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
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
"My hair... they’ll make me bald!" Akiko complained about the thing she hated most before. She endured the agony of waiting for her hair to grow, constantly confronting her bald head. Attending the summer festival without hair was dreadful."Oh... ha... ha..." Kenji might have lived under too much tension for too long, so what Akiko said ended up making him laugh. Something so trivial and completely unexpected.Kenji also felt relieved, because at least Akiko's worries had shifted. Akiko's fear about her appearance becoming ugly was certainly more manageable than her fear and hopelessness."Are you laughing at me?! You're imagining me bald and laughing?!" Akiko pushed Kenji and wiped away her tears of frustration. This kind of anger wouldn’t make Akiko cry, of course."I'm not laughing at that. I’m laughing at the absurd idea that you could ever be ugly. You will never be ugly, even without hair." Kenji quickly explained what his laughte
Minute by minute, Kenji’s time spent outside the operating room felt like a nightmare—a terrible nightmare.Kenji had never felt this desperate before. He had to endure it for nearly three hours. In addition to the weight of all the risks, Kenji's attention was now fixed on the biopsy results.Hayashi mentioned this possibility yesterday. This is the worst possible outcome for Akiko's condition.Kenji slumped into the chair, closing his eyes, trying with all his might to follow Hayashi's advice not to overthink it.Hayashi had even laid out a very detailed treatment plan this morning to assure Kenji that, whatever the outcome, it didn’t mean a dead end. But Kenji didn’t want to let that possibility enter his mind. The treatment might offer a chance of recovery, but only a chance—not a certainty. That uncertainty planted an ever-growing darkness in Kenji’s mind, rooting deeply.*DRTT!*Kenji jerked as his phone vibrated and immedi
"Do you really want to commit a massacre out in the open?" Masaki shouted, and Kenji finally lowered the katana in his hand.He was a little disappointed that no blood had been spilled. He could kill, but not in front of so many witnesses. A rule that Kenji found bothersome.As Masaki was pushed closer to him, Kenji bowed and glanced at the unfamiliar face behind his father. He might be significantly older than Masaki. However, he appeared more robust and healthy.Kenji was a bit puzzled. If his father wanted to replace Matsuda, he should have picked someone younger, not someone as old as this. Kenji wasn't convinced that this man could lift his father in an emergency.But now wasn’t the time to question Masaki's decision. The veins around Masaki’s neck bulged as he held back his anger."Are you trying to fight me again?! Do you care more about that boy than my words?!" Masaki snapped."I've followed your words," Kenji replied po
"Then obey. I've allowed you to do as you please all this time."Masaki looked at Kenji, who was bowing before him, shaking his head. He had watched Kenji grow, and of course, he knew that Kenji rarely begged anyone for anything.Seeing Kenji bowing always surprised him. This was the second time Masaki had seen Kenji in such a position. And for the same reason—that weak girl."I will obey and follow your orders—whatever you want. But not with Akiko," Kenji said, pressing his forehead to the ground. Masaki sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t understand why Kenji was so stubborn."Get up," Masaki ordered. Kenji raised himself, but he remained kneeling."You make me seem like a villain when everything I've done has been to protect you, not to be cruel to you," Masaki said, resting his head on his hand while watching Kenji, who was now staring at the grass."Can't you want something else? She’s just a woman. There are
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
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
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
"Sandaime, the guest you’ve been waiting for has arrived."Kojima met Kenji in his office and reported who had arrived. Kenji slammed the documents in his hand on the desk.He was furious, as the arrival of that trash man was a sign that something had gone wrong. Kenji was already aware that something was amiss, but he was unsure of the specific cause.Ever since he received the report about Yuto’s strange movements—disappearing into a foreign car for a while, then emerging to visit his home in Tokyo—it had raised questions. But the next report angered Kenji even more: Yuto had gone to Osaka—to the grand house of the Kuryugumi.The sequence of visits—first to Tanaka's home in Tokyo and then in Osaka—clearly demonstrated Yuto's familiarity with him. Kenjiki Tanaka, known as the Sandaime, was indeed the same Kenjiki Tanaka who resided in Akiko's uncle's home.However, Kenji's plan to destroy Nakam
Yuto glanced at the man sitting next to him. He looked friendly, slightly past middle age, with a smooth bald head.At first, Yuto had been surprised when he saw the man, expecting to meet someone much older or perhaps physically disabled. When the two men now seated in the front row mentioned that the person they were serving couldn't get out of the car, Yuto immediately had that image in mind.A misleading statement immediately put Yuto on guard, and sitting next to the man only increased his suspicion. The man appeared to smile kindly, but his smile was actually a probing one. He kept observing.“Sorry, but what is this about?” Yuto asked, slightly annoyed. He needed an explanation, not scrutiny.“No need to panic. I'm just going to take you for a short ride. It won’t be far,” the man explained,still smiling.Yuto could see the truth in the man's words, as the car was merely circling the school area.
"Are you sure you don’t want to hire anyone else to help?"Yuto asked the question again, for what felt like the hundredth time—ever since his mother had returned from the hospital about two weeks ago—to Karin."No. As long as it's limited to cooking for Okaa-san and attending to her other needs, I can manage. I’m happy to do this because I can finally repay her for everything she’s done for me."Karin answered emotionally while feeding porridge to Kaede. But the porridge trickled out again as Kaede spat it back out.It kept happening, and Karin repeated the process over and over. Only two of the ten spoonfuls actually made it into Kaede's body. Even though her face was slightly tilted, her lip muscles could still muster the energy to spit. Sadly, she could only make faint grumbling sounds."Okaa-san, why don’t you want to eat? You need to keep eating. I’m sure Okaa-san will recover." Yuto knelt besid
"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