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
“Himawari! Natsu!”A ten-year-old boy let out a loud shout when he discovered two other children hiding behind the bushes beneath the tree.“Kenzo—big brother!”Natsu was startled to see Kenzo suddenly appear. He pulled the girl, Himawari, beside him to stand, intending to run away, but Kenzo stopped him.“No! You’re making Okaa-san worried. You have to go back.” Kenzo grabbed Natsu's arm.“But Himawari is scared. She doesn’t want to go to school,” Natsu pointed at Himawari, who was now sobbing.“Hima-chan.” Kenzo knelt down and gently stroked Himawari's head, which was bowed down.“School isn’t scary. You’ll meet many new people and make new friends,” Kenzo coaxed softly until Himawari looked up to meet Kenzo's gaze.“But… but… I want to be with Natsu. I don’t want to go to school…”
“This place isn’t bad.” Kenji didn’t outright refuse, but his reluctance was evident.“Indeed, I will make sure this place will never be bad for those children. However, Kenzo stands apart from these children. They are kids who truly have no family and are forced to live here. Kenzo has me. I am his family. I am the only family Kenzo has."Akiko didn’t want to acknowledge this while remembering Kenzo's mother’s actions, but Kenzo was still the child of her mother’s younger sibling—her family. No one else was her blood relative as of now.“I can’t forget that fact and pretend Kenzo is someone else. It will haunt me in my sleep,” Akiko urged again.Kenji fiddled with the car keys beneath him while staring at the back of Kenzo's head, who was now trying to draw something with crayons on a new piece of paper.“I know you hate his mother—I do too. But you don’t hav
“I still don’t want to do this,” Kenji grumbled.“I know, but I’m sure you also know that this is the right thing to do,” Akiko replied, looking at her husband, who was now unbuckling his seatbelt. Although they arrived two minutes earlier, neither of them got out of the car.The decision they—Akiko—made was indeed a significant one. Akiko needed to calm herself. Kenji had left the choice to her, but he was still going through it with a heavy heart.“Come on, let’s go.” Akiko finally opened the door and stepped out.Children playing in the yard rushed over when they spotted her.“Tanaka-san! What did you bring today? Candy? A storybook?”A chorus of voices greeted Akiko. She often visited the orphanage with gifts, so the children expected her to bring something.“I brought something in the car for you, but it’s a secret. You can…”
“I don’t want to sleep with you.” Ryu repeated the question in disbelief because it seemed too absurd. He shook his head while rubbing his face.“I think your ability to draw conclusions isn’t very sharp right now,” Ryu said.“No!” Kyoko was obviously offended. Although it wasn't a direct insult, Ryu had implied that Kyoko was stupid.“Don’t be angry; I understand. I would be disappointed if your mind was entirely calm at the moment.” Ryu smiled with satisfaction.“I’m calm!” Kyoko retorted.“You just asked about my desire to sleep with you. I think that’s quite a disturbance that’s keeping you from being calm.” Ryu left his suitcase and approached Kyoko, who suddenly panicked and stepped back.“Don’t deny it. You won’t succeed in making me think otherwise.” Ryu chuckled softly at her panic.“I don&
“Don’t open it now. You’ll get wet.” Ryu raised the hood of Kyoko's raincoat just in time as a large amount of water splashed toward where they were sitting. It was as if someone had poured a giant bucket of water on them.The orca whale show they were watching involved jumping out of the water. Of course, when they fell back, they splashed a lot of water toward the audience.Ryu clapped like everyone else, appreciating the hard work of the giant mammals, but Kyoko didn’t clap at all—not even when the show ended.“Didn’t you like it?” Ryu inquired as they exited, discarding their soaked raincoats.Ryu grabbed a small towel handed out by the staff, then used it to dry Kyoko’s hair and neck. Although Ryu had covered her hoodie just in time, some parts of Kyoko’s hair and neck were still wet.“You don’t like aquariums. I’ll note all of that.” After waiting for a
"I want to go home."Kyoko suddenly spoke up just as Akiko finished applying pink lipstick to her lips.“Huh? Why? Did you forget something?” Akiko straightened up, confused, as she glanced at the kimono Kyoko would be wearing.Kyoko's kimono was simpler, with only a hair ornament as an accessory. It wasn’t as elaborate as the one Akiko had worn when she got married in Utoro.Ryu had planned for their wedding to be similar to Akiko’s, but they had compromised for a more modest ceremony at the city hall. Ryu knew Kyoko's feelings about temple buildings, so he wouldn't dare force anything. Besides, the reception would still happen; just the ceremony would be different.Nobody objected to the decision. Everyone agreed as long as the wedding took place, including Akiko. Even though her expensive kimono was a bit much for a city hall wedding, she was still happily helping Kyoko.“Everything's ready. I just need to pu
“You must be crazy!” Kyoko stood up and paced back and forth in the living room, trying to recall if there was any sign that Ryu wasn’t serious.But everything was serious. Ryu had even sent her a photo of the kimono he would wear on their wedding day. When Kyoko saw the photo, she thought Ryu was insane, as discussing kimono patterns would escalate their deception.In the end, Kyoko made her choice, wanting to end the pointless discussion. But it turned out that the discussion was important.“Are you just going to sit there?!” Kyoko yelled angrily, glaring at Ryu, who was calmly sipping beer and munching on peanuts he had brought earlier.“What do you want me to do?” Ryu frowned.“Cancel everything! Call them all! Cancel it!” Kyoko sat back down next to Ryu and then attacked him, reaching for his waist.“Hey, wait! Don’t get aggressive all of a sudden,” Ryu was, of cour
Ryu shook his head, while effortlessly unlocking Kyoko's apartment door once more by simply inputting her birthday—the day after tomorrow.He had repeatedly reminded Kyoko to change the password, which was extremely easy to guess. Not just once—like when he first broke in to find the listening device—but several times since.Now, Kyoko no longer lives in Tokyo. Since becoming actively involved in Kuryugumi and assisting Kenji and Ryu, Kyoko had relocated to Osaka, where she now primarily worked.However, Kyoko hadn't been working regularly since visiting her parents, and no one was pressuring her to do so either. Kenji didn’t give any orders, leaving everything up to Ryu.The apartment’s security was truly weak, especially since there was still no sound, despite Ryu walking into the room for several moments. It was evident that Kyoko had fallen asleep due to the late hour. Ryu had come straight to the apartment after returnin
Akiko adjusted herself in front of the mirror, gazing at the new kimono she would wear the day after tomorrow.The kimono was custom-made for her, so naturally, it fit perfectly. But Akiko wanted to see if the color matched her expectations. And indeed, everything was perfect. It fit her body beautifully and didn't feel heavy or hot, which was crucial considering it was still summer.The modern kimono, with a white base, was adorned with pink cherry blossoms. Akiko had even prepared hair accessories filled with cherry blossom designs to complete the look.She wasn’t wearing the hairpiece yet, but when she tried placing it on her head, the pink color matched perfectly with her black hair. Everything was set. She had also prepared clothes for Natsu and Kenji.BANG!Akiko flinched and dropped the hair accessory she was holding. The loud noise from the sliding door startled her.Luckily, Natsu was in the next room, so he wouldn’t be