#4 I Want You to Stay

 

But Kenji's hand was quicker; he grabbed Karina's arm and pulled her back inside while pushing the shoji* door shut.

“Don’t you dare do that!” Kenji hissed. He didn’t care about Akiko’s marriage, but he didn’t want Karina to do something that would make Akiko cry for days.

“Oji-san!” Akiko cried out in panic, as Karina now screamed in pain. Kenji was squeezing her arm hard, not just pulling her.

“Don’t hurt her, Oji-san!” Akiko pulled at Kenji’s hand, trying to free Karina. Slowly, Kenji’s grip loosened, not because of Akiko’s pull but because of her tears.

“Oji-san, I don’t want to be separated from Yuto. I don’t want to lose him. Please grant Auntie’s request.” Akiko then pleaded.

A few seconds ago, her heart was still in turmoil, but the nightmare of being separated from Yuto was scarier to her. Akiko knew her request might be more than just impudent—asking her uncle to let go of his wife was crazy.

In Akiko’s mind, they were married and happy. Kenji refused to grant the divorce request as proof. That's how it appeared to Akiko, without hearing the mumbling and hissing between them.

“Oji-san, please. I will do anything you ask; I will repay you for this, but please grant her request.” Akiko pleaded again, looking at Kenji. Her tears now dripped onto the back of Kenji’s hand, which was still in her grip.

“Do you really love that weak man?” Kenji asked incredulously.

“Yes, Yuto is my world.” Akiko nodded, her tears streaming more.

“Decide quickly! I want clarity now!” Karina saw Kenji weaken and seized the opportunity.

“Akiko will be tormented by her in-laws if I say this disgusting thing to them! Just wait and see…”

“Be quiet!” Kenji snapped, unable to bear Karina’s shouting anymore.

Kenji sighed. “Fine, we’ll get a divorce.”

Akiko felt relieved, but her sobbing didn’t stop. She regretted forcing her uncle into that decision. The guilt made Akiko miss the satisfaction that flickered on Karina’s face.

She now had a wide smile. “Finally, I can get out of this hellish life with you,” Karina hissed.

“Hellish? When did I make you suffer?” Kenji snorted.

"You never brought me happiness; you're disgusting, and..."

“I don’t need to hear it!” Kenji interrupted Karina's insults with a roar, and Akiko's sobs decreased. He didn’t want Akiko to hear it.

“I’ve granted your request, so now be quiet before I make you unable to speak!”

Karina was furious but, recognizing the serious threat, fell silent.

Akiko, who had stopped crying, felt a bit confused, noticing the strange atmosphere between the two, but couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. She didn’t understand why her uncle and aunt now looked at each other with such hatred.

She knew Karina was angry, but Kenji had no reason to feel the same way. Like her, Kenji should have felt disgusted and guilty. Akiko was puzzled by his demeanor. After marrying Akiko, Kenji almost never interacted with her.

Akiko had attempted to reach out to him, but frequently, Kenji either didn't respond or was preoccupied, only engaging in brief conversations. Over time, Akiko stopped trying to contact him, and now she was confused, seeing her uncle’s changed demeanor.

“I will wait for the official divorce papers,” Karina said calmly.

“As soon as possible. I’ll have the lawyer handle it today. It will be done in a week at most.” Kenji had returned to his impassive state.

Akiko looked back and forth between the two. Confused by the sudden calmness, they didn’t look sad or heartbroken, but rather as if they were agreeing to a work contract.

“The hush money is five hundred million yen.” Karina stated clearly what compensation she wanted.

“How much do you want?” Kenji frowned.

“Five hundred million yen.” Karina repeated it more forcefully.

Akiko’s eyes widened. Five hundred million yen was a lot. It would be close to four million dollars. 

Akiko looked at Kenji and panicked again. Her uncle couldn’t possibly have that much money. But Akiko was once again astonished when Kenji nodded. She didn’t know Kenji was so wealthy.

“Okay.” Kenji walked to the living room, opened one of the drawers to take out a checkbook, wrote the amount Karina requested, and stamped his family name on it. He then threw it toward Karina.

“Take it and go! Don’t come back!” Kenji shouted. He was still unsatisfied that he couldn't punish Karina, but for the time being, it was better to keep Akiko away from Karina.

Karina clicked her tongue as she picked up the check from the floor.

“Thank you for the year of marriage that felt like hell. And thank you for this.” Karina displayed the check, opened the door, and briefly glanced at Akiko.

Although they had been speaking Japanese all this time, Karina switched to her native language, and Akiko understood it despite not using it for a long time. Indonesian.

"It seems you've been here too long to forget your native customs and culture. I’m sure your father and mother would cry in their graves if they knew you slept with your own uncle.”

Akiko’s tears started flowing again. She hoped to apologize before Karina left, but instead, she received a harsh reprimand.

“Leave!” Kenji pushed Karina out, then slammed it shut. The shoji paper attached to the door frame trembled.

“Go in and clean yourself up. You’re a mess.” Kenji instructed Akiko.

“I want to go home now. I've got to get back to Yuto. I haven’t been home all night.” Akiko refused her uncle’s order.

“You don’t need to go back to that family!” Kenji had divorced Karina, but that didn’t mean he would let Akiko go back there. He just didn’t want Karina to ruin Akiko’s name.

“But I…”

“That man and his family are torturing you! How can you still want to go back there?!” Akiko had never reported it to him, but Kenji knew about the Nakamura family’s treatment of her. Yuto Nakamura is coward.

“I want to go home!” Akiko didn’t want to hear Kenji badmouth Yuto’s family.

“You want to go back to that weak man? A man who will never leave his mother’s side? No. You’re staying here!” Kenji has now insulted Yuto.

Akiko was startled and looked into Kenji’s dark eyes. Those eyes were sharp, devoid of any softness.

"I've got to go back, Oji-san. I’m still Yuto’s wife.” Akiko asked more calmly, not wanting her uncle to get more angry.

“You said you would grant my wish, didn’t you? In return for me divorcing Karina.” Kenji asks calmly, almost like a whisper.

Akiko was taken aback. A terrifying premonition arose. That promise shouldn’t have been made lightly.

“Don’t do that, Oji-san…” Akiko shook her head.

“My request is that you stay here.” Kenji clarified.

Akiko shook her head vigorously, tears streaming again. “No, Oji-san. Anything else. Not that. I love Yuto; he’s my husband.”

“Husband? Have you forgotten what we did last night? It seems you enjoyed my touch even though I’m not your husband.”

“STOP!” Akiko screamed and covered her ears, not wanting to hear that discussion.

“I have to go home!” Akiko ran into the room, crashing into Kenji.

“Akiko!” Kenji shouted angrily.

Akiko heard but kept running. She remembered the phone in her bag, which was still left in Kenji’s room. Earlier, Akiko had forgotten to bring the bag. 

Quickly, Akiko grabbed the bag and took the phone while continuing to run to the bathroom, locking the door to keep her uncle out.

The call connected quickly. “Yuto-kun, I…”

A loud crash made Akiko freeze. Kenji had just broken down the bathroom door.