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 to
Sakura’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
Kenji was no help at all. He didn’t make any effort to ease Akiko’s attempts to stay sane. At least, that’s what Akiko thought.After feeling normal the whole day—working, conducting surveys, and other tasks—Akiko felt like she was going crazy again when she came home and found Kenji shirtless and drenched in sweat.Kenji was training with a shinai, swinging the bamboo sword in a steady rhythm, trying to get his muscles used to working again.In reality, Kenji wasn’t even doing anything too strenuous. It was just the pain that made him sweat more. That’s why he had taken off the top of his yukata, leaving only his hakama. There was no way Kenji could ever look bad dressed like that.Even the bandages looked cool. The way they wrapped around his wounds made him look tough.Akiko immediately felt guilty for seeing him like that. She felt like she had seen something she wasn’t supposed to.S
"You are too calm for a pregnant woman."Kenji didn’t scold her; he was simply amazed by how easily Akiko went about her usual activities.Akiko did not experience any nausea, dizziness, or vomiting. Akiko ate all her meals well, slept peacefully, and hadn’t requested anything strange so far.Kenji had prepared all the foods Akiko once liked, but none received any special reaction. She ate them, but never excessively. She followed her usual eating habits, not consuming boxes of mochi in one sitting. Her normal state surprised Kenji."She’s---or he calm because she’s very smart." Akiko placed the book she had been reading on the table and moved her hand to her belly, which had finally shown significant change. It appeared as though it had been hidden, and once Akiko became aware of it, it began to grow rapidly."Smart? How?" Kenji, who had been sitting cross-legged near the window, scooted closer and placed his hand on Akiko&
“What happened?!”Yuto shouted as he approached Karin, who was pacing in front of the ER—holding Kenzo, who was fast asleep in her arms. She was alone. There was no sign of Kaname nearby, not even in the distance.“Okaa-san, she suddenly collapsed. I don’t understand why. She... she was scolding me about the bad food I made, and then she just collapsed.”Karin spoke while tears streamed down her face. She sobbed and rushed into Yuto’s arms, but he held her shoulders and pushed her back slightly. With just two fingers—his index and thumb—as if brushing off something disgusting.“What are you doing? There’s no one here.” Yuto looked around. The area in front of the ER was quiet. They didn’t need to put on a show for anyone. Yuto wouldn’t touch her if he could help it.“I...,” Karin wanted to pretend she needed comfort, but Yuto would never give it. So she
"Ken, don't eat that!"Kaede turned when she heard the shout. She saw Karin rushing toward Kenzo, who was crawling across the tatami mat, trying to put a red Lego piece into his mouth. Karin lifted him from the floor, snatching the Lego, now wet with drool, from his hand."He's so clever. I just left him for a moment, and he's already off on an adventure." Kaede smiled happily as she approached her assistant to collect the letter."Ken will choke if this keeps up." Karin's tone was neutral, but it was clearly a complaint.Kaede had said she'd look after Ken while cooking but had easily left him on the floor, as though abandoning her responsibility."Are you scolding me?" Kaede looked at Karin, who was now placing her grandson beside the dozens of toys scattered across the floor."No, Okaa-san." Karin bowed before starting to remove the numerous toys that could pose a risk to Kenzo's safety.Kaede didn't consider whether the toys were su
Kenji gazed at the paper he was holding, pondering over its potential use. He remained deep in thought until Ryu suddenly burst into the room.“It’s out! The results are in!” Ryu exclaimed, waving a white envelope.“You could have sent it to me. Why did you come all the way back to Osaka?” Kenji asked, surprised.“I had some business here, so I figured I’d drop it off. Hurry! Open it!” Ryu urged him, gesturing toward the envelope he handed Kenji.“You didn’t open it?” Kenji reached for a letter opener and tore through the sealed flap. He had assumed Ryu would have peeked at the results.“No, I wanted to see it with you. Hurry up!” Ryu said, growing impatient.“I told you, I was right,” Kenji said as he unfolded the paper inside and smiled after reading it.His confidence was fully justified—the envelope’s contents confirmed his suspicio
The sound of the choir on stage echoed melodiously through the spacious room at the Nakamura Foundation’s event hall.It was a special event to celebrate the retirement of the foundation's chairman. He was retiring early to assume his new role as the Minister of Education, so it was a well-earned celebration.No one in the room or on stage wore a gloomy face. Everyone was filled with joy because the chairman’s achievement represented a new level of success. Kaname Nakamura had successfully brought the Nakamura family and the foundation to greater heights.This achievement garnered widespread praise and brightened the future of the foundation, especially with Kaname’s successor, Yuto, who was expected to surpass his father, bringing fresh ideas to the field of education.Yuto had already made the school the most prestigious, with more than two-thirds of its students excelling academically. No dark clouds loomed in their future.
