The problem was that Kenji's eccentricities came in rapid succession. Starting with the expensive Yubari melon, to his arrival at this shop. Kenji only handed over a business card, but the shop clerk immediately gave them special treatment.
Of course, Akiko wanted to know what kind of business card Kenji had shown them. What kind of magic card could get them mochi in such a short time—without having to wait a week?
Akiko once again felt a bit silly over Mochi. They traveled all this way solely for mochi, and it was evident that they needed to request special treatment for it.
"Are you asking who I am?" With a frown, Kenji turned to her. "I've taken care of you since twelve years ago," Kenji reminded.
"I mean..."
"Do you want to choose or not?" Kenji diverted Akiko’s attention, pointing at the display case.
Akiko nodded, continuing her intention to visit the shop. She still wanted to ask, but her concentration quickly shifte
Kenji examined the divorce papers and felt satisfied because the name "Nakamura" had been replaced with "Yuto" and the document was officially stamped with a hanko—just as he had wanted.However, Kenji scowled as he remembered that Yuto had visited Akiko a few days prior. At that time, Yuto still wanted Akiko. It was a bit strange that just a few days later, Yuto sent divorce papers.However, they didn’t reach an agreement that day. If Nakamura truly sent the divorce papers because of Akiko's rejection, then Kenji couldn’t be more relieved.At the very least, the man he considered useless was beginning to think along the right lines, and he believed that his relationship with Akiko couldn't be salvaged. But the problem was Akiko.Kenji returned the papers to their envelope and walked inside.“Who was at the door?” As Kenji passed through the living room, Akiko inquired.“Someone delivering documents for me
“Are you sure you don’t want to see a doctor?” Kyoko asked Akiko for what seemed like the hundredth time.Akiko had been dizzy and nauseous since earlier in the evening. She had taken her medication, but perhaps too late. Her lunch had come back up, leaving her with a throbbing headache and a stiff stomach.“No need. I just need some rest.” Akiko clearly refused to go to the doctor because she didn't want to explain her pregnancy to Kyoko.“Tch, you’re just causing trouble.” Kyoko grumbled but didn’t let go of Akiko as she helped her onto the train.Akiko thought Kyoko was just going to help her sit down, but to her surprise, Kyoko sat down beside her as well.“Hey! This isn’t your train,” Akiko reminded her, knowing they were headed in opposite directions.“Do you think I’m going to leave you alone? If something happens to you, I’ll be the one stuck with all your work,” Kyoko grumbled.Akiko smiled, understanding that this was Kyoko’s way of expressing her concern.“Thank you,” Akiko
Yuto clicked his tongue, growing angrier."I told you earlier, I want to fix our marriage. I want us to stay together. Isn't that reason enough?" Yuto began to shout."Why didn't you immediately agree and feel happy? You should be glad that we can be together again. I'm willing to sacrifice wealth and reputation for you!"Akiko clutched her coat tightly, out of regret. She regretted asking them both to leave the Nakamura house because it made Yuto see it as a burden rather than a way out. When Yuto mentioned sacrifice, Akiko was, of course, furious."Why are you questioning my decision to be with you now?" Yuto accused. "Don't tell me this is all just an excuse, and that you've actually gone mad and are in love with your uncle."“Yuto-kun!” Akiko shouted in anger, standing up.Ignoring the pounding in her head, Akiko leaned on the adrenaline and stared sharply at Yuto."You talk about sacrifice but only feel like a victim after doing this? That’s funny. What about me?” Akiko hissed, t
Akiko opened her eyes and suddenly sat up. She remembered something important. Last night, Akiko had come home utterly exhausted—because of her headache—and ate as quickly as possible.Kenji's ramen was delicious and warm, and Akiko finished it all. Then she went to sleep. She slept soundly without any dreams and only woke up a few minutes ago.Akiko was still feeling lazy, so she decided to think while keeping her eyes closed, as her alarm hadn't gone off yet. And that's when it hit her. A thought she had forgotten yesterday. The hanko and the divorce papers.Akiko threw off the blanket, leaving her futon spread out on the floor, and walked down the house's hallway. It was still very early, as it wasn't fully light yet when she passed by the garden in the middle. But Akiko didn't care. The anger that couldn't surface last night due to her headache was now boiling inside her."OJI-SAN!"Akiko slid open the shoji door to Kenji's room with a rough push, and at that moment, her anger was
