The next morning came as usual; Kuniharu went to his company early in the morning and Ayana only woke up at 9 to prepare for lunch
The next morning came as usual; Kuniharu went to his company early in the morning and Ayana woke up at 9 to prepare for another day. It is another day without Tezuka at Fuji's expense. After finishing cooking, Ayana brought up a portion for Kunikazu upstairs; he always eats lunch and dinner in his room. When Ayana was on her way downstairs, she passed by her son's room and knocked on the door.
"Syusuke." No sound came from behind the door, so she knocked again. "Syusuke." Curious, she twisted the door knob and let herself in slowly. "Syusuke! What are you doing?" She found Fuji standing in front of the closet mirror oblivious to the intrusion.
Fuji was surprised by her voice; he turned around and greeted Ayana with a merry face. "Ayana-san! Good Morning."
Ayana smiled sweetly in return. "Good morning to you too, Syusuke-chan!"She likes his jubilant personality; it makes the whole house livelier since the men in her family rarely smile. "Care to tell me what you are doing standing in front of the mirror?"
Fuji turned back to the mirror and turned from side to side as if modeling. Instead of answering her question, he asked, "Ayana-san, do I look fat?" He pouted while rubbing his stomach as he look down at it.
Ayana smiled confusingly. "Oh? Let me see." She turned him around so she could look at him better from all sides. She tabbed her chin with her index finger in contemplation. "Nope, I don't think so." She said unsurely.
"Are you sure? I feel really really fat." He turned back to the mirror to examine himself.
"If you mean your belly, then of course." Ayana smiled lightheartedly. "You're supposed to look like that Syusuke-chan. You're not fat; your belly just happened to grow since you're pregnant." She patted his head lightly with a grin on her face.
"But, I don't like it. I've never been this fat before." He sulked. Fuji has always been in a good shape despite what and how much he eats. His figure right now is just unpleasant for him.
"It's not your fat; it's your babies. It's big since you eat twice what you eat normally because your babies need to be fed." She consoled him. "You'll get use to it!" She said and took his left hand into her right. "Come on, lunch is waiting." Fuji decided to drop the topic because his stomach was growling. He nodded and Ayana led him downstairs into the kitchen.
"Mhm, maybe…I should go on a diet." Sitting at the dining table in the kitchen, he looked at the plate in front of him uninterestingly.
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Syusuke. Your babies won't grow if there's not enough food inside you." She was surprised at Fuji's announcement. Who in the world would go on a diet when they're pregnant?
"That's my point!" His face lit up as he looked at her. "I won't get fat if they don't grow." He looked down to his stomach and patted it gently.
Ayana's eyebrow twitched and chuckled nervously. What's this child thinking? She wanted to reprimand him, but decided it would be best not to. She just needed to get him to eat right now. "Uhm, maybe you can do that later. But right now, we need to eat. Aren't you hungry?"
Fuji grinned widely like a child hungry for food. "Yeah, I'll do that later. My stomach is growling." He dug in his food. Whether Fuji knew it or not, he ate double of the amount he originally eats.
Ayana looked at Fuji eating genially and smiled. Maybe he was just having a bluff thought at the moment. After lunch, Ayana cleaned up the kitchen and retreated to her room to continue working on a dress she designed. As for Fuji, who knows where he was or what he was doing. But, it was peaceful at home, and Ayana thank Kami-sama for that.
Kuniharu came home from work around 7 pm. Ayana was once again busying herself in the kitchen preparing dinner. She had already brought her Kunikazu his dinner. Next, she called Kuniharu and Fuji to the kitchen for their nightly meal.
"Hello, Haru-san." Fuji greeted at the man jovially as he sat himself on then man's left. They just switched from a quadrangle table to a round one for Fuji's safety against the pointed angles.
Kuniharu just grunted in return, could be taken as a hello in return.
They ate silently for a while when Fuji declared he finished eating after a few bites.
"Is that all?" Kuniharu asked, jerking his left eye upward.
Fuji nodded happily. "Yup! Do you want to hear why?" Fuji spoke faintly while leaning toward the man as if he's going to tell him his secret. The man continued to look at Fuji confusingly. Then, Fuji leaned in closer to the man's ear and whispered slowly. "I'm on a diet." He pulled away and grinned.
Kuniharu looked over to his wife who has sweat drops on her forehead as she chuckled nervously while trying to eat her food indifferently. Kuniharu turned his gaze back to the boy, staring at him grimly. "What did you say?"
"I'm. On. A. Diet." Fuji responded playfully.
"You are going to eat more than that, and you are not going to starve your babies." He bellowed attempting to scare the little boy, but unfortunately Fuji wasn't affected a bit.
Instead, Fuji put on an annoyed expression, like a kid throwing a tantrum. "No!" He said stubbornly with his arms crossed in front of him and turned his face away from the man's stare. "You can't make me!"