Ryu grabbed Kyoko's neck and kissed her passionately, without hesitation, feeling immensely happy. Kyoko didn't resist at all. Ryu kept pulling her body closer."You better let go of my hand right now. Before you lose your nose and lips."Ryu's eyes flew open at once, as the voice he heard was deep—not Kyoko's voice. What he saw was not Kyoko. It was Kenji, lying beside Ryu, staring at him in disgust.Meanwhile, Kenji's arm was in Ryu's grasp, slightly wet. It was clear what had fallen victim to Ryu's dream and lips—Kenji's arm."WHAA!" Ryu screamed in horror, pushing Kenji's face away and rolling away from him."What... Why are you..."Ryu sat up and looked around. They were in his room—not some strange place like a hotel or motel. Kenji was still fully dressed, whereas Ryu wasn't."Where are my clothes? Why are you here?!" Ryu asked, panicked, pointing at Kenji while looking for and finally finding his t-shirt lying not f
Kenji glanced around, squinting in the dim surroundings. A few people stared at him—understandably so, as he towered over the others. Those who recognized him bowed immediately, pausing their movements, ignoring the pulsating music.The club wasn't far from Kuryugumi's main house, so it was no surprise some people knew him. However, Kenji did not reciprocate their gestures or show any concern. His focus was on one person he had been looking for.That person stood surrounded by at least three women, laughing as they offered him drinks."I haven't seen you like this in a long time," Kenji said."Hey! You came! Look!" Ryu shouted excitedly, raising his glass—likely filled with brandy judging by its color. Ryu, walking unsteadily, rushed toward Kenji and clung to his shoulder."Look who's here, everyone! Isn't he handsome? This is one of my friends."Ryu proudly introduced Kenji to the women who quickly gathered around him. Some of t
"What's going on with them?" Kyoko asked Akiko, glancing at Kenji and Ryu, who hadn't spoken to each other during breakfast.Now that the breakfast table had been cleared, Kenji still hadn’t said a word to Ryu—or vice versa.Usually, even if it was just a question about work or plans for the afternoon, they would talk. They never stayed silent like this. Akiko noticed it too. Yui was as quiet as usual, but Kenji and Ryu seemed odd."Did you two have a fight?" Akiko asked, sipping her tea and looking back and forth between Kenji and Ryu."Yes.""No."Kenji said yes, while Ryu said no. The two contradictory responses only made it clearer that something was going on between them.Ryu angrily glared at Kenji, to which Kenji responded with a defiant look."What? I'm just being honest," Kenji shrugged."Since when have you cared about being honest?! Choose the right time to be honest!" Ryu snapped."I was ju
"Are you leaving?" Akiko inquired, observing that Kenji was still wearing his shirt, even though his jacket had been removed. He clearly wasn't ready to sleep yet.Akiko herself was already under the covers. Today had been exhausting for her, especially after experiencing such extreme emotional shifts from fear to joy."Yes, I need to talk to Ryu. There are some work adjustments I need to discuss with him," Kenji said, sitting beside Akiko."Should I stay with you until you fall asleep? I can postpone it," Kenji offered, noticing the disappointment in her eyes.Akiko thought for a moment, then nodded. She did want that."But are you sure it's okay? Whatever you need to discuss with Ryu, can it wait?" Akiko asked.Kenji nodded. "Of course it can. If it was something urgent that couldn’t wait, I'd ask Kyoko or Yui to come stay with you. But this can wait."Kenji grabbed a pillow and placed it beside Akiko, who was lying down