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Chapter 18: The light at the end of the tunnel
"Wow, this is the latest stroller I saw in the magazine last month! Sempai, Tomoe-kun and Kurokawa-san are really generous—this must have set them back by a hundred thousand yen!"
It was the morning after the celebration of their daughter's birth. Souichi and Morinaga were in the bedroom that had been Morinaga's but was now doubling as Emi's nursery. There had not been sufficient time the night before to properly look at the baby shower presents that Souichi's family had bought so it was only now that the two men had the chance to go over the gifts.
The tanzanite purple pram was the grandest present of all, a fully- functional vehicle that was lightweight and durable. Carrying a sated Emi in his hands, Souichi joined Morinaga at the pile of presents in the center of the room, admiring the ergonomic design of the seat and the breathable material used for the cushions. His brother had been really generous, if Morinaga was accurate about the price.
After testing out the folding mechanism and the wheels of the pram, Morinaga began to ferret through the other presents, his excitement almost as though the presents were for his own use. Souichi shook his head but continued to stand beside his partner as Morinaga made animated exclamations over the various gifts.
Matsuda- san had given them an entire case of children's storybooks and baby- friendly board books. The titles ranged from basic picture and alphabet books to classic fairytales more suitable for when their child was older. His little sister, Kanako, had used her allowance to buy a baby shower tub, filled with baby shampoo, soap and other bath accessories. Morinaga squeezed the bright yellow ducky that she had added and he laughed out loud at the long squeak that emitted from the toy. "Sempai, Kanako- chan is so sweet!"
"Baka, you seem more like a child than Emi! And see, you have woken her up." Souichi felt his baby squirm in his arms restlessly, her little hands fisted. Lifting her higher against his chest, Souichi patted her gently to soothe her. "Shh, sweetheart."
"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Scrambling to his feet, Morinaga put the duckling down and began to fuss over their daughter. His green eyes were soft and shining as he stroked Emi's head, cooing soft nothings until she stopped fretting.
Souichi cuddled her for a while more before sliding Emi into Morinaga's waiting arms. The man carried her as though he had been doing so for years, not mere weeks. A little miffed at the ease with which Morinaga could handle their newborn while he was still a little jittery, Souichi studied their father- daughter interaction as Morinaga tickled her, her silent laughs accompanied by more squirming. There was absolutely no doubt in the way in which his kouhai cradled Emi, his large hands holding the back of her head in a secure grasp.
The man, for all his child- like behaviour, was already an expert at holding, feeding, and changing Emi. While Souichi had been recuperating in his ward at the hospital, Morinaga had taken every chance to be with their baby, harassing the nursery nurses with questions and queries until they had all come to know about the overzealous new father. Nonetheless, he had absorbed everything like a sponge.
In truth, however, Morinaga's conscientiousness in his actions when it came to their baby reassured Souichi, just like how his research work had been smooth- sailing with the man as his assistant. Frankly, Souichi knew that without his kouhai, he would most likely have been unable to take care of Emi without eventually meeting with some trouble.
Hands free for the moment, Souichi set about packing the gifts so that they would not clutter the floor and cause obstruction. He scrutinized the large items critically. Hmm, those would have to be transported to Tokyo when they moved into their apartment…the thought of the city made him frown. It was already coming to two weeks since Morinaga had travelled to his company but there were still no news from S Pharmaceuticals.
This unceasing tide of uncertainty was definitely not improving his mood. And yet, Morinaga himself had also not brought up the topic. It almost seemed like the man was not worried about his work prospects, except for the fact that Souichi knew that his silence was most likely Morinaga's foolish attempt at not making him worry. Souichi glanced up at his partner, seeing his lanky frame huddled protectively over the little figure in his arms. Now that he had given birth and Emi was safe and healthy, the issue of work, both Morinaga's and his, could no longer be ignored.
