Yukino POV
My apartment was just a 10-minute walk from the Chinese restaurant we just ate at. The weather was soothing. The night sky had stars which was a rarity in such a bright country like japan. The wind was cool and refreshing but not chilling. The atmosphere was nice, despite nee san walking beside me. If this was a year ago, I surely would be trembling. Desiring help. But thanks to him, my Hachi. Those were days of the past. My relationship with nee san had been a lot better. We were closer than ever. It was nice to be able to have a proper sibling relationship.
"Hey, Yukino chan. Do you think Hikigaya kun is the one?" She suddenly said, breaking the silence. I could feel blood rush to my face and I blushed red.
"Where did that come from?" I muttered. Embarrassed to my soul.
"It's just that you two are getting really tight lately." She explained with a slight laugh.
"Well, in this moment…I believe so…" I replied softly.
"Hahah, really! By the way have you see his thing?" Nee san teases with a nudge to my bicep.
"Nee san, please stop saying things of a sexual nature in public!" I retorted
"How big is it!" She continued teasing while using her two index fingers to imitate size. Although part of me wanted to force myself to continue on this sisterly banter. But I couldn't, not yet.
"Nee san!"
"Hey, you didn't deny it! Hahaha" Nee san laughed out.
"You love him don't you. You really do." Her tone changed. It became serious and embedded with slight sorrow and reluctance.
"I do." I replied.
"Then can you both sign this. Please." She said in a begging tone. Right as we approached the lobby of my apartment. She pulled out a folder out of her purse and handed it to me.
Immediately the atmosphere became us changed. It became tense and pressuring.I know who has put her up to this. Only one person can make nee san this powerless.
"What is it?" I asked coldly. The fun sisterly atmosphere is now completely destroyed and things went back to the way it was in the past. Except now. I will stand my ground for myself. Even in front of nee san or mother.
"Simply put. It's a pre pre nub, between you and Hikigaya kun. Mother knows things are going serious between you two so she wanted you two to sign this to ensure our families well bei…fortune. In case bad things happen between you too."
"So she still doesn't trust Hachiman."
"Mother doesn't trust anybody. It's really nothing special. Its standard stuff for families like us. Just work your womanly charms on him and surely he'd sign it without question. We have a beachside house; maybe you two could go there and talk things out nicely."
These words surely are not ones that came from my older sister. It's my mothers. Manipulation, the best weapon in my mother's arsenal.
"So you want me to seduce my boyfriend so he signs something. Was this one of the methods mother taught you? Is this what you do to other men during any business enquiries? Seduction?" I retorted coldly.
"Yukino chan…." Nee san was shocked by the words I used. Although I must admit, I was out of line.
"Sorry…Where is mother?" I replied in guilt for the words I said.
"She's upstairs in your apartment right now." Nee seen replied.
Part of me wanted to run away and find Hachiman to help me. But I can't rely on him. This is my family business. I confronted mother once and emerged victorious. I hope I could do this again. I thought she changed for the better after the last encounter. But I guess she didn't. I clenched my fist and took a deep breath. Walked into the lobby and into the lift.
"Look, Yukino chan, I really like Hikigaya kun and really hope we could one day all be family. I wouldn't have done this if I didn't had a choice." Nee san explained, barely holding in her tears from coming out. I knew she was forced. However, I couldn't help but feel upset with her.
The lift door reopened and I was greeted by my apartment door. I opened it and walked toward the living room. There my mother sat on the sofa with 3 cups of tea set out ready on the table.
Upon noticing, me my mother stood up and looked at me.
"Yukino. How have you been?" She opened. Trying to smooth the mood.
"Mother, can we please just cut to the chase. I said coldly."
I walked to the sofa and sat on a one opposite my mother.
"Does father know?" I asked.
"No." She replied as she sipped her tea.
Another brief pause occurred between us.
"I believe Haruno has explained the details of the document?"
"I understand the notion of it, but I have not read the document in detail."
"I see." My mother replied while giving nee san a slight glare.
Nee san took out the document and then handed to me and sat silently next to mother. She looked down on her lap with her arms clenched.
I opened the document to begin reading it and trying to understand it in detail. Although I must admit most of the terms seem reasonable there is one which I cannot agree. The notion the mother had tried to bury this with this mass of text annoys me. As she knows I will not agree to it. She hoped I wouldn't read it all. So I would miss it. Her typical tricks.
I finished reading the document and set it down. I reached for the cup of tea and sipped it. Its temperature was right. It warmed me to my core. It gave me courage.
"I must admit that most of the terms in this document are agreeable and merely to protect our family interest. I believe Hachi will feel the same."
"So Yukino, you two will sign it?" Mother says in slight surprise and relief.
"I did say most agreeable. Not all. Not one. While I understand the reasoning behind not allowing Hachi to be able to have or touch any shares or interest of the Yukinoshita business until we are married for a year, which is the main bulk of this document. I will not agree to the condition you intentionally tried to bury in the mass of text, hoping I would miss it. You claim that if Hachi and I have a child expectedly or unexpectedly prior to marriage and we split up. That child would be denounced as my child or have any relation to the Yukinoshita family and his identity must be non-disclosed and I could never meet my child again. Also if I was to be pregnant with his child during our break up and within legal time frame. I am to abort my child? That is preposterous. We will never agree to this!" I shouted.
"Yukino. I like Hikigaya kun and his family very much. I approve of your relationship. But this is all for your protection as a woman."
