko had never thought that far ahead and now felt extremely naive, imagining that a handsome, wealthy man would choose to stay single.Akiko didn&r
Akiko snapped out of her daydream as a cold drop of water landed on the back of her hand. She raised her hand and looked up; more drops followed. The spring rain had begun to fall.“He... is so perfect.” Akiko smiled and closed her eyes. She leaned back, letting the rain wash over her face. The teenagers who had been playing basketball earlier ran home to seek shelter, but Akiko remained seated.The rain was only a drizzle, but it was enough to cool her face and, of course, conceal how disheveled she looked.Akiko’s desire to hold back her tears and act normal was merely wishful thinking, because in the end, it took a long time before she could stop the tears.Her face was now swollen and red. For a while, the rain could hide that. She might have to clarify later why she opted to get wet instead of seeking shelter.“KIKO-CHAN!”Akiko flinched and opened her eyes, spotting Kenji running down the steps, coming tow
But as Kenji's warm lips touched hers, Akiko still felt wrong. Akiko knew her silence was wrong. Akiko knew accepting it was wrong, but she didn’t know how to reject that warmth. Akiko didn’t know how to resist the lips she desired.Akiko had once felt those lips touch her roughly and demandingly, but now it was far from that. Akiko didn’t feel any coercion.Even when Kenji's hand, which was on the back of her neck, slipped up through her hair and gripped her more firmly, Akiko didn’t mind. Akiko didn’t resist.The chill she felt from the rain no longer mattered. The warmth that those lips brought was enough to melt her.The touch of those lips could cause Akiko to feel so many unspoken emotions. And Akiko could feel how the principles she had been trying to hold onto were growing thin, fading away with each ragged breath.Kenji only released Akiko after hearing that, but he still lowered his head, looking
The doctor attending to Kenji's body would certainly have liked to curse if he could. Unfortunately, he knew exactly who Kenji was and was forced to keep his mouth shut, focusing on changing Kenji's bandages instead.In contrast, Ryu had been grumbling nonstop. He was perplexed as to why Kenji continued to stand in the rain, despite his unhealed wounds, and even ventured to lift Akiko's body.The doctor had already said the wound hadn’t reopened and advised Kenji not to lift heavy objects, but that warning wasn't enough to satisfy Ryu.“I still suspect you’re trying to hurt yourself. Are you sure there was no other option? You could have...”Ryu fell silent because, finally, his complaints were responded to by Kenji. Kenji's eyes answered him with a look that could probably end one of Ryu's nine lives.Ryu eventually turned his attention to the doctor caring for Kenji. He had finished bandaging Kenji's body and was tidying u
Akiko turned toward the door and saw Kenji entering, carrying a small table with breakfast.Still gathering her senses, Akiko stared at Kenji for a few seconds before her face flushed as memories of the kiss resurfaced. Her fever had gone down, so her flushed cheeks were undoubtedly caused by that memory. Her recollection stopped right after the kiss."Does your head hurt?" Kenji asked, noting that Akiko was holding her forehead."Yeah, no... I mean no." Her head did hurt when she tried to remember what happened after the kiss, but Akiko didn’t want to complain. She didn’t want Kenji to be kind to her. That’s why she changed her answer midway. It was a decent effort, but Kenji didn’t believe her at all."How... How did I get home yesterday?" Akiko inquired, interrupting before Kenji could ask again about her head."You fainted, had a fever. I called a doctor, and they gave you that." Kenji pointed to the medicine on the table.CLANG!The spoon Akiko had lifted fell back into the por
Kenji couldn’t explain Sakura honestly without mentioning Masaki. His father’s existence was something he kept hidden from Akiko.Not only because of the connection with Hayato, but also because Masaki didn’t want to meet Akiko. Kenji didn’t want Akiko to be disappointed when she found out that Masaki had never wanted to see her.“I got engaged not because I wanted to, but let’s just say it was an obligation,” Kenji said, trying to explain without mentioning Masaki.“Huh? What kind of reasoning is that? Don’t you…”"I have the same responsibility as Kaito Nakamura, which is why I chose Sakura as my fiancée. It’s not because I love her, nor because I chose her,” Kenji explained, giving an example, and Akiko quickly understood.“You’re getting married because someone told you to?” Akiko was obviously surprised. As far as she knew, Kenji didn’t have parents—just like her father.As Akiko's question circled back around to Masaki, Kenji sighed inwardly.“I’ll explain the basis of my relati