"Sempai, Emi's sleeping now. I'll put her in the crib, and then shall we go and have breakfast? I've already made the confinement dishes that Suzuki- san advised. Afterwards, I'll brew the tonics that Matsuda- san gave. You'll need plenty of supplements to regain your strength!" Seemingly free of trouble, Morinaga kissed Emi a last time before he tucked her into the crib, pulling the curtains over the window so that the sunlight would not be too bright for her. He turned to Souichi a moment later, a brilliant smile on his face. "Let's go, Sempai."
"…All right." Dazzled for a moment, and not because of the sunlight, Souichi stood up and let himself be led to the kitchenette. The smell of soup and stewed vegetables made his stomach growl. Morinaga set the utensils in front of him as Souichi sat down. "Thanks, Morinaga."
"You are welcome, Sempai," The grin was still plastered on the younger man's face as he also sat down and began to portion the food. "Sempai, this is miso carp. Drink more soup and finish the fish, okay? They'll aid in blood replenishment. Eat more vegetables too!"
"Yea. They look good. Suzuki- san gave you the recipes?" Souichi picked up the bowl of soup that Morinaga served and took a sip. The delicate, sweet taste of carp blended well with the miso and there was no hint of fishiness at all. Realising that he was ravenous, Souichi took bigger mouthfuls of the soup and started eating with gusto.
"Yes! She's really nice to give me her tried- and- tested recipes, Sempai. If this is good, I'll cook it again next week. I don't want you to get sick of a dish too quickly." Munching on a carrot, Morinaga beamed at the way Souichi was wolfing down the food. "I'm glad you like them, Sempai."
"Hnn…" Souichi rapidly finished his bowl of soup, savouring the flavourful broth. These special foods were part of the confinement package that their midwife had advised, to last for three weeks. His kouhai had declared himself Souichi's caretaker for this period of time and, judging from the quality of today's breakfast, Morinaga was definitely carrying out his task with aplomb. It was just like him to throw himself into his responsibilities.
They had just polished off the food and Souichi was nursing a cup of red date tea when the doorbell rang. They looked at each other in surprise; they had not been expecting anybody. Morinaga put down the dishes dripping in suds and wiped his hands rapidly. "Sempai, I'll answer the door."
"Okay." Curious, Souichi craned his neck towards the genkan as Morinaga slid the chain and opened the door. He immediately shot up when the visitor appeared in the doorway, her red coat swinging as she swaggered into their apartment.
"Good morning, gentlemen." As Dr. Maya nodded sagely to a stunned Morinaga and then turned to Souichi, she flashed a confident smirk at him, white teeth standing out against lips as scarlet as her coat.
Souichi ignored her greeting, his eyes flashing as the woman approached him. She actually had the audacity to appear smugly in front of him! Crossing his arms, Souichi cut to the chase. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"S-sempai—"
Souichi silenced an edgy Morinaga and stood in front of him, unconsciously shielding him as Dr. Maya, unflustered by his sharp question, took off her coat and settled on a chair. Gesturing to the other chairs around the dining table as though she were the hostess, the lady crossed her legs and smiled in a manner that was meant to be encouraging but still looked predatory regardless. "I'm obviously here to discuss Morinaga's future at the company. Now, aren't you interested?"
"…Hrmph. So you have finally come to a decision then? Leaving Morinaga hanging for so long, I have reason to doubt the sincerity of the company! And to think that Nagoya University has been supplying the best talents to S Pharmaceuticals—!" Recalling the fretting that Morinaga had tried to hide from him for the past two weeks, Souichi's anger was only further fuelled by the high- handed manner of the doctor. He remained standing, glaring down at the immaculately- coiffed woman.
"Sempai, please, don't be angry! Your body is still weak—let's listen to the company's decision first, okay?" Tugging at Souichi's crossed arms, Morinaga finally managed to budge him and insisted that he sit down. His grasp was cold. Souichi sensed the ripples of trepidation rolling through his lover.
It was clear that Morinaga treasured his job at S Pharmaceuticals. The man had once confided that he enjoyed the process of transforming research into commercially- viable products. Now, his fate at the pharmaceuticals giant was going to be decided, and the verdict delivered by an ex- superior who had most certainly sexually harassed him! Souichi rested his hand on the table, fingers just brushing Morinaga's. "So, what's the decision?"