Kuniharu twitched in annoyance. Him and his stubbornness. "I'm going to force food down your throat if I have to. Now eat!" He demanded, but Fuji didn't flinch. Kuniharu couldn't help but act harshly toward the boy since Fuji made him read bedtime stories to a grown adult. Not to mention, Kuniharu have never read bedtime stories to anyone before, not even to his own son.
Fuji whipped his head around and glared at the man. "You can't do that! You can't make me fat!" He yelled with his childish voice.
Oh, so that's how it is. Kuniharu thought. "You're supposed to look that way when you're pregnant." He explained stoically. "You don't look half bad with that protruding stomach of yours." He added sternly. "Don't make it a big deal."
"Why don't you try it then! Get pregnant and see how you look like!" Fuji shouted and made the man twitched harder.
This kid is absurd. Kuniharu looked irritated. "You're behaving unreasonably!" He bellowed coldly, which Fuji flinched slightly.
Slowly, Fuji attempted to move out of the man's stare, but it kept following his movement. "Where are you going!?" He glared at the boy's every obvious action.
"I'm going to bed." Fuji said a softly. He was about to dash out of the kitchen when Kuniharu stood up quickly and darted over to block the exit.
"You are going no where unless you finish your food." Kuniharu approached Fuji slowly as he backed up.
On instinct, Fuji ran away from the man to stand behind Ayana. "No!" He shouted. Now, Kuniharu is chasing Fuji around the table with Ayana sitting at the table eating obliviously of what's going on around her. By now, she is used to Kuniharu and Fuji's nuisance.
"Come here!" Kuniharu demanded. They stood directly in front of each other, but a table away.
Suddenly, Kunikazu appeared from the doorway. Kuniharu stopped the chase and fixed his clothes. Meanwhile, Fuji ran over to the old man happily. "Oji-san!" He hugged the old man tightly from behind.
Kunikazu smiled and patted Fuji's arms. He likes Fuji's affection. He looked over to his son who has an irritation expression on his face. "What happened?" He asked his son sternly.
Kuniharu shifted his glasses and began. "Syusuke--"
Fuji cut him off with a fake, sad tone. "Oji-san, Haru-san was being mean to me again." He whined while stepping himself to stand in front of the old man and pointed to his throat. "He wanted to force food down my throat."
"Is that true?" Kunikazu asked his son frigidly.
"Yes, I mean. No. He wouldn't eat and said he'd go on a diet." Kuniharu explained tiredly.
"I didn't not eat." Fuji defended and glared at Kuniharu. Then, he turned back to Kunikazu switching to his angelic face. "He threatened to stuff me like a turkey."
You little devil! Kuniharu thought angrily.
"Well, how much did you eat?" Kunikazu asked Fuji kindly.
Fuji thought for a while then spoke up. He wrung his hand out with all five fingers dangling freely. "5 bites." He said proudly.
"See what I mean?" Kuniharu sighed exasperatedly.
Kunikazu cleared his throat, understanding Kuniharu's outrage. He turned to Fuji and compromised. "How about this: If you eat a full meal, then I'll punish him for you." Kunikazu was aware of Fuji's sadistic side, but he wouldn't want to go on that side for many reasons; although, he does like the boy's nature very much. He would rather sacrifice his son for his precious son in law.
Fuji pouted while contemplating if it's a good deal. Then, he asked charily. "What kind of punishment?"
"Hm…Ah. The more you eat, the lesser Haru will eat." He smiled satisfyingly as Fuji's face lit up.
"Really? Does that mean if I eat a whole meal, then Haru-san cannot eat?" Fuji asked jubilantly and Kunikazu nodded. Fuji turned to Kuniharu and smirked mischievously.
You little devil. Kuniharu repeated it over and over in his head as he glared at Fuji.
Ayana got Fuji more food who ate it satisfyingly, forgetting all about his diet. Kuniharu just sat there glaring at the boy grimly as he could not eat.
After dinner, everyone retreated to their own rooms. Ayana sat in front of her desk mirror, applying night lotion to her face while Kuniharu sat on the bed watching news on TV.
"Honey, are you hungry?" Ayana asked, looking at her husband in the mirror.
"Hn." Kuniharu grunted with a slight annoyance on his face.
"You should know better about handling Syusuke. Are you aware that father has his back" She asked as if giving him a lesson.
"I don't see how anyone likes the little sadist." Kuniharu scowled.
Ayana chuckled. "He may be sadistic, but it's very nice to be around him. You should try and be nice to him."
Kuniharu scoffed at the remark. "Hmph." He didn't forget what Fuji made him do yesterday. Two people he didn't want to displease most are his father and his wife. And, both of them suggested he should submit to the little devil. In no way a prideful man like himself do that.
