Yours, Mine and Ours
Reiteration of the Second Chapter:
"Do you, Kanata Saionji, take her to be your lawfully wedded wife through health and sickness…?"
Kanata choked but with all the courage he could muster, he muttered, "I do…"
"I do…"
"I now, pronounce you man and wife…" said the pastor cheerfully, "you may now, kiss the bride…"
Kanata rolled his eyes thinking, "that was what started this stupid mess".
Chapter 3
Ambiguity and Lucidity
Not for the first time in his life, Kanata found it hard to digest reality. As he took off his suit and tossed it on the massive crimson bed in the Honeymoon suite of "The Takeshi Hotel", he almost felt as though he might puke at the sight of the room. He was unable to believe his luck when the receptionist of the said hotel offered them the Honeymoon suite, which for some odd reason was a few of the only ones unoccupied.
And now, he was to spend the night at the hotel with the pregnant blonde—who by the way is his wife presently. He raced through his memories searching for a much worse embarrassing situation than this but only in vain. He sighed as he sat down on the Heart-shaped bed, assuring himself that this was officially his worst day.
"Oh my god!" came an exclamation from inside the bathroom and Kanata got to his feet at once.
And from inside came his blonde wife looking excited for the first time in the entire day. He looked at her half-irritated and half-questioning. She smiled at the brunet widely and said, "Did you know that there is a heart-shaped bath-tub in there…?"
Kanata gave her such a sharp glare that she flinched lightly. He muttered something under his breath and sat back down on the bed. The softness of the bed almost made him feel sick. He was never used to this and was not ready for it either.
"I'm sorry…"
Kanata rolled his auburn irises almost unnoticeably and with his hands on his face, said almost irritated, "stop apologizing…"
Miyu muttered, "I'm sorry… I mean… uh…"
He felt the bed cringe lightly as she sat down a feet away from him on the crimson bed. He could almost feel her gaze on him—neither angry nor sad. He finally, looked up and got to his feet. He gave her a sideways glance and saw his worry mirrored in her emerald orbs.
Suddenly—
"Oh my god!" she squealed getting to her feet with excitement filling her eyes again, "An aquarium!"
Kanata had to exercise a lot of self-control to stop from hitting his head in the wall. He sighed as he watched the blonde examine the small fish-tank with much more interest that he had ever showed his own home. He sighed at the thought of how she'd react at the sight of his house.
He walked over to the balcony, which was by the fish-tank and looked up at the sky. The stars were outshined by the lights from the city and barely a few were visible.
He sighed at the thought of what everybody would say if he brought her home tomorrow, introducing her as his newly wedded wife. Yes, he could've taken her home and not turn refugee at a hotel but he couldn't do it—not at once.
He needed time to think. Yes, he got a lot of time to think when she had been buying herself a few clothes at the gift shop inside the St. Joseph Wedding Cathedral, one of which—a pair of blue jeans and a denim shirt—she was wearing at the moment. But that had not been enough.
He had to think about what he was going to say to a lot of people. How could he simply say that he married her cause he knocked her up…? That would be too much of an embarrassment for both of them.
This was turning to be the worst decision he had ever made in his entire life. He should have thought it through thoroughly. He was the one who always insisted to others about the demerits of hasty decisions and now…
His cell-phone rang for the umpteenth time. He had no intention of answering it until he glanced at the caller ID.
It was his Dad—Hosho Saionji.
How many times had he wished that his father would answer his calls! But now, his dad was actually calling him. And he didn't know what he wanted to say to his old man.
"Kanata…?"
Kanata's heart almost stopped. It seemed like since eternity since he had heard his father calling his name. He wondered why his dad was calling him now…?
"Dad…?" he croaked.
He felt the glance that the blonde suddenly gave him from near the fish-tank.
"I have important news to tell you Kanata…"
Kanata frowned. But merely said, "So do I dad…"
"I'll go first," said his father and he wondered why his father was using his business tone on him, "you remember my business partner, right?"
"Mr. Hanakomachi…?" asked Kanata, loosening his collar.
"Yes… he offered to become Family, Kanata…"
Kanata frowned. He was confused so he didn't respond. He wanted his father to finish what he was trying to tell him.