"Tsk, tsk. As expected of you, Tatsumi- san. And to think that I especially rushed back from the overseas office to defend Morinaga! I should at least have a cup of tea, no?" With an arch of her brow, Morinaga immediately clattered to his feet and went to the kitchen cabinet to retrieve a clean cup. Dr. Maya nodded in satisfaction as a cup of fresh tea was set in front of her. "Thank you, Morinaga. I see that you are still as good a subordinate as ever!"
Souichi slapped his hands against the wood of the table, hard. "Get to the point, woman! Don't think that just because you were Morinaga's superior gives you the right to fool with us!" Barely restraining himself, Souichi felt his lover's hands on his shoulder but he surged on. "Why did you even involve yourself in Morinaga's case when you were not even in Japan? What are your intentions?"
"Fufu—Tatsumi- san, are you that anxious about my presence?" A manicured hand covered that crimson mouth and Dr. Maya laughed aloud.
"—Wha—" Flushing all the way down his neck, Souichi launched forwards, reaching for the lapels of the audacious woman's coat. Fuck it, even if she was a woman! "What the hell are you saying—!"
"Sempai! Calm down, calm down! And Dr. Maya—please don't say such irresponsible things! I beg of you!" Morinaga latched his grip on Souichi's arms again and finally restrained him with difficulty. He looked desperately at the unruffled woman, who merely laughed some more. "Dr. Maya—!"
"All right, all right. Dear Kami—the both of you amuse me! I haven't had so much fun in years. Fufufu." Dr. Maya linked her fingers together and rested her chin on them. "Since I feel entertained, I decided to step in and see what the fuss is all about with my favourite gay couple but I must say, even I was surprised! To think that you could actually conceive and have a child!"
"This has nothing to do with you, woman!" The nerve of her—! She was belittling them, treating them like her playthings to tickle her whenever she was bored! Souichi was utterly prepared to throw her out of the house but Morinaga's grave expression of pleading made him pause. His kouhai was tense, fingers digging into his biceps. Souichi felt his anger recede a little as rationality trickled in again. For Morinaga's sake, he could not very well kick that woman's ass to the curb, at least for the moment.
Dr. Maya was still speaking, her forceful presence apparent in her gestures and manner of speech. "Morinaga, you should thank the stars that the projects you have been involved in are very important to us. The director has decided to let you stay on, if only because of your consistent work performance and Saga's and my testimonials."
"Oh—oh Kami. T-thank you, Dr. Maya! Thank you so much!" The relief in Morinaga's voice was so infectious that Souichi instantly felt the invisible burden around his heart lift as well.
"What other outcome could there be, especially since I spoke out?" Dr. Maya seemed extremely satisfied with herself, a Cheshire smile gleaming. "And there's something else that you should thank us for. A Hashimoto Aoi has been sniffing around your little family, hasn't he?"
The mention of the bothersome reporter from Dr. Maya was completely unexpected. Souichi glanced at Morinaga, noting his surprise too. "Yes, but why do you know about him?" The answer struck him just then. "Did the company stop him from publishing more news about us, and indirectly about itself?"
"Hmm…Tatsumi- san, your intelligence is rather irritating—that took the fun out of the announcement! Tch—" The female dominatrix glared at Souichi, looking put out. "You are right; the company has deemed it to be for the best if the extensive article written by our good man about you both and the new baby were not published at all. Seems like our publicity department does deserve its salary after all." Noticing that the two men were simply sitting there without fanfare over her words, Dr. Maya frowned. "Hello, can I have some reaction here?"
"...Dr. Maya, thank you for coming here to tell us such good news! I'm—I'm really, really glad." Earnestly, Morinaga leaned forwards and regarded his ex- superior. "I never expected you to help me, especially since you were no longer posted in Japan, and after what happened the last time you were here in Nagoya…" Pausing awkwardly, the man looked anxiously at Souichi before he continued. "Thank you for giving me a chance to continue at the company. My family and I thank you." One hand closed tightly around Souichi's.
