"And Shino chose the most girliest pen he could find and he actually thought I would like it! Since when did you see me decked out in pink? Maybe Hiromi but not me." I drank my water as I listened to Hidori tell about her date. "It was not a date!"
"Sounds to me like you had a good time."
She stopped talking, something that rarely happens. "He's tolerable."
I smiled "That's good."
"Enough about me, how are you doing? Have things calmed down?"
"For the most part, I just hope I do not run into Usagi's family any time soon." I have had enough headaches to last me through a lifetime. And the doctor encouraged me not to take too much regular medicine so I have had no luck getting rid of them.
"I am sure that is not good for the child. You should just stay home for awhile."
"Usagi says the same thing. It gets boring staying cooped up in the house. I'm not that fragile."
"You may not be, but the little one inside is. I read that these are critical times."
"I know." I rolled my eyes. Everyone was a broken record. I'm not an idiot; I am trying to prepare for this kid. I just started reading one of the child development books Usagi splurged on, I have been watching my surroundings so I do not hit anyone. I even started to change what I eat. Everyone needs to stop worrying about me.
Hidori's phone went off as she began messaging someone. Was it Usagi? I know Usagi and her were saying they would not do it again but I did catch them that one day. "It's Shino" She replied in haste. "He is asking when my next day off is."
"For another date?" It was fun to see her blush.
"Shut up, don't you have work?" I looked up, checking the time, 9:20. Aikawa asked me to come in today to help her with paperwork. It has been a few days since the last time I was there. After the situation with Usagi-ani I really did not want to go back but I did promise Aikawa that I would work part time for her. And the bakery sweets were a bonus.
"I should get going."
"Have a good day!" I made it to Marukawa in time. I got in the elevator, dodging someone almost falling to the ground. Still doubting this type of job.
"Good morning Misaki." Aikawa waved as I walked to her desk.
"Hi Aikawa. What do you need me to do?"
Aikawa turned to hand me a stack of papers. "Some of Ito-sensei's manuscript got mixed up in Usami-sensei's manuscript. I told those idiots not to put the two together! If you could separate them that would be great."
"And how will I know whose is whose?"
"Their names are at the top of the page along with the page numbers. I will also need you to put them in order."
"Got it!"
It was an easy task. I did try to only look at the top of the page, considering this was Usagi's erotica. How could he write this type of stuff with a straight face? And when will I ever say "Akihiko, your penis is so big!" Hell no!
And how could he describe my body the way it is now? Akihiko's hand traveled down the soft body. Her small body trembling in fear. Small body? Yeah right. My bump is going to get bigger with each week.
"You are beautiful." Akihiko nipped her thigh. Would he still call me beautiful in a month, two months?
"You will be mine forever." Will he say that once the child is born?
"Misaki?" I jumped at my name. Aikawa looked down with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah. I am almost done." She opened her mouth but closed it and handed me some more papers to sort through. Everything took only an hour.
"You are such a lifesaver." She gave me a hug from behind. "I owe you one."
"It was no problem."
"I have something." She held up a box with logo of her usual bakery. The baby and I were happy.
"Thank you." I started to eat one of the cream puffs, it was so good.
"How are you doing Misaki? Any more problems with the baby?"
I shook my head. "Everything is going smoothly though my stomach is starting to show a little more."
"Nonsense, you are such a twig! I would not believe you had a child in you."
I smiled but it was hard to believe her. I could see the extra weight when I turned to the side. "Is there anything else?"
Aikawa shook her head. "You head on home. I am sure sensei will start to worry about where you are." Oh I already got a call from him on my way here.
"I will be going then."
"Bye Misaki!"
I was almost out of the building when I heard my name again. It was Isaka. "Good afternoon."
"Hey little Miss, did that Akihiko forget something again?"
I shook my head, "I came to help Aikawa with some of her work."
"Making you work, what is wrong with my employees?" He laughed out loud, I spotted a few people passing by staring at him. "Perfect timing though, I have something for you."
He reached into his pocket to pull out...a PREMIER KAN?! "Wha-what! HOW DO YOU HAVE THIS? ONLY FIVE WERE MADE! AND IT WAS ON SALE FOR 100,000 YEN!"
"And now you own one. Sensei wanted me to give this to you, see." OH MY GOD, IT WAS AUTOGRAPHED TO ME! I can't believe I have one! I could feel the tears coming down my eyes.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"Of course, I like making young girls happy...aaaaaand if possible I have a favor to ask of you." I did not even care if his tone was suspicious.
"YES, YES, ANYTHING!"
"You see...there is this book signing coming up that your dear Akihiko refuses to go to...so it would be great if…"
"Director, Usami-sama has arrived." Usami? We both turned as Usagi-chichi walked up. WHAT THE FUCK?
"Oh, Takahashi? What a pleasant surprise." He smiled, animosity hidden underneath. Why do these situations happen to me? Is Marukawa a curse for me?
"Uh, go-good afternoon. What are you doing here?"