"His daughter is very beautiful, my son…" said his father and the brunet's heart almost drowned, "she'd make a great partner to you…"
Kanata stood there with his mobile to his ear, listening to his father's voice, his mind completely blank. His one chance to be with his dad and he blew it. He blew it on a couple of glasses of alcohol.
"I sent Pierre details regarding her and—"
"I'm sorry dad…" said Kanata in almost a whisper.
"What…?" asked his father in a slightly put-off tone.
"I can't do that…" said Kanata, trying to avoid bringing up the blonde as she was just a few feet away and however much she tried to ignore, his voice must be audible enough for her.
"What are you talking about, Kanata?"
Kanata closed his eyes lightly. His father was mad at him. He could sense it. It was same tone he uses on his staff when their work is not up to expectations. He gulped, still not sure how to convey the fact that he was already married.
"I'm saying I can't marry your partner's daughter, dad…" said Kanata so fast, with a mere hope that the speed would reduce the impact of the news. But he was very much mistaken.
Behind him, he felt the blonde get to her feet. He didn't want to turn. He didn't want to face her—not right now.
"Why not?" asked his father and Kanata could almost sense the control that the old man was exercising to keep his anger under check and not shout.
Kanata closed his eyes tightly and taking a deep breath muttered, "'cause I'm already married…"
There was silence.
Kanata opened his eyes, wondering why his father was not reacting.
"Dad…?"
And it started. His father ranted on and on about what an unworthy son he was being.
"I can't believe you'd do this!"
Kanata remained silent.
"Completely worthless…!"
More silence.
"What's her name…?"
Kanata finally found his voice and muttered softly, "Miyu… Miyu Kouzuki…"
His father continued shouting about how he was being stupid and unbelievably not like what a Saionji should be. Kanata remained silent through the entire speech and didn't know what to say and how to react.
His temper was rising with every word his father said and wondered when he'd actually break and start shouting back at his father for being irresponsible. But he knew he was too much of a coward to speak back to his father.
But he wasn't cowardly enough to switch off the phone. He hung up and looked at the mobile disgustedly. He walked to the fish-tank. Miyu looked at him circumspectly. He didn't turn to look at her. Instead, he looked at the clear water of the fish-tank. There was quite the number of colorful fishes in the tank as well as weird decorative items.
His cell rang again and he didn't even give it one glance before dropping it into the fish-tank. Beside him, the blonde gasped. He looked at the sinking mobile, its ringing going all gushed with bubbles forming from it's vibration inside the tank.
He turned around and walked over to the bed. He heard a light splash of water and he didn't have to turn around to realize that his new wife was taking the mobile out of the tank and placing it on the table.
He sat in the middle of the soft crimson bed, cross-legged. He felt anger rise through his body like a flaming torch, making it burn his insides. He had never been so angry and so stupid. What was he thinking when he asked her to marry him…?
He knew what he had been thinking. But that's not important. What is now important is how he's going to cope up with everything from then on. He sighed roughly and with his hands on either side of him, tilted his head back, with his auburn irises still closed.
He felt her sit down gently on the edge of the bed. He could feel her slightly worried gaze on him. He sat up straight and looked at her.
She flinched at his sharp gaze.
"I need to know about you," he said, trying to keep his voice under control for he could almost feel it cracking with all the stress that he was experiencing at the moment.
"Um…" she said, much to his irritation, "I'm Miyu Kouzuki…"
"Parents?" he asked curtly, trying to focus his attention on her.
"Miki and Yuu Kouzuki…" she answered, slowly as though afraid that he might yell at her.
He raised his eyebrows at her, motioning her to continue.
"They teach at Colorado University," she said, her head bowed a little.
"You're not from Tokyo," he said and made sure it didn't sound as an accusation or a question.
She gave him a small smile and said, "I'm from Heiomachi…"
He waited for her to continue, but since she didn't, he asked, "What do you do…?"
She hesitated. He frowned. Having Yale University professors as her parents, she must have some genetic talent. But doubt crept to his system at the way she started fidgeting lightly.
"Erm…" she started with a crimson face, refusing to look up, "I work at as a kindergarten teacher at Heiomachi…"
Kanata considered this for a moment.
"I know it's weird," she said suddenly and her sudden watery emerald orbs alarmed the brunet, "having such successful parents and being born a loser…"
Kanata frowned, "what…?"
