Akiko woke up, but she stood up too quickly.
“Aahh…” Akiko straightened her back. There was a sharp pain as she bent down. Endo’s rough handling still left her sore.
And as she groaned, Akiko still felt the pain. Her cheek ached as she opened her mouth. The bruise still hurt.
Akiko sighed, grateful it was Saturday. She wouldn’t need to apply heavy makeup to cover the bruise.
Akiko frowned. She wanted to report Endo to the police for what he did, but it would cause a big scandal.
Akiko couldn’t imagine how her coworkers would react. At worst, someone might call her a flirtatious widow who seduces men. That thought made Akiko doubt whether reporting him to the police was the right choice.
Perhaps the evidence of abuse on her face and back could strengthen the case against Endo—especially with her uncle as a witness. But Akiko wasn’t sure she could handle the uproar her report would create.
“What doll?” Akiko dodged the question, and that was a disastrous move."There's a rabbit doll in your room. I bought it for..."He stopped. Kenji still couldn’t talk about it, and Akiko immediately busied herself with chewing, avoiding eye contact with Kenji altogether. Talking about that loss felt like confronting a large, unavoidable obstacle.“That doll shouldn't be with you.” Kenji changed his direction, concentrating solely on the information he was seeking.“I bought it myself. It’s not yours.” Akiko was defiant.This was because she couldn’t explain how the doll had changed hands. It was all too wrong.Akiko believed that her actions that day, such as hugging Kenji, were wrong, as her feelings had changed from those of a child seeking comfort. Back then, she had been too weak, and now she wanted to forget it.“Where did you buy it?” Kenji inquired, clearly
"I think you should report this to the police! And that alone isn’t enough. That bastard deserves to be castrated!"Kyoko didn’t bother filtering her words; her hands mimicked the motion of breaking something in two. There was no need to ask what Kyoko wanted to break, especially after she mentioned the word "castration.""That’s my plan too, but I’m hesitant if it turns into a big scene," Akiko said, as attaching her name tag at the entrance after waiting in line for quite a while.Mondays made the lines a bit longer. Everyone chose the same time to arrive—five minutes before work started."But it's disgusting that he's still in the office with you. Who knows what he’ll try to do next?" Kyoko replied, shuddering.Akiko sighed. Of course, she agreed with that sentiment. She didn’t know how she was going to face Endo after this. She wasn’t even sure she could bear to meet him. Just thinking about it ma
"Kouki Endo? Wait!"The police officer writing Akiko’s report furrowed his brow and stared at his handwriting. Akiko was just as confused."I feel like I’ve heard this name before, but I can't remember where. Sorry, give me a moment."Akiko nodded, watching as the officer sifted through his files.She glanced over at Kyoko, who could only shrug, equally clueless. Akiko had planned to report Endo herself to HR, but for the police, she asked Kyoko to come along.Even though this was a police station, the place still felt unfamiliar to her. And now, halfway through the report, there was another oddity."Are you reporting Kouki Endo, who works here at Shingi Fusaya? A real estate company?" The officer finally pulled out a file and read the data.Akiko nodded."Heh... hah..." The officer suddenly smiled and nodded his head."What’s going on?" Akiko asked.The officer looked satisfied, as i
Ryu paced back and forth in front of the ER, his hands constantly wringing together. Kenji was taken to the ER an hour ago, but nothing has been reported."Here," Inoue, who had arrived ten minutes earlier, handed her phone to Ryu."What's his name?" Ryu asked."Yato Maeda," Inoue replied."Maeda-san?" Ryu pressed the phone to his ear."Who are you? Why are you calling me at this hour?"A slightly harsh reply came from the other side. It was ten o'clock at night. Being forced to take a call from an unknown person was understandably annoying."Ryusuke Sato. Kuryugumi.""Who… Oh?" There was a commotion on the other end, and Ryu clicked his tongue impatiently. He had no patience left at this point."Sato-san, I apologize for not recognizing you. How can I help you?" Maeda quickly corrected his tone, becoming very polite."There's been an incident, and Sandaime is in the ER at Saiseikai right now. Your hospital
"Did you just tell Akiko what happened?!"Ryu hissed and glared when he heard how Inoue ended the call by mentioning the name of the hospital where they were."I... yes..." Inoue stammered. She had already decided on her own. She was obedient, but Ryu's orders were not as heavy a burden as Kenji's."Are you insane?! How will you explain to her what happened?! Are you going to honestly tell her everything? Do you want to die in Kenji's hands?"Ryu reminded Inoue of what would happen if the decision involving Akiko turned out to be wrong. Without Kenji's permission, approaching Akiko was too dangerous."But she needs to know Sandaime's condition. They told me to prepare for the worst. Akiko-san is...""SHUT UP! He will live! Don’t talk as if Kenji is going to die!" Ryu snapped.He rarely sounded or appeared angry, but this situation had pushed him to the point of despair.Ryu had to rub his face again, calming himself d
Ryu gazed at the horizon where the dawn of spring was breaking, but the sight failed to lift his spirits. This was especially true given that he had hardly slept the previous night. He was exhausted and weary.He had spent most of the night coming up with excuses, saying that Kenji would be abroad for a while, to postpone all schedules—including the driver he had assigned—so as not to raise Masaki's suspicions. Hiding things from an old man with sharp instincts was never easy.His plan to clear his head and calm his thoughts by coming up to the hospital rooftop had failed. His mind remained filled with anxiety."How is he?" Ryu turned around when he heard footsteps approaching from behind. He had contacted Inoue earlier."More stable, no longer in critical condition, but we still have to wait for his consciousness to return. Once he wakes up, Sandaime will be fine," Inoue said, repeating what the doctor had said about Kenji's current condition
Akiko doubted Inoue’s explanation because she knew that the crime rate involving firearms in Japan was extremely low.Nowadays, it is nearly impossible for anyone to own a gun in this country. When Inoue mentioned an armed robbery, Akiko immediately became skeptical.“A robbery? How is that possible?” Akiko put down her chopsticks, wanting a more detailed explanation."I apologize for my uncertainty. I wasn't with Tanaka-san when the incident occurred. I only heard about it from others.” Inoue smoothly avoided the question. Now, she didn’t have to answer anything regarding the incident. All she had to do was say she didn’t know.“Oh, I see.” Akiko was obviously disappointed, but she couldn’t force Inoue to talk if her reason was that she didn’t know.“So what happens next? Has this been reported to the police? Who reported it? What about the witnesses? Who are the suspects? Tel
“Should I give her unlimited leave?” Ryu murmured as he watched Akiko sleeping on the sofa in Kenji's room.Today was Akiko’s last day of leave; tomorrow she will have to return to work.“That would look suspicious,” Inoue whispered, careful not to wake Akiko. If she woke up, she would surely see Ryu, and that was exactly what they were trying to avoid by arriving in the middle of the night while she slept.“Yeah, but I can’t just ignore it.” Akiko's constant presence by Kenji's side made Ryu want to help. But it was challenging to offer help without looking strange. Akiko's leave couldn’t be longer than anyone else’s, or she might become suspicious of herself."Akiko-san said she'd come at night after work," Inoue stated, referring to Akiko's plan from earlier that afternoon when she visited.“Hmm... In that case, I’ll make sure Mori and the others don’t get any extra wo
“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