Finishing smearing the lotion on her face, she stood up and walked over to the door. "I'm going to get you something to eat." With that, she closed the door behind her.
o0o0o0o0o
The fourth day of Tezuka's absence, more problems starts to brew; only, today is a little different.
Fuji stirred on his bed, rolling from side to side uncomfortably. Of course, he was careful with the bulk in his belly. Somehow, this morning doesn't stimulate his jolliness like the usual days. He sighed heavily and sat up, resting his head against the headboard.
Gallingly, he got off the bed and brushed his teeth. He came down the stairs noisily stomping on the hard wood. He went to the living room and sat on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV irritatingly.
Ayana was sitting in her tailoring room. When she heard the noise, she walked out of her room and made her way to where the noise disappeared to. She came to the living room and saw Fuji curling up on the sofa, flipping through the channels swiftly.
She approached him with her usual smile. "Good morning Syusuke." She pecked him on the side of his forehead. "What's wrong?" She flopped herself on the sofa next to Fuji.
"Nothing. I don't like the weather today." Ayana looked at him unbelievingly. Fuji saw this and sighed again for the million times since he woke up. "I miss Mitsu." Fuji answered softly and sadly. He put the remote control down and buried his face in between his arms.
Ayana smiled affectionately at him. "Me too." She pulled him into an embrace and stroked his hair softly. "Don't worry; he'll be home in 3 days. Hm?"
"Are you sure?" Fuji looked up at Ayana with glassy eyes, then it turned dull by the second. "He hasn't called me yet."
"He's probably busy." Ayana tried to console him. "This is his first business trip oversea, and he has a lot to do. It must have tired him out, so he couldn't call."
Fuji nodded understandingly. They were quiet for a moment when Fuji jerked his head up quickly. "Ayana-san. What if he forgot about me? I heard there are a lot of beautiful girls over there? What if he found someone he likes and--"
Ayana cut in his ranting, "You know that's not going to happen. I can see that Kunimitsu loves you very much and only you." She assured him.
"Really?" He inquired.
"Yes, really." She said gently. "In fact, why don't you call him right now?" Fuji nodded. Ayana reached over to the phone and gave it to Fuji.
Fuji dialed Tezuka's phone number and waited for the other to pick up. After three rings, someone picked up the phone. Mitsu. Fuji was just happy because his call got through.
However, what he heard next shattered his joy. "Hello, Tezuka'a cell phone. Hikari speaking." It was no doubt the voice belonged to a young girl about Fuji's age.
"Hello?" The other line said. Fuji wanted to ask who she is, but he was unable to find his voice. Instead, the phone slipped out of his hand as tears forming in his eyes. Seconds later, the phone line went dead.
"Syusuke. What happened?" Ayana inquired gently as she wiped away Fuji's tears.
"You lie to me! Mitsu is with a girl!" Fuji shouted.
"Wha--!" She was slightly taken back by Fuji's voice.
Fuji dashed out of the room and ran to his room. Ayana winced as she heard the door slammed shut. She sat there for a moment, listening to whatever to come next, but nothing did. It was silent after that.
o0o0o0o0o
"Ah, Tezuka." Hikari said as she slid Tezuka's cell phone shut and put it on the table in front of her.
Tezuka just entered the room and looked at her a bit before moving into the chair opposite of Hikari. "Did someone call?" He asked as he looked through the folders on his desk.
"Yea." Hikari replied nonchalantly.
Tezuka looked over to his cell phone and sighed. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. "Hello?" It was a call from home.
"Kuni!" Ayana exclaimed in a rather odd tone.
"Is something wrong, mother?" Tezuka inquired, wondering if something is really wrong by the worry tone of his mother's voice.
"Nothing really. Are you busy?" Ayana said.
"No, not really." Tezuka replied. "I can talk."
"Ah, who picked up your phone earlier?" Ayana asked perplexingly.
Tezuka eyebrow elevated as he shifted his gaze to look at Hikari. "Ah, my assistant, Hikari. Why?"
"Oh dear. Syusuke called earlier and she picked it up. Now he's mistaken she's your new lover." Ayana said with relief in her voice as she let out a soft sigh.
"Syusuke? Is everything alright?" Tezuka's eyebrows knitted together, forming a frown on his stoic face.
"Now it will be. You should call him later though. He seems upset by it." Ayana said.
"Yes, mother." Tezuka complied. "I'll do that. Good-Bye." He hung up.
"Did something happen at home?" Hikari probed inquisitively. "Was it your wife who called earlier?"