Tears forced their way down her cheek. Kanata was completely helpless at this. He was never used to women crying before him. That was one of the reasons he avoided them for so long.
"Hey…" he started slowly.
"They're going to be really mad when they find out…" she sobbed, clinging onto the bedspread, her tears dropping on the crimson sheets, her hair covering almost her entire face.
Kanata pushed his hand into his brunet locks, at a loss for anything to say. After all, it's not as though people at his place would be inviting them with welcoming arms, would they?
"Don't…" he started, clearing his throat, "don't they know about you…? About what happened…?"
She shook her head lightly, sniffing. His hand moved to his neck slowly, scratching them in mere helplessness.
"Then how would you know that they would be mad…?" he asked, shrugging lightly.
She looked at him and said in a choked voice, "they never approved of anything I did… this would be no exception…"
There was silence only broken by the weird sound coming from Kanata's damp mobile on the table, dripping completely with aquarium water.
"What were you doing at the nightclub then…?"
Miyu bit her lip and fresh set of tears formed along her emerald orbs.
"Well… I had a bad day… er… I broke up with my boyfriend who lives here in Tokyo…" she said, not looking up at him.
Kanata didn't respond.
"How about you…?" she asked suddenly, making him look up.
"Me?" he asked.
"Yeah…" she said, her voice soft, "tell me about you…"
"Kanata Saionji," he said, "managing director of Saionji Companies Private Limited…"
"I knew that much…" she piped almost inaudibly.
"I graduated from Yale two years ago…"
"Yale..?" she almost gasped.
Kanata merely narrowed his eyes and she silenced.
After another minute of silence, she asked, "Do you…? Er… never mind…"
"Do I…? What?" he asked impatiently.
She turned a brighter shade of crimson and asked almost in a low whisper, "Do you drink a lot…?"
He frowned and then enquired, "Alcohol…?"
She nodded, lightly.
"I don't…" he replied, "that night was the only time…"
She looked up amused and asked, "why… that one night…?"
"Cause I turned twenty-five and my dad didn't bother to even attend my call…" he said simply without a fleck of self-pity in his sharp and strong auburn irises.
"I'm sorry…" she said, her eyes filled with sadness.
"Stop apologizing," he said annoyed.
Then suddenly she chuckled. He frowned.
"What's so funny…?" he asked curtly.
She gave him a wide smile, "it's all difficult and all… but it's really funny that we hooked up on your birthday and got married on mine…"
It took Kanata about a whole minute to process the information. His frown turned to surprise as he finally understood. He glanced at his watch slowly. It gleamed 11:46pm—3/15
He looked at her questioningly and asked, "It's your birthday today?"
"Yeah…" she nodded and bent down again, "I turned twenty-five today…"
"Congratulations," he said tersely.
She gave him another smile.
"I guess I got you your worst present ever," he said much to the blonde's confusion.
"What's that…?" she asked, frowning lightly.
"Matrimony," he said with a small smirk.
"I've had worse," she assured him.
And they spent an entire minute looking at each other without a word. Finally, Kanata said, "you'd better go to sleep… we'd be heading to my place first thing tomorrow morning…"
"Um…" she stuttered.
"What..?" he asked, whilst getting to his feet.
"Er… nothing…" she said and added with a warm smile, "good night, Kanata…"
He analyzed her for a whole minute. It was really weird having someone to call him by his first name like that. It was as though she was family—which he reminded himself, she was.
He gave her a small smile.
He walked over to the love-seat and settled himself on it, a little uncomfortable. She gave him another small smile and tucked into the crimson tinted bed. He wondered what he was going to do from then on. But for some reason, he felt as though it would all work out fine.
Within minutes, the blonde was asleep. He looked at her intently wondering whether it could work out between them. As he saw her breath evenly, in her sleep, a smile crept across his lips unconsciously.
"'Night… Miyu…" he muttered, under his breath.
End Chapter 3
A/N: How was that? Hope it was worth your time. Since it's a brand new subject for me, I apologize if it's not worth the mark. And thanks for reading. Please, don't forget to review.
Now, for today's thought:
Mind Blowing Quote
When someone we love the most hurts us badly,
Taking it with a smile is the ultimate proof of a
Great Understanding…