"Tch—Morinaga; stop pussy- footing about! Did you think that I was serious that time? You were just a cute little subordinate whom I couldn't resist teasing, as I have explicitly said to Tatsumi- san here, and gotten reprimanded for, if I may add.
"I did not travel down to Nagoya just to pass this news to you both, you know. There are plenty more fish in the United States, and one of them even came back with me, mhmm." The predatory gleam in the woman's eyes flashed once again.
"O-oh, okay, Dr. Maya. That's really good to hear! I'm happy for you." Morinaga's sigh of relief was so ludicrously loud that even Dr. Maya dropped her pompous demeanor and burst out laughing.
"Idiot! Is this any way to treat your superior? Be careful, or I might just retract my favourable testimonial of you!"
Morinaga was immediately contrite. Rubbing his head sheepishly, the man grinned and offered an apology. "Sorry, Dr. Maya! I didn't mean to be rude but, well, I've been worried about work, and this issue for the longest time…I can't tell you how grateful I feel now!"
"Hmm, all right, I accept your apology. However—! Despite the good news, the managing director has still decided to extend your probation for twelve more weeks. During this period, should any more trouble ensue or you screw up at work, then it's chop chop—understand?"
"Yes—! Yes, Dr. Maya! This is more than I could have asked for…!" Eyes shining, Morinaga turned to Souichi. "Sempai—!"
Souichi was not that easily persuaded. "Morinaga didn't do any wrong, and you and I both know that, Doctor. He did not commit any grave errors at work, nor insubordination that would warrant an extension of probation. Thus, this decision by your director is unacceptable! Are you sure that this isn't merely an excuse to utilize my kouhai without fair pay or recognition?"
"Sempai, it's okay—! I'm just glad that I wasn't fired!"
"Morinaga, you are being too easy on them! What the hell—did you do anything wrong? No! Such persecution is ridiculous!" Souichi ignored the persistent tugging on his sleeve, knowing that Morinaga was not one to fight when things could be resolved peacefully. However, he could not just sit back and see his partner being unfairly treated! What had he or they done to be compelled to accept such prejudiced decisions? It was their private affairs, not something to be discussed and judged by outsiders!
"Of course it isn't, Tatsumi- san. Damn—I knew that you wouldn't make this a breeze!" With a sigh of exasperation, Dr. Maya tried to stare Souichi down but failed spectacularly. "Hrmph. Unlike the terms of slave labour you have been imagining, Morinaga would still receive the set salary that he has been taking for the past few months, and will be rewarded accordingly should he pass the probation period.
"He will also still be eligible to participate in other projects other than those on his hands, and would not be taken off his current ones. In other words, we are expecting him to be a full employee, despite all the crap that we've had to damage- control! Hell—the entire research department was backing Morinaga! The company does have a heart, you know!"
"Sempai, it really sounds like they are sincere—I don't have a problem with accepting the prolonged probation, so long as I can work and earn money for the family again…let's just let it go at this, shall we?" Morinaga's soothing voice broke through Souichi's haze of justified anger, his eyes imploring.
Looking at him, it was impossible not to soften. Souichi finally nodded, a sharp tap of his head to acknowledge the sheathing of his daggers. Dr. Maya immediately caught on and she leaned forwards, a business shark ready to close in on the deal. "So, we have an agreement? In order to keep things in record, we have already drawn up a contract for Morinaga." A white piece of document, densely typed with characters, appeared as if from thin air. Sliding the contract towards Morinaga, she offered him a gold- gilded pen. "Signing this contract would mean that you have knowledge of and agree to the terms mentioned within. Look through it if you may."
Glaring at the woman in suspicion, Souichi read the legal document together with his kouhai, making sure that there were no hidden clauses that would disadvantage Morinaga. However, despite his closest scrutiny, the contract terms seemed completely aboveboard, and were as how the woman had stated. Reluctantly, he looked on as Morinaga happily signed the document, the pen gliding smoothly over the thin sheet.