"She doesn’t want to meet you," Ryu answered before Kenji could ask."Are you sure you’ve tried convincing her?" Kenji was busy clicking his tongue and running his hand through his hair. He knew it would be difficult, but he was still annoyed hearing Ryu’s report."Of course I did! I risked my life just to mention you to her. I was almost certain I wouldn’t make it out alive," Ryu retorted, trying to assure Kenji that he had done his best."Your life is still worth five, so don’t be afraid of him," Kenji replied."My life is only worth five when it comes to you! To her, I only have one life, and if she decides to kill me, I'll die right then and there." Ryu raised his voice."She's not going to kill you. You’re being ridiculous!" Kenji grumbled. Ryu’s fear of that person seemed irrational to him."Just because she can’t kill me doesn’t mean she won’t try. It’s easy for you to say, You’re not the one facing her directly!" Ryu was starting to get annoyed."Did you tell her that Kiko-cha
“Wrap it again!”As the nurse was about to leave, Akiko protested. She insisted on having the nurse wrap her head as she had done yesterday.“Tanaka-san, it’s no longer necessary. The surgical wound has healed well,” the nurse said with a smile. The full head bandage was no longer needed, leaving only a square patch covering the back side of her head.But the nurse understood why Akiko made such a strange request. Akiko was currently feeling her entire head, fighting back tears.According to what she felt, Akiko knew her hair was uneven—some parts longer than others—and she could guess that beneath the bandage, there would be a completely bald patch.“I must look awful,” Akiko muttered softly.“I’m sorry. We rushed to prepare for your surgery and didn't have time to evenly trim the hair." The nurse stroked the part of Akiko’s hair that still hung down to her should
Kyoko flinched slightly and looked at Ryu when he mentioned "liking," but then she realized Ryu was only speaking generally, with no special meaning. It didn’t make sense that Ryu would suddenly say something like that out of nowhere.“And I agree with that. The current Prime Minister’s work is terrible. If he has any shame left, he should just resign.” Ryu nodded in agreement with Kyoko’s opinion, looking satisfied.“After this, I hope you can help me win any debate against Kenji,” Ryu said.“Huh? What?” Kyoko was confused.“Forget it.” Ryu waved his hand dismissively. It was too early to discuss that."About the Prime Minister we were just discussing, he's bad, but you can't solely blame Kenji because there are other clans involved. As you heard earlier, Kuryugumi isn’t acting alone. They made the decision together. The individual who was elected was not the one Kuryugumi had
“Has she arrived?” Ryu inquired as he observed Inoue preparing to welcome him.“Yes. She was perfectly on time. Not a minute late,” Inoue replied, with a hint of sarcasm.Ryu could only offer a wry smile, knowing he was in the wrong. Ryu was late. He had to take care of something at Shingi Fusaya and couldn’t leave his office until half an hour past his meeting time with Kyoko.His lateness was serious, and there was no time for small talk with Inoue. Ryu quickly opened the door to Kenji’s office.Ryu had asked Inoue to arrange the meeting in Kenji’s office, which would clearly be empty for the next few weeks.Kyoko, who had been waiting inside, quickly stood up, looking surprised to see Ryu.“You…”“Yes, I’m the one who will formalize your work contract. Kenji… is busy.” Ryu removed the folder he had prepared and sat in Kenji's chair.&
"What's wrong?" Akiko grew more curious as she watched Kenji lower his head and cover his face with his hands."Sorry, just a moment." Kenji needed to calm himself. The fear he felt earlier was real. He had braced himself for Akiko's complaining of pain, clearly worried about her post-surgery scars.But Akiko was completely calm. A small ray of hope emerged amidst all the darkness that enveloped him."Are you okay?" Akiko asked again, gently touching Kenji's hand, which slowly loosened its grip."Yes, I'm fine. Everything is fine." Kenji smiled, causing Akiko's heart to race again. She reflexively covered Kenji's mouth."Don't smile like that," Akiko complained. Kenji raised his eyebrows in question."Just don't."Kenji found the request odd, but he nodded. Only then did Akiko release her hand, exhaling with a sense of relief."What's wrong with my smile? Is it scary?" Kenji didn’t think he had made a scary face, but Ryu