"We have a meeting. I am glad to see you. I wanted to make sure you are alright, after Haruhiko stirred up some trouble." Haruhiko? How does he know the incident with Usagi-ani? "Let's go out to eat after this."
"Wait a moment, you have a business meeting to attend." Isaka stepped in.
Usagi-chichi sighed, "But it's no fun eating with a bunch of old men."
"I'm sorry, I have to go." I bowed and hurried away.
"Be careful running, you do not want to stress your body too much." He called after me but I was already out the sliding doors. I never knew what to do around him; I was scared of what he would say, of the way he looks at me. When he opens his mouth, I doubt my position in Usagi's life even further.
I went to the store to grab some items for dinner. The cream puffs were long gone at the train station. Usagi did say he wanted cream stew with mushrooms. I had to remember to cut the bell peppers small so Usagi would not taste them. I was walking down the neighborhood when I saw some of the neighbors outside. They were whispering something I could not hear. Was someone here? I turned the corner when a familiar black car came into view.
You gotta be kidding me.
"Hello Takahashi, perfect timing." Usagi-chichi adjusted his sunglasses. Two men who looked like they could have been hired from the yakuza stood at both sides of the car. "Making something good for dinner?"
"What are you doing here? Didn't you have a meeting?"
"I did but I made Haruhiko go instead. I wanted to talk to my son again but he seems to ignore me."
"Um, it's possible he is working right now." And Usagi tends to ignore anyone who doesn't have a key to the place.
"Can you let me up then?"
Up to the house? Usagi would not like that. "Um, Usagi doesn't like when people interrupt him during his work and I thi…" "Takahashi. I am his father."
As he finished speaking I felt a cold shiver down my spine and I froze. How could I possibly turn him down now? So I let him up, hoping Usagi had left.
He had not.
"Misaki, you home? What's for dinner?" His voice seemed to echo in my ears.
"It looks like stew, with peppers." Usagi-chichi answered for me. When Usagi came into view his eyes were wide for a second before glaring at his father. "That's a nasty glare."
"What are you doing here?"
"I came by with the papers you asked for among other things." Papers?
"I told you to mail them!" Usagi-chichi ignored Usagi as he walked in to sit on the couch. By this time Usagi had stormed over to stand in front of me. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.
"Um, Usagi, I actually invited him up after se…" "Don't lie to me." Well that did not help.
"This place looks a lot cleaner than before. It was hard to imagine someone could stay here in its previous condition."
"You aren't staying. Misaki go upstairs."
"What about tea?" Aren't we bad hosts for not providing some?
"It's not necessary."
"Why are you so quick to get rid of her? I already promised before I would not cause her any grief. And once you sign the paperwork than I will be out of her hair for good."
Paperwork? "Upstairs now!"
Usagi-chichi looked at me. "Oh, has my son not told you?"
"Get out of my house!"
"He has agreed to voluntarily disown himself from the Usami family and withdraw from any inheritance. All because of you."
What did he say? Usagi is disowned? Usagi is leaving his family? I turned to Usagi who had one hand rubbing his forehead; his face full of frustration. Usagi was going to lose his family, because of me?
"So I brought all the paperwork and wanted Takakashi to see what her presence is causing. Though I do wish she would reject you the way she rejected Haruhiko. Of course the child would be taken care of, just far away from the family."
"Enough!" Usagi's voice echoed through the penthouse. He narrowed his eyes and walked forward, snatching the papers off the table. He walked back to grabbed my hand. "There was a reason I am willing to be disowned. Rejecting Misaki and rejecting my child will be the same as rejecting me. They are my life. I cannot live without them. Let's go."
"Wait, Usagi?" He dragged me towards the door. I dropped the bags in the hallway. "The food…"
"We are eating out tonight. I will mail these papers back to you later on today. This place has an auto lock so shut the door."
Usagi pushed me into the elevator. "Usagi?" I don't think I have ever seen him this frustrated. I saw him reach into a pocket, only to realize he forgot his cigarettes.
"We might have to move, the nerve of that man."
I looked at the papers in his hand. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting disowned?" He turned away. "Usagi?"
"It was my choice. I didn't want you to worry."
"But, this is all happening because of me, isn't it?" Usagi-chichi had said it back there.
"No it's not!" Usagi pulled me to him when the elevator opened to the lobby. "I chose not to associate with people who will disrespect my family."
"Even if we are family." How did he get down here so fast? We both stopped to see Usagi-chichi standing in front of the second elevator. "I did not want to be harsh."
Usagi made a sound before dragging us out the door. Usagi-chichi followed. "If we could talk about this in a rational matter than everything could be solved."
"Stop following us." It was hard to keep up with Usagi's long strides. The cars driving by did not help my concentration. I looked back but ended up stumbling so I stayed looking ahead.
"It's not like I dislike Takahashi. She's a sweet girl, but she may be too much of a people-pleaser to think this decision through."
"That does not concern you. I will no longer be an Usami once I sign these papers."
"That would make your mother extremely upset."
"She obviously does not care if she has not contacted me."
"Usagi, slow down."
"You know I am worried for you."
"I don't need you to worry." I took a breath when we stopped.