Tezuka grunted and continued with his paper work, letting Kikari's words slip by his ears like passing wind. Hikari has been working as Tezuka's assistant for almost two years now. She knew Tezua's nature fully well to not inquire any further if Tezuka refuse to speak more than a grunt, and it is most of the time that will happen.
o0o0o0o0o
Ayana thought it would be fine as long as Fuji didn't make any more commotion to disturb the quietness around the house. Fuji's mood swing is imperceptible, one day he is light as air and another day heavy as pure iron. It was another 2 hours that Fuji was serenely calm. Ayana checked on him earlier, and found him asleep on the bed in his and Tezuka's room. It is approaching noon and Ayana is in the kitchen preparing lunch as usual. Her peace was only disturbed by a shattering sound coming from upstairs.
Syusuke. Ayana immediately turned off the cooking stove and ran upstairs. "Syusuke?" She quickly opened the door to Fuji's room, only to gasp at the mess in front of her. "Sweetie, are you alright?" Ayana ran over to Fuji who is kneeling on the floor touching the broken picture frame that he swooped down earlier from the table along with some books, papers, pens cup, and a vase with freshly cut flower.
Fuji perked up absently to look at Ayana. He said nothing and stood up to walk out of the room. Ayana turned back to the mess and started to organize the books, papers, and pens. She left the broken vase and frame on the floor to clean it later. Ayana hurried out to see Fuji in the hallway staring at the phone on a table stand as if to kill. She approached him and placed a hand on his arm. "Look at me." Ayana said softly, and Fuji obeyed. "Is something wrong?"
"No." Fuji replied coldly and turned away to walk down the stair with Ayana trailing behind soon after.
Fuji stopped at the base of the stair case and turned to the table beside it with an antique vase on it. Absentmindedly in a smooth motion, he slapped the vase off the table with a loud crash soon followed. All in the while, Fuji remained an unexciting face.
"Syusuke!" Ayana said louder than she intended, which startled Fuji from his dazed. She sighed heavily when Fuji looked up at her innocently. "It was a misunderstanding really. Kuni didn't cheat on you. It was his assistant who picked up the phone and no one else." Ayana explained it to him.
"Really!?" Fuji's face lit up.
Ayana smiled brightly. "Yes, really. Now should we eat lunch?"
Fuji nodded happily and stood up to join Ayana.
The front door flung open harshly, stopping Fuji and Ayana in their track only to see a fuming Kuniharu at the doorway. His hair was messy and faces red.
"Hi dear, you are home early today?" Ayana said nervously at the approaching man.
"Hn." Kuniharu stopped in front of the broken vase and beamed callously at Fuji, who was taken back slightly. "Did you break this?" Kuniharu asked grimly with his deep voice.
"H-Hai." Fuji gulped.
"It was an accident." Ayana piped in.
"You shouldn't spoil him too much!" He growled at Ayana, the turned to Fuji. "And you, stop acting like a kid! Grow up and control your behaviors!" Kunihary basically yelled at him. "Don't think you can do whatever you want in this house just because you're pregnant!"
"Why are you yelling at me!? If you hate me that much, then why didn't you tell me earlier so I can abort the babies!?" Fuji shouted back angrily as tears running down his pale cheeks. "That way I won't be a thorn in your eyes!"
"Oh dear." Ayana pulled Fuji close to her chest as he sob, stroking his hair lightly. She glared at her husband before hushing Fuji to the living room, leaving him standing dumbfounded at Fuji's response.
"I'm sure Haru didn't mean that." She comforted him as they sit down on the couch. Fuji remained silent while sobbing in her arms.
Minutes later, Kuniharu entered the living room and knelt down on the floor in front of Fuji. "Look, Syusuke, I'm sorry. There's been a lot of trouble at work lately. And I guess the stress affects my mood." Fuji reached up and wiped his tears away the back of his hand. Kuniharu moved to sit beside him.
"What happened at work?" Fuji asked softly between his hiccups.
"Well, you know how our company lost an enormous amount of money some months back then?" Fuji nodded and Kuniharu continued. His voice wasn't strained or harsh, just at the right pitch where one could consider pleasant to listen to. "The culprit is my right-hand man. I was disappointed and angry, at the same time, because he absconded, so I took it out on you. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Fuji smiled gently at Kuniharu.
Kuniharu smiled back at the boy. "I don't hate you at all."
Unfortunately for Kuniharu, Fuji's sadistic side kicked in. "Really? Then, does that mean you're going to read me bedtime stories again or--"
"Don't push it." Kuniharu said sternly, stopping Fuji's jovial streak.
Fuji pouted cutely. "Okay, I think we've delayed lunch long enough." Ayana said as she stood up gesturing for them to follow her.
Their lunch was decent, no tension like the many other times before. After lunch, Fuji helped Ayana wash the dishes and clean up the mess. Kuniharu didn't stick around because he needed to go back to his company.
AN: SOrry for the late update. I have finals this week along with a few of papers due.