Introduction (23 feb 2021)

The idea for this chapter came along with the basic storyline for the previous one. Initially, the title of this chapter contained a reference to an older iconic movie (Back to the Future) but since the chapter is closely connected to the previous one, the title became "In Sickness and in… - part 2" instead.

Either way, it's the content that matters most, and I hope you feel this chapter was worth the wait.

Note: If you want to comment on this story, or any of my other stories, you're welcome to leave a review, preferably as registered member, as this allows much more interaction between writer and reviewer. If there are parts you felt lacking, or disliked, please let me know this as well. Things can appear amazing in my perception, while others might think very differently. I'm eager to hear such feedback as well, since praise is always nice, and can confirm being on the right track, criticism is often what helps more to improve.

Chapter Prologue:

It seemed like a regular day for Ruka and Kazuya. He was sitting at the table, behind his laptop, and Ruka was heading towards the hallway, to get her coat. Just a day like any other, until suddenly a sound interrupted the peaceful tranquillity…

In Sickness and in… - part 2

"Kazuya, can you get that?" Ruka asked, as the phone in the Kinoshita family home kept ringing.

"Well, I am kind of in the middle of something…" he replied, while typing some last-minute directions for the new movie script on his new AirBook.

"I've really got to go now and pick up Ruya from daycare, or did you forget again?" Ruka said with a slightly scolding voice, as she entered the living room.

"Don't worry, I've already got that covered…" Kazuya said with a calm and collected voice; "I asked Sumi-chan if she could drive past the daycare for us. I bet they won't be home anytime soon, as Ruya will probably love to see her 'aunt' again. And besides, you didn't really think I would let you work yourself too much, in the 'special condition' you are in now?" he added.

Kazuya got up and greeted Ruka with a short but tender kiss on her forehead, before kissing her on the lips for a bit longer.

"I'm just pregnant, not ill, you silly…" Ruka said, as she blushed a little.

"Yeah, I know, but still…" Kazuya defended his perhaps somewhat overly protective attitude.

"But it's really sweet of you…" Ruka gave in, as she kissed him briefly on the lips.

"Awww, that was way too short…" Kazuya pouted, trying to make a face with puppy dog eyes.

"Well, someone just told me I should take it easy from now on, remember? So we can't have too much excitement, now can we?" Ruka countered Kazuya's 'complaint' with a teasing smile.

"Touché…" Kazuya reluctantly admitted defeat.

"But you are right, I am feeling a little tired lately…" Ruka sighed; "Do you remember back then when you treated me to a dinner buffet. The first time we celebrated my birthday together? How 'full' I felt after eating maybe a little bit too much of that delicious food? Well, imagine feeling like that, only ten times more…

Kazuya smiled, as he remembered that date all too well.

"So, I'll try getting some rest for now, soon things will probably be a lot more hectic around here anyways…" Ruka continued, before she walked towards the bedroom, planning to take a little nap.

Kazuya nodded and watched Ruka walking away. 'She's so beautiful...' he thought, and he sat down at the table again, to continue what he had been doing. For roughly half an hour, the only sound was that of Kazuya's fingers working the keyboard. Then he felt something buzzing in his pocket. 'Good thing I put my phone on silent mode, or the sound would have startled Ruka. She really needs her rest now that the baby can be here any time…'

"Hello grandma," Kazuya said, with a muffled voice, as not to disturb Ruka in her slumber.

"So, how is my favorite granddaughter in law doing!?" grandma Nagomi's voice chimed in Kazuya's ears. His grandmother had talked so loud that he almost started to fear Ruka might have heard it anyway, even though he didn't have the audio of the phone call set on speaker mode.

"Ruka is doing fine, grandma," Kazuya replied, in an even lower voice than he initially had answered the call with; "She's resting at the moment."

"Oh, I see. Are you really sure there's nothing wrong!?" the eldest member of the Kinoshita family continued, at an even louder voice now; "And make sure you send me the first pictures of the new Kinoshita junior, when he or she is born! Do you hear me, Kazuya!?"

"Loud and clear grandma, loud and clear…" Kazuya gave in, as he tried holding the phone a little further away from his ear.