Usagi-chichi sighed, "I already told you to think realistically. Life is not as simple as staying together because you like each other. What you have now is all an illusion."
"I decide what is an illusion."
Usagi began to walk again. "Wait Usagi."
"Hurry up Misaki."
"Usa…" My heart stopped as he walked towards the crosswalk. The light was red for crossing but Usagi was looking back at us. A bus came into my peripheral view "USAGI!"
It was too fast. I wrapped my hands around his waist to pull him back. He turned slightly, I felt a sharp pain when his elbow swung and hit the side of my stomach. The bus drove past without a care. I felt my heart racing. The headache returned.
"AKIHIKO ARE YOU OKAY?"
Usagi and I backed up a little. He turned around just as my hand came up to slap his cheek. "YOU IDIOT! DID THE LIGHT LOOK GREEN? YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO CROSS WHEN IT'S RED."
He touched his cheek with an unimpressed look. "Are you sure it wasn't red?"
The pain in my head began to travel to my chest. I tried to ignore it, turning to the culprit for Usagi's bad behavior. I pointed a finger at Usagi-chichi. "I KNOW. SOME FATHER! CAN'T EVEN TEACH YOUR KID TO CROSS THE CROSSWALK."
Usagi-chichi's eyes grew wide. It was becoming hard to breathe. "Takahashi?"
"Misaki?" Everything was becoming fuzzy.
"Don't...do that..aga…" "MISAKI!"
I felt Usagi's arms around me as my feet gave away. Last I remembered was Usagi's cold hand on my cheek.
Don't worry I won't kill the baby
Evening Star: To answer your question, I do not know if I will do a gender bend of the other anime. I have no plans for it.
AKIHIKO
"Takahashi has a high-blood pressure and lacks proper nutrition. Normally for girls her age they just need some sleep but due to the baby, any issues can take a toll on her body. Has she been dealing with a lot of stress these past few days?"
I nodded, it was hard for me to find my voice. "Stress can do serious damage to both Takahashi and the baby. There have been cases of development issues and even premature births because of stress."
"How...How are they?"
"She is doing fine and the baby is developing healthy. The small hit to her stomach might bruise but there is no serious damage. She should be ready to go home today if she is up to it. I would advise to limit her stress. I do not know if her body could take another episode like this."
"Thank you."
The doctor left me alone. It was hard to look at Misaki, lying in a hospital bed, and IV in her arm. This was all my fault.
I caused her so much stress and now it's not only affecting her, but the baby inside. I even hit her stomach when I was angry! Was I even fit to be a father? When I am causing its mother so much pain? I knew the situation with my brother and father was getting to her, which is why I tried to hide it, but was there more? God I wished she would talk to me. I want to do so much but how do I help her? How do I keep her out of this bed again?
"How is she?" There was a voice I did not want to hear.
"She will be fine." I turned, almost amused at the body-sized stuffed bear in his arm. He placed it on the side of her bed. Father looked at Misaki, surprisingly with a look of concern.
"And the child?"
Why does he care? He would most likely wish it was gone. "Fine too."
"It is sad, I hope you two will open your eyes after this? The compatibility is wrong."
"Fucking bullshit. She is like this because of stress, because you won't leave her alone, because she is trying to do the right thing and gets burned because people treat her like shit. This has nothing to do with compatibility."
"You know I never wished to cause any harm to her. I have seen the good and bad in our world. I was afraid she would break."
"I won't let her. You know nothing about her."
"Akihi…" "Here." I stood up to hand him the papers. I had found a pen and immediately signed them when Misaki was settled. "Our agreement. Stay out of our lives."
Father took the papers, frowning. "Are you serious about this?"
"I am."
"You still are my son. I still love you. I don't want to do this."
I did not care for any sentimental crap from him. I did not feel guilty nor regret signing those. "Maybe I'll understand once my child is born, but as a father, you should understand that I will do whatever to protect my child. Now leave."
I turned back to Misaki so I did not see him leave but I heard the door closed.
It would be a lie if I said I was not even a bit sad. I was not close but that was still my family. People I was blood-related too. "Usagi…" I jumped up, to see Misaki's eyes still closed. So cute, dreaming about me. I touched her stomach. The small bump rising as she breathed.
"What should I do Misaki? How should I protect you?" I do not cry but I wanted to cry. I leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Help me."
I froze. The movement was so sudden, so small, that I almost thought I had imagined it. It felt like a small tap of the finger on my hand. Was that… I looked down at her stomach has there was one more small tap before the movements stopped. "Is that you?"
My hand was tingling from where the baby had touched. I could not stop the smile on my face. "Usagi." Misaki mumbled again.
No matter what, we would be okay. I will protect these two. I will find a way to deal with our issues so Misaki does not have to. I do not want this to happen again. Nothing was going to break us up.
My phone rang. "Hello." I answered before checking who it was. I was currently missing my deadline and I was going to talk to her anyway about lessening Misaki's load.
"Akihiko."
My eyes went wide, a rare chill went through my bones. "Takahiro?"
