4. Takano Meet Ryota

A ear splitting scream broke through the department. Mino, Hatori, and Kisa broke their concentration from their work and raised their heads. Turning their attention to the stroller, they saw little feet kicking the air. A bottle flew out and fell onto the floor. Kisa got up on his feet and hurried over to Ryota. He cringed at the scrunched up face and loud cries.

Kisa lifted Ryota from the stroller. He tried the bouncing method to calm him down but it did nothing. "You hold him!" Kisa panicked and handed Ryota into Mino's hands. "You're the one with the kid. You know how to handle situations like this better than us. Quiet him down before Takano-san comes to investigate."

Hatori went to pick up the stuffed animal laying next to the stroller. "We can't keep Ryota a secret for long. I'm surprised Takano-san hasn't come back yet."

Mino bounced Ryota in his arms and hummed a lullaby. He remembered his mother use this song whenever he used to fuss. Having heard his own son cry, the sound didn't bother him much. He noticed Kisa kept his hands over his ears. Hatori moved the stuffed cat to gain Ryota's attention. Ryota clung onto his familiar plush. The cries lessened into whimpering.

"There we go, there was no need to cry." Mino ticked Ryota's sides, he turned him around and sat him down on his lap. "I think he wanted someone paying attention to him. We did go back to work when he quieted down. I remember my son used to cry for no reason. It happens more often then you'd think."

Hatori shook his head. "He stopped when I handed him that cat. Onodera did warn us not to let it fall from the stroller."

Kisa huffed. "Who knew such a loud sound could come from such a cutie?" He reached out and shook Ryota's hand. "Think we can leave him on the ground for a bit? He can't stay in the stroller the whole time. We have to get back to work."

Hatori yanked the diaper bag onto the table with ease. He unzipped the bag and noticed a rolled up mat in the contents. "We can place this mat far away from the books. It's not like he'll be out of our sight."

"Good idea!" Kisa grinned, let go of Ryota's hand and stood alongside Hatori. "Oooh, does he have any toys?"

"What pages have you slackers finished?! We have to send these out before the day is over!" Takano made his appearance, the loud volume caused Ryota to cry out loud. "What the—" Takano saw the fussing baby in Mino's arms. "Since when do you have another kid?"

Mino bounced Ryota in his lap to calm him down. "He's not mine. I have my hands full with my own son. I don't really have time for another child in my life. You see, Onodera-san left him with us while he went to use the restroom."

Takano's eyes narrowed. "Why did he bring a baby to work?"

Kisa answered. "He planned on taking care of Ryo-chan for today. This was supposed to be his day off after all. He had no choice but to bring him along." He saw Takano's dark expression and it confirmed what Onodera tried to deny earlier. "Before you ask, this is Ricchan's cousin's baby."

Takano visibly deflated. "I see. What's his name?"

Mino piped up. "Ryota."

Takano's lips quirked at the happiness exuding from the baby. "Hand him over. You all have to get back to work. You've wasted enough time looking after him." Mino passed the baby in his arms, who started touching his face with light hits. "Those better not be a slaps. You do that to enemies not friends."

Mino returned to his desk and watched the interactions in amusement. Hatori and Kisa followed his example. They found watching their boss handling a child so fascinating. Out of all the reactions they expected, Takano doting on the baby was unfamiliar territory. Takano showed no awkwardness or fear whenever Ryota showed signs of crying. In fact, he soothed Ryota and managed to make him giggle.

"Sorry!" Onodera ran in, crouching down, he took in deep breaths. "I had to go into another floor to use the bathroom. The one on this floor had a huge line going down the hall. I didn't want to let you guys wait a long time for me." His face blanched at the sight of Takano holding Ryota in his arms. "O-Oh you're back from your meeting with Isaka-san."

"Onodera! Explain yourself." Takano demanded. The intimidation factor lessened from the cooing coming from Ryota. "We're in the middle of working on a project. This is no place for a child to run around in. What were you thinking bringing him here?!"

Onodera glared up at him, he kept his voice at an even level. "You're the one who called me in out of nowhere. How was I supposed to know that we'd get a new influx of work? I couldn't leave him at the apartment without supervision. Hanako will never let me look after him again."

Kisa repeated his earlier comment just to stop them from arguing. This constant back and forth gave him a slight headache. "You know, he looks like the both of you. Sort of like he's your son or something. Isn't that right guys?" Mino and Hatori agreed from their seats.

Takano inspected Ryota's appearance, noting his bright green eyes and dark hair. This child showed a lot of their physical characteristics. He even had Onodera's smile. A perfect blend of the both of them. The idea of him and Onodera having a family never entered his mind. He wanted nothing more than to make it a reality.

Takano ruffled Ryota's hair. "What do you know, he does look—"

"Lies!" Onodera intercepted and put out his hands. "Hand him over."

Takano scoffed, he shielded Ryota away from Onodera. "You have work to do. I'll keep him with me until you're finished." Takano walked toward his seat, leaving Onodera shell-shocked. He addressed Ryota in a softer tone. "Let's watch these guys work until they drop. We can handle phone calls. I'm sure your cuteness will shut them up."

"Uh!"

Takano bopped Ryota's nose with a tap. "That's the spirit." He glanced back at his underlings. "Now, where is his stuff? He's not sitting on this disgusting carpet."