'For someone her age, grandma definitely still has a strong enough voice…' Kazuya pondered for a moment, with the words that had just been spoken still ringing in his ears.

"Kazuya? Are you still there!?" grandma's voice asked, with a clear tone of impatience.

"Uh… yes, grandma. And I'll make sure I'll send you every single picture when the time has finally come," Kazuya promised his grandmother.

"And otherwise I will make sure he does…" a young woman's voice suddenly sounded loud and clear from behind Kazuya.

"Hello Mrs. Ruka," Kazuya's grandmother greeted the dark-haired woman, as Nagomi had instantly recognized who the sound of the voice belonged to.

"Ruka, what are you doing out of bed now?" Kazuya reacted, sounding a bit worried.

"Switch on your phone's camera and let me have a look at my favorite granddaughter and mother of my future great-grandson!" grandma Nagomi ordered Kazuya.

"Grandma, we don't know the gender yet, we wanted it to be a surprise, remember?" Kazuya replied.

"I am sure it will be a boy!" his grandmother persevered; "Then you'll have one of each, right?"

"I will go lie down again, still feeling a bit tired," Ruka said, as for a short moment she moved in view of the camera on Kazuya's phone and with a smile on her face, waved to greet her overly enthusiastic grandmother in law.

Kazuya gave Ruka a kiss and she slowly went back to the bedroom again.

"On second thought, forget about sending me some pictures, I will just call a taxi as soon as the labor is about to start, and rush to you in the hospital! Then I can simply be there in person when my new grandson is born!" grandma thought out loud, very loud…

"Eh, grandma, we both love you a lot, but don't you think Ruka might prefer a little more privacy when 'the moment' arrives?" Kazuya asked; "You will be the first to get the pictures of your new grandson, or granddaughter. That's a promise!"

Somewhat reluctantly grandma Nagomi agreed, and after making sure one more time her grandson had taken note of all her requests, or rather, demands, she concluded the phone call with a firm but loving goodbye. 'Ok, now where was I…" Kazuya wondered, as he tried to focus again on his laptop's display. But before he could pick up where he left, a new email notification popped up on his screen.

"You have a new message from Sakurasawa, Sumi. Do you want to open it?"

Kazuya clicked 'yes' and the message showed up in full. 'That girl really surprised us all. From a shy bean to becoming a famous pop star. Still can't understand how she pulled that off. I guess miracles do exist…'

"Hi, Kazuya-kun! How's everything with you and Ruka? Must be very exciting to know that little Ruya will soon have a little brother or sister, right?" Kazuya read on the screen. "When things are more or less back to normal again, we really should pick a date for that mini concert that I promised to give at your place. Oh, and Ruya wants to say 'hi daddy!' to you. I'm taking her to the playground. Ok, that's it for now. Bye, Kazuya-kun!"

'Sumi gets along so well with just about anyone…' Kazuya thought, as he typed a quick reply to Sumi's message. 'She's like an aunt to our little Ruya, and ever since that little rascal heard that Sumi could sing, Ruya kept begging her to give a concert here. So, when things settle down, we must get that show on the road. I'm sure Ruya will be so thrilled!'

With a smile on his face, Kazuya resumed his work on the movie storyboard. 'Filming starts in three weeks from now… Maybe I should have started working on this way earlier. Can't have any more of these interruptions…' he thought, as he took his phone from his pocket with the intention to set it to not accept any incoming calls. But before he got to that, the device started buzzing again, which startled him so much, that he nearly dropped his phone. It was Chizuru!

"Hi! Any news yet?" Chizuru inquired, through the phone; "Starting to get nervous?"

"We're still waiting…" Kuzuya replied; "Nervous? Not really. I mean, it's not the first time, right?"

"Ok, and now the real answer please," Chizuru said, clearly not buying the 'cool guy' act that Kazuya tried to put up; "I think I know a fair bit about acting and that, Mr. producer, was not a particularly good performance. Good thing you are not standing on my side of the camera."