Akiko felt uneasy. The obstetrician they visited was extremely busy, which made Akiko feel very uncomfortable. Akiko didn’t mind waiting in line, but when she had to wait with other pregnant women, she felt very awkward.While waiting, there would inevitably be light conversations about the pregnancy's age, how many children they had, the baby’s name, and how long they had been married.These were questions Akiko didn’t want to answer because she had not planned for this pregnancy. Akiko had never considered naming the baby, nor was she particularly concerned about the age of her pregnancy.Because they were not legally married, she was unable to answer the question of how long she had been married to Kenji. Akiko’s name had reverted to Tanaka, obscuring that fact. Automatically, they were assumed to be husband and wife.Luckily, Kenji was very skilled at projecting a dark aura around him. So after a few brief and cold answers—which were, of course, lies—the other mothers or parents s
"I want to be grateful for that, because maybe it's for the best." Hayashi wiped his face, looking more relieved, but not Kenji."I... A few days ago, I tried to remind Akiko about it." Kenji spoke very slowly, knowing that what he had done was wrong.Hayashi hissed. "That was very careless, Tanaka-san. I'm not a psychologist, but you shouldn't disturb that peace. You also worked hard to create new memories for her. Don't ruin them."Kenji lifted his head. "Can't you...""You know that's not possible. I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker. I removed the tumor from Akiko's head, and that's it. All the chaotic memories and other issues are side effects of the trauma, Tanaka-san. That's no longer my expertise. You need to talk to a psychiatrist, not me." Hayashi looked regretful again, and then asked. "Have you seen her psychiatrist?"The answer was no, so Kenji chose not to respond. Hayashi knew what his silence meant."You need to see the psychiatrist if you really want to know more abou
“Not surprising.” Kenji now understands why Yuto sent the divorce papers so suddenly.He needed the divorce to legitimize his marriage to Karin. It was clear that he kept the marriage a secret from Akiko, as she would not have behaved normally if she knew.It was better to keep it that way. If Yuto even mentioned his marriage to Karin, Kenji would consider ripping his lips off. Akiko wouldn’t be able to accept it easily. Being betrayed by two people at once was incredibly awful.“But why did he meet with Akiko?” Kenji mumbled again, not understanding why Yuto felt the need to meet with Akiko last Friday. Instead, he should have tangled with that gold-digging snake.But then Kenji shook his head, not caring, not wanting to think about another headache-inducing problem.It wasn’t his business if that spineless man wanted to associate with a stinky flower. Kenji couldn't stop him—in fact, the sooner, the better.“Tell them to stop monitoring Nakamura. It’s done,” Kenji said.They had eac
"Eh..." Akiko pulled her hand away from Kenji, silently cursing herself. That was unintentional."What's wrong?" Of course, Kenji was confused, just like Akiko, who hadn't expected her hand to act on its own.Akiko had wanted to stop Kenji from leaving, but it shouldn’t have gone that far. She wanted Kenji to delay his departure because she didn’t want all the food she had prepared to go to waste. If Kenji just left, all her hard work setting up the event in the living room would be worth nothing."Hmmm..." Akiko murmured hesitantly, tucking her hair behind her ear."What's wrong with you?" Because of her anxiety, Kenji could tell that Akiko was hiding something.But then Akiko shook her head. "I... I just wanted to know when you'll be back." Akiko tried to sound normal."Maybe in two or three days. Is that all you wanted to know?" Kenji thought Akiko shouldn't worry if that's all she wanted to know.Akiko nodded and awkwardly stepped back. She truly regretted it now, making an alread
“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