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#127 Stain On My Pride
Huling Na-update:
2024-11-13 07:03:01"Kondo-san, could you step out for a moment?" Ryu asked very politely, addressing the man who bowed, asking him to leave the emergency stairs.
They were supposed to meet upstairs, but because of a sudden phone call, Kenji had briefly turned into the emergency stairwell. The call took longer than expected, and Kondo, eager to explain the situation, followed him down to the stairs. But that turned out to be a disastrous idea.
Ryu sensed Kenji's intense gaze, one that likely harbored a desire to kill him. They couldn’t get out of this situation easily. Akiko had seen everything.
Akiko watched as Kondo left through the emergency door, leaving Ryu and Kenji staring at each other. Ryu shrugged but didn’t speak, waiting for Kenji to explain. He was the one with the right to explain.
“How long have you known each other? How is that possible?” Akiko suddenly recalled how Kenji had mentioned Ryu’s name briefly before, but back then, sh
Kaugnay na kabanata
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #128 Nobody Prefect
Kenji lay on the tatami with his arms bent under his head as a pillow, still fast asleep.Akiko wasn’t surprised at all—she had gotten used to Kenji being near her. She didn’t feel embarrassed either, as Kenji was lying a safe distance away, about half a meter.Akiko noticed a tray with food not far from where Kenji was lying. Cold curry rice. Kenji had brought it for dinner, but he didn’t want to wake Akiko and ended up waiting until he fell asleep.Akiko sighed internally. It was difficult to stay furious at Kenji when he had this habit of doing sweet things without even trying. His habit of pampering her sometimes went beyond reason.Akiko shifted and lay on her side, facing Kenji. Her movements were slow, but Kenji woke up regardless; there was no way he could sleep soundly in that position. Kenji was immediately relieved to see that Akiko appeared healthy. She wasn’t pale like she had been yesterday.“Do I n
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #129 An Attack
“Sorry, you can’t enter.”The guard at the lobby immediately stood up and blocked the entrance when a woman approached the gate leading to Shingi Fusaya’s office area. The woman, looking confused, gently stroked her swollen belly—clearly in the late stages of pregnancy.It was ten o’clock at night, a time when no employees were expected to be coming in. If anyone showed up, they were likely leaving after working overtime, not entering the office.“I can’t get in because I left my wallet with my name tag inside. Can you help me retrieve it? I also left my ATM card in the wallet, and I need to withdraw money right now.” The woman grabbed the security guard’s arm with a pleading look on her face.“Oh, where did you leave it?” the guard asked, softening, clearly sympathetic to the woman’s difficulty.“On the fourth floor, in the marketing room.”If the guar
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #130 The Worst Nightmare
Akiko’s hand, holding the paper, began to tremble.“Who… How…” Akiko could only whisper as panic gripped her throat."I don't know who, but papers like this are stuck on almost every floor. I took this from the elevator, but I found many more on the second floor. In our office.”Kyoko quickly explained, while Akiko walked toward the elevator.“You don’t have to go in. I—”“I want to see the others.” Akiko brushed off Kyoko’s hand as she tried to stop her, then ran toward the elevator.“Akiko! There’s no need.” Kyoko chased after her, but Akiko managed to close the elevator doors, leaving Kyoko outside.Akiko stared straight ahead, her mind filled with confusion and noise. But then her eyes caught sight of tape marks. The elevator door had recently been adorned with something sticky.Of course, Akiko quickly guessed what had previousl
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #131 She's Gone Again
"Let go of her!" Kenji repeated a sharp but not overly loud shout, but it was too late.His first outburst had already drawn the attention of everyone in the lobby. Even after hearing the commotion, the security guards appeared to be approaching. But they just watched."Do you want to lose your hand?!" Kenji hissed as he stepped closer.Mori could sense the danger, so he slowly let go of Akiko's hand. But his eyes stayed fixed on Kenji. He had a decent amount of courage."We're going home," Kenji said, grabbing Akiko's hand.However, Mori blocked his path with his body. His instinct to protect was strong. He couldn’t let Kenji take Akiko away. Kenji’s actions would only fuel the rumors that were already circulating.The two of them leaving together would seem to confirm the gossip. Mori quickly thought of a reason to stop Kenji from taking Akiko."You can't just take her like that. Akiko is an employee here. There ar
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #132 You Can Run, But I'll Find You