"You sure still don't beat around the bush, now do you?" Kazuya said, somewhat taken aback by Chizuru's directness; "Well, eh, I guess I do feel some anxiety about everything after all…" Kazuya hesitatingly admitted, as he nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"I knew it," Chizuru said, while laughing; "But that is only natural. It is similar for me with acting. No matter how many times I've performed in front of the camera now, there is still that tension. The key is to use it to become a better version of yourself, turn in into an advantage."

"I see… but I don't think I can do that," Kazuya stated.

"Sure you can," Chizuru countered his remark; "Do you remember how once you had lost all sense of direction, while desperately looking for a new girlfriend? And now you are a married man for some time, and about to become a father for the second time soon. So, don't give me that 'I don't think I can do that' attitude! You know very well that you are capable of way more than you once thought possible."

"Well, if you put it like that, then… I suppose…" Kazuya started.

"Oh, the director wants to continue with the next scene again. Gotta go, talk to you later!" Chizuru quickly ended the conversation, before Kazuya could finish his sentence.

'I guess Mizuhara is right, a lot has changed the past few years' Kazuya thought. Being married had felt like bliss most of the time, but he also felt the responsibility of being a family man now. Ruka's mother had spoken to him solemnly, during the wedding day. 'What was it again, that she had said to me back then? Oh wait, how could I forget…'

"She is my everything. Please promise me you will take good care of her…" was what Mrs. Sarashina had urged Kazuya to always consider. 'I will do everything I can, and even more than that, to make Ruka happy. That's a promise!' Kazuya repeated in his mind the words he had replied back then to Ruka's mother. Words that still reflected his passion for, and dedication to his once 'trial' girlfriend.

'I am just way too lucky…' Kazuya thought. 'A gorgeous and caring wife, and a family. And I know a famous actress, a well-known pop singer, and an important business tycoon,' he enumerated in his mind, thinking about Chizuru, Sumi and Mami. 'And I even went to college with most of them too and dated all of them. Although Sumi-chan probably doesn't count, since that was mostly for her rental girlfriend training. Or was it?'

"Shouldn't you put the fire out when the water is already boiling?" a familiar voice spoke, from behind Kazuya; "This way I will never get the cup of tea you promised to make me…"

A startled Kazuya turned around and saw Ruka turning off the burner below the kettle. 'Wait, she's younger, and… a lot thinner too! Huh?' Kazuya wondered, before the outside world gradually started sinking back in again. A mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"What's with that sudden smile?" Ruka wondered; "Did I miss something?"

"It's nothing…" Kazuya replied, still smiling, before giving Ruka a quick smooch on the lips.

"Hey, be careful, or you could catch the same bug that I could have and get sick too!" Ruka tried to object to this little unexpected token of affection, even though she had enjoyed the short kiss.

"Oh, it's way too late for that, I already have it bad…" Kazuya said, smiling even more now.

"Huh? You're acting more weird than usual. Maybe it's you who needs to lie down…" Ruka said, as she began pushing Kazuya forward; "I'm feeling a lot better, so now it's my turn to take care of you!"

"B-But I feel fine, a-actually never f-felt better!" Kazuya stuttered, while still thinking back of the amazing dream he just had experienced.

"I'll be the judge of that!" Ruka swept away his objections, while continuing to direct Kazuya towards the now unused futon.

"but, but…" Kazuya tried, before dropping all resistance and giving in to Ruka's seemingly unlimited loving determination…

(To be continued…)

Chapter Epilogue (28 feb 2021)

So, was this a glimpse of the future, or just a beautiful (day)dream? Please tell me what you feel in the comments/reviews on this chapter. And now the waiting for the next chapter begins…

Disclaimer

Please let me know what you think of this story and leave some feedback in the form of a review. If you are logged in on this fanfiction website, and post a review as registered member, I can even reply to your comments. I'd be happy to have some more interaction with the people who read my stories!

Btw, since I am not a native speaker, there will likely be some silly mistakes in this story. And in punctuation, maybe I made the same mistakes as in previous stories, or even made new mistakes. Hope you can bear with me and see through that. Helpful tips and suggestions are welcome.

Stay safe, and maybe until soon!