"No, this is for your own protection. You wanted your name to not be tainted. But to think you would denounce and kill your own grandchildren? I could not comprehend how evil you are as a person."
"I am just trying to protect my family, Yukino."
"Well so am I."
"But that child doesn't even exist yet! This is all just a precaution in case things to go bad. That phone call from Hayato kun's father reminded me how quickly and easy relationships between two people could shatter like you two in middle school." My mother tried to desperately defend her actions.
"Mother. If you test me, I would go to Hachiman's household right now and guarantee he gets me pregnant before anything could be signed. Then all your worse fears will come true or you could denounce me as your child." I said coldly with all the courage and strength I could muster in this moment.
"Yukino…."
"Yukino chan…."
"Is there any way we could negotiate. Yukino. I don't want things to end badly again. We just got closer after so many years."
"And this was all who's fault?" I retorted.
"Yukino. Please think calmly. Do you really trust Hikigaya Hachiman that much. He is close with other girls too. Namely Yuigahama Yui and Iroha Isshiki. What makes you think he won't leave you for them?"
"You had my boyfriend and friends followed with your eyes and ears?" I deduced from my mother's words.
"I am just trying to protect you. What makes your relationship with him so special?"
"Because its genuine." I said, repeating his words.
My mother's eyes opened wide and her mouth opened, surprised at my words. I could see nee san slightly make a subtly smile.
"Fine. Yukino. If you trust and believe your relationship with Hikigaya kun to that extent. I will remove that term. However, I will still protect our family interests. That's why if you two would still need to sign the rest of the document. I will mail you an updated version."
Mother then stood up and walked toward the door and opened it. Nee san followed suit.
"Yukino, despite what happened today, mother is proud of you. I will trust you." Mother then left my apartment. Nee san then looked at me.
"Yukino chan….We are still okay right?" She said softly.
I gave her a weak smile and then closed the door. I then collapsed onto the ground and panted. As I was holding myself together for the whole of that conversation. I am exhausted. I sat there on the floor and looked at the ceiling. I do not believe in god, but in this moment I wanted to ask him one simple question. Why? Why does my family have to be like this? Why can't I just have a normal and happy family that will be happy for me. Happy that I am in love with someone. Why do they have to be this way. If one day I am lucky enough to have a family. I swear I will not be this way.
I walked into my bathroom and stripped off all my clothing. I thought a shower could wash away all my sorrows. But it couldn't. I miss him. I want him to be here with me. After my shower, I plopped onto my bed and dialled his number. Unable to hold it in more
After 3 rings. It connected.
"Hachi…" I said in a voice of relief.
"Yukino. Its 11pm. Is something wrong? What happened?" He voiced in concern.
"I miss you…." I ushered out. I cannot hold in my tears anymore and I began to cry.
"I'll be right there." He said and cut me off to my surprise.
Moments later my doorbell rang. I quickly got out of bed and opened it, and there he was. He really came! I cant believe it. I thought what he said was just a way to make me feel better and to calm me. However, he really came. I couldn't recompose myself so I simply hugged him. He dropped his bag onto the floor and hugged me back. He began to pat and stroke my head and back. I felt reassured, hopeful.
"What's wrong?" He asks softly.
We went in dropped his backpack onto the sofa. I sat close beside him and relayed the night's event to him.
"Well, First. You have been very strong tonight. But maybe your mother really was just doing this for you."
"You really think so?"
"Possibly. I wasn't there so I couldn't see through her words or read between the lines. But most of the terms are just to protect your family and I understand, as I know you do. However the one concerning the child concerns me."
"What do you think are her motives of adding that in a finance based document." I asked as I rested on his shoulder exhausted.
" I actually have two ways of seeing it. One to act as a deterrent to protect you from getting pregnant before marriage. And two she is just an evil person and mother. And I don't think she an evil mother." He explained
"You really think that?"
"Well she did back off in the end and all of the other terms are just to protect you from me. You lose nothing in that document. Not your shares or your control of it. Just you lose the ability to give it to me. Which I don't really care to be honest. So yeah." He explained as he looked at the ceiling.
Somehow his words always reassures me. Makes me feel safe.
" Hey…If we do end up married. Are you worried she'd do something like this to oppose it again?"
" I don't know. But when that time comes we will face and handle it together." He sat with another pat on my head. He then reached for his backpack.
"Are you leaving?" I said worried.
"Nah, I just needa take my uniform out so it's not too crunched up."
He took his uniform up then hung it onto a chair of the dining table.
"It's late. We have school tomorrow. You should get some sleep."
"Where are you sleeping…"
"On the couch. You did tell me to stay with that look a moment ago right…"
Idiot, do I really have to be so direct again!? Idiot…Dimwit…Hachiman!
"Can you sleep with me tonight. I am still quite shook up with all of this."
"Huh. Fine..."
Why does it seem like such a chore for you to sleep with your girlfriend!
We walked toward my room after we both finished with brushing our teeth and we both laid down underneath the sheets. I had more than one pillow so I gave him one of my spares. However, I regretted it almost immediately as it meant we couldn't share one. I snuggled close to him despite the bed being more than adequate to house the two of us.
"Hey, Yukino. Just to be clear. I am not with you for your family's fortune. So tell me when I need to sign that thing."
"I know, Hachiman, I know. " I then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, Hachi….This weekend. You want to go to the beach?"
"Huh. Sure." He replied.