"There! Now we have finally cleared this whole drama! Morinaga, I'm expecting you to pull even more weight once your leave's up! Saga and my reputations are at stake here!" The contract was looked over once again, and once Dr. Maya had ascertained that Morinaga had signed on all the relevant pages, she nodded in satisfaction and kept the paper back into her briefcase.
"Uhm, Dr. Maya, does this mean that we can still stay at the employees' apartment in Tokyo? This new contract would not affect my rental status, right?" Morinaga had thought ahead and brought up the most pertinent question after the status of his employment had been confirmed.
Souichi noted the anxious expression on his lover. Morinaga was considerably more concerned about where they were going to stay than about his job, it seemed. That baka. He had always been like this—putting others first before himself. Others might take advantage of his thoughtful nature! However, this trait of Morinaga had also seemed to ally his colleagues and even superiors to his side…Souichi breathed out a silent sigh of relief.
"I don't see a reason why it should be affected, Morinaga. However, make sure that you check on it when you go back to the company. Now, where is the baby? I've travelled so far just for the silly scrap of contract; you should at least let me see the being that has caused so much uproar, right?" Dr. Maya, business now concluded, suddenly stood up and peered around the living area, as though expecting Emi to be hiding from her. "Let's be quick on our feet; I've got a flight to catch tonight!"
"A-ah, yes, Dr. Maya!" Glancing at Souichi and seeing no overt resistance from him, Morinaga stood up hastily and began to weave his way to the nursery. "Please wait! I'll bring her out promptly."
When the younger man had bustled out of earshot, Dr. Maya and Souichi stared at each other, sizing up each other again. The confrontation that had happened so long ago, right in this spot, flickered between them. Souichi folded his arms and refused to back down. It was his territory, and this woman had better behave, especially with his daughter later!
The sound of the bedroom door closing broke the silent tug-of-war between the two of them and they looked up as Morinaga, now cradling Emi in his arms, cooed to their little girl.
"Emi- chan, sweetie. Look who's here to see you! Wakey wakey and say hello to Dr. Maya."
"Let me hold her." Almost like an order, Dr. Maya stretched out her arms firmly and waited as Morinaga slid a groggy Emi into them. Souichi looked on fiercely, making sure that the doctor had a firm hold on their daughter before Morinaga let go.
As was expected of their child, the baby did not cry even in the arms of somebody she did not know. Instead, Emi fixed her bright gaze on the older woman, her toothless gums working up some saliva that dribbled from her mouth.
"Tsk tsk. Ladies do not drool, my dear. But you are a fearless one, aren't you, staring at me so directly, huh? Do you know who I'm? I'm your father's boss! Ah, now you've gripped my fingers! Jeez, we have a little warrior right here, isn't it?"
To the men's immense surprise, the formidable businesswoman whom Morinaga secretly thought of as the female version of Souichi began to play and talk to their little girl like any other woman who loved children. It seemed that the lady had other sides to her that softened her edge. Still, the sight of their daughter, all soft and warm and pink, together with the crimson- clad dominatrix, was rather incongruous.
Nonetheless, Souichi felt his negative impression of the woman begin to melt a little. Looking at Dr. Maya as she tickled Emi on her tummy, at the soft smile on that sarcastic lips, Souichi decided that she was not a complete monster of a human being, after all. It also helped that she had sorted out the problems at S Pharmaceuticals for Morinaga, although he still could not put it past the woman to have something up her sleeve with her generosity.
Still, it was not as though he was going to complain about the way things had turned out. It was high time for them to enjoy some good luck, after the whole string of drama that had trailed his entire pregnancy. He may be violent at times but hell, even a tyrant needed a rest!
And Souichi could not think of a better way to take a break other than to spend it with his new family. Now, they could truly start to plan for their future, with the last vestiges of doubt and uncertainty cleared from their paths.
It was definitely a good start.
To be continued.