Akiko stared at Kenji as he walked in, once again placing a hand on her chest. She felt abnormal, her heart racing with excitement.Or maybe it was the man who wasn’t normal. Akiko couldn't imagine how she had married someone so... handsome.Akiko admitted it. Ryu, who had been with her earlier, was handsome, sweet, and had a clean face. Kenji’s face was the complete opposite.Kenji was handsome, but not sweet, and he looked rugged with stubble that seemed a few days old. But that wild side of him was driving her crazy. Akiko felt her stomach suddenly warm as those dark eyes looked at her.She wanted to look away—unable to withstand the excessive charm—but decided to keep looking. It would be strange to turn away so suddenly. After all, they were husband and wife. Akiko wanted to get used to looking at that face quickly.“Are you feeling dizzy?” As he sat beside Akiko, he naturally reached out to touch her
"Is this going to be permanent?" As soon as Kenji and Hayashi left the room, he asked his question.Hayashi ran a hand through his white hair, and the lines on his forehead deepened."The answer is, I don't know." Hayashi gave his honest reply with a long sigh.If not for the fact that Hayashi had done so much to help Akiko recover, Kenji might have snapped at him for his unhelpful response.It was Hayashi's job to diagnose Akiko's condition, not to be unsure. It was Kenji's responsibility not to be in the dark."Maybe this answer won't satisfy you," Hayashi said, noticing how Kenji was struggling to contain his emotions."However, I am unable to provide a definitive response. The neurologist who worked with me on Akiko's case before diagnosed her as unable to function normally, but after therapy restored her motor skills, her ability to remember and understand things slowly returned. When it comes to Akiko's condition, nothing is set in sto
Akiko followed Hayashi's flashlight beam, moving left and right with ease. There was no problem at all."What do you feel?" Hayashi asked with a friendly smile. Akiko looked at him. He was a kind and gentle doctor."Dizzy." Akiko had felt a sharp pain in her head when she tried to sit up earlier, but now it had eased significantly. That was her only physical complaint. As for her thoughts—Akiko couldn’t explain them."Of course you feel dizzy. You have a head injury."Akiko appreciated the doctor's warmth as he gently explained. She then touched the bandage on her head with a confused expression."What happened to me? Did I fall?" Akiko inquired, hoping for a quick explanation.But the doctor didn’t answer immediately. Akiko caught him glancing at one of the men standing on the opposite side of the bed. The man nodded.Akiko understood instantly that Hayashi had just sought permission. The doctor was seeking permissi
Kenji's thoughts immediately pointed to her. Only Karin could have come up with such a cunning plan, with the intent to hurt Akiko.After all, who else knew about the relationship between him and Akiko besides Karin? Kenji doubted his father would resort to such cowardly methods. His father had already shown his way yesterday—an attack from the front, forceful if necessary."I think we were wrong. Karin isn't interested in the Nakamura fortune. She's doing everything she can to hurt Akiko." Kenji corrected his earlier assumption that Karin was merely being materialistic when she tricked him. "Everything she's done since the beginning has hurt Akiko.""Why though? Why would she hate her own niece?" Ryu scratched his head, looking confused.It wasn't a question that Kenji needed to answer. Aside from not knowing the reason, Kenji didn’t care. What mattered was that Karin had hurt Akiko.Before this, Kenji could still forgive everything Kari
But Kenji's burden gradually lessened as he saw a smile spread across Hayashi's lips.“It worked. Everything was successfully retrieved. And Akiko's condition is very stable,” Hayashi said, giving a thumbs-up.Kenji let out a sigh of relief, but he knew his relief was premature.“How…”“I’ve requested that the biopsy be done as soon as possible, but it will still take at least a day. Be patient. Stay with Akiko when she wakes up. Huh, what happened to your face?” Hayashi inquired, noting Kenji's bruised and battered face.“Something happened, but it's over now,” Kenji responded vaguely. He might hear the full story later about the earlier commotion, but Kenji wasn’t too concerned. Kuryugumi usually had a team to clean up any public disturbances.Hayashi squinted at Kenji's face before patting his shoulder. “Take care of those wounds. But I must go. I’m not as youn