Akiko jumped on the first bus that stopped at the stop without even looking at its destination.After paying, she sat inside, wondering how long she would ride. She didn’t care; she just wanted to disappear and forget everything.From the start, what she wanted was impossible. As expected, it all ended in mockery, which she deserved.When she chose to love Kenji, her morality was questionable."Ojou-san*, excuse me. But this is the last stop." Akiko was startled as the bus driver approached her and bowed, apologizing for disturbing her."Oh, yes. Sorry." Akiko quickly stood up and bowed in return, apologizing because her presence had caused the driver some trouble."I apologize again," Akiko said as she reached the door of the bus and stepped off.She looked around. Akiko had never been to this place before, but she easily found clues. There was a large, modern building made almost entirely of glass with the name JR Shinju
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #133 Something Really Wrong
“I’ve found her.” Kenji only managed to contact Ryu once he arrived at the ER.While in the ambulance, Kenji was busy listing all of Akiko’s symptoms before she passed out. Every single one of them—vomiting and falling more often than usual.“Thank goodness,” Ryu said, sounding relieved too.“Are you going to take her to Tokyo?” Ryu asked.“Not yet. I’m still at the hospital.”“Oh, how is she?” Ryu had forgotten why Kenji was so desperate to find Akiko quickly.“I don’t know yet, but I have a terrible feeling.” Kenji wasn't able to sit still the entire time.“She’s probably just tired. Don’t worry too much; you’re always unreasonable when it comes to Akiko.” Ryu, of course, blamed Kenji’s possessiveness, which could sometimes be excessive.“Tired? You should know her workload hasn&rsquo
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #134 Bad News and Really Bad News
As soon as Hayashi contacted the hospital, Akiko was transferred to the ward. Since he emphasized that Akiko was his patient, no one dared to touch Akiko’s test results before he arrived.As a senior doctor, Hayashi's name was enough to command respect, and the doctors at the hospital chose to wait for him. Therefore, Kenji didn’t complain when he had to wait in the ward for quite some time to hear the diagnosis.But the anxiety was almost driving him crazy. And it didn't help that his phone was vibrating non-stop.Kenji couldn’t turn off the phone because he was waiting for news from Ryu. He also couldn’t block the number calling him because it was Kyoko. Kenji didn’t save her number, but he recognized it as the one that called him earlier to describe the situation at Shingi Fusaya that morning.Kenji wasn’t afraid of Kyoko’s anger, but he didn’t want Kyoko to report to Akiko, which would ultimately lead to
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #135 Alone Isn't Fun
Akiko's mouth tasted bitter, probably from fear. The apprehension stemmed from the unfamiliar surroundings.But the fear was brief. No matter how strange the place was, Akiko no longer cared. That was because Kenji was there, now lying face down, seemingly asleep, close to her hand.Her hand had likely just slipped out of Kenji’s grasp, as their hands were still close together. Wherever Kenji was, it couldn't possibly be unsafe.However, the smile on Akiko’s lips turned bitter. She didn’t know why they were in the hospital, but she still remembered why they were in this very unfamiliar hospital. Akiko still remembers everything that happened at Shingi Fusaya.Akiko closed her eyes. Of course, she wanted to cry. But she took a few deep breaths to hold back the tears. She was exhausted from crying. And she shouldn't cry over her own choices.Akiko lifted her hand and gently touched a strand of Kenji’s hair. It was just a light
Pinakabagong kabanata
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #148 He is Just Perfect
“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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #147 It's Amazing
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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #146 His Life
“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.&
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #145 I'll Make It Perfect For You
"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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #144 Sensitive Issue
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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #143 She Loved You Before
"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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #142 Everything Is Strange
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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #141 He's Your Husband
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
Do You Love Me, Uncle? #140 The Culprit
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
