A/N: Thank you so much everyone.. I really appreciate it.. I'm sorry for the delay but I'm busy with work.. Please bear it with me.. :)

Guidance and Reassurance (part two)

(General POV)

With the mind-set to encounter another round of heart-breaking confrontation, Naoki and Kotoko descended the stairs. Their fathers and Yuki were having breakfast and Mrs. Irie was in the kitchen.

"Good morning everyone." Kotoko mumbled.

"Good morning." They all chorused back.

"You okay?" Her father asked her.

"Absolutely." She replied but that didn't seem to make anyone less worried.

No one is going to believe that anymore. I literally changed the meaning of 'I'm okay'. She mentally cursed herself.

"I'll go and see what oka-san is doing." With that she moved towards the kitchen.

She had personally apologised to everyone yesterday night for hiding everything. Undeniably they were hurt but they all assured her not to worry about anything and everything will be fine.

Her father and Mrs. Irie cried their hearts out hugging her. They told her she should have reached out to them. Also they were sorry for not noticing anything until now. Kotoko repeatedly apologized and promised them that she will never hide anything ever. Mr. Irie assured her that they will always be with her so she doesn't need to suffer alone.

Yuki on the other hand scolded her. He was the only one who fired out everything he was feeling. In the end, he reminded her that they were her family. She should depend on her family rather than fighting alone. She is precious to her family and they all care about her. Initially Kotoko appreciated that he was scolding because she deserved to be scolded and nobody else did that. But Yuki's last words brought tears in her eyes. But she smiled through them and promised she will always remember that.

"Oka-san, good morning." She greeted as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning Kotoko-chan. How are you doing today?"

She wanted to repeat what she told the others but stopped when she remembered that won't work anymore.

"Better than yesterday oka-san." She replied instead.

"That's good. I cooked porridge for you. Here try some." She blew on a spoonful of porridge to cool it down and held it near Kotoko's mouth for her to try it. Kotoko took some in her mouth.

"It's delicious oka-san. I love it."

Mrs. Irie smiled delightedly at her. Kotoko smiled back.

.

They both joined the others for breakfast a while later. Mrs. Irie and Kotoko chattered about as usual stuffs while the men ate their food quietly. After cleaning up the breakfast table when everyone was done, Kotoko and Mrs. Irie went to the sitting room where the others were waiting for them. Naoki wanted to discuss matters with them all.

"What happened Naoki?" His mother asked him taking a seat next to Yuki while Kotoko went and sat near her father.

"Dr. Ayano already explained how the therapy works yesterday to you all." He replied looking at his mother, stating about the conversation they had with Dr. Ayano right after Kotoko fainted in the lunch time the previous day. "But we will make a few changes which will require her to stay longer in the hospital. She will be staying over in the hospital for more than two days from now on during therapy. At least a week, more or less."

"Yes, that's fine. I will take care of her foods and cloths." His mother replied.

Kotoko on the other hand was wondering why Naoki was not talking about what he was supposed to talk and was shocked at what she heard him say next.

"Otou-san suggested Kotoko should stop working at the hospital last night." Naoki looked at Kotoko's father.

"What?" She practically gaped at her father.

"You get too tired due to the work. You need to rest."

"I take plenty of it at the hospital during work otou-san. I will get sicker if I rest all the time." She protested.

"I will agree with you only if you promise not to overwork yourself and be honest about your condition all the time." Naoki told her.

"I promise you that." She did not waste a second to answer that.

But the adults were not satisfied and it was vivid on their faces. They seem to think it will stress out her more.

"I talked to Dr. Ayano regarding that. He assured Kotoko works like a volunteer or part-timer whatever you may call it, with some payment. But her work is limited and always under observation. They don't take any risk with her. They took her in because that way she would be under observation all the time. Besides, I'm going to be working on the same team so I will keep an eye on her." Naoki tried to assure them.

"Then I'm sure she will be fine." Mr. Aihara stated.

"If you are sure then fine Naoki." His mother added.

"Thank you everyone. Thank you Irie-kun." Kotoko visibly relaxed. It will be a torture for her to rest all the time and not working at all.

"Otou-san there is something else Kotoko's doctors came across while investigating her disease." Naoki directed his words towards Mr. Aihara.

"What is it Naoki-kun?"

"Oka-san..." he started to answer looking at him but stopped and clarified, "I mean Kotoko's mother had an early pregnancy complexity which led her to have Neuroshia."

"Yes, the doctor said that while we found out about it. But we found out after Kotoko was born."

"Kotoko has the same disease because her mother had it when she was pregnant with Kotoko." Naoki said.

"Oh…" He was surprised at this piece of information. "I didn't know anything about Neuroshia, if I knew maybe we could have done something…" He started to feel guilty. How can he be so careless?

"Otou-san, if someone is pregnant and has Neuroshia, then there is 80% chance that the baby inherits it. There was nothing you could have done because you only found out after she was born. Kotoko also found out about it in her initial stage so she wasn't late to start her treatment."

"That's… that's a small relief." He mumbled in a dry voice. Kotoko squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Neuroshia didn't have a cure back then. The doctors could only provide medicines to prevent the side effects and keep the patient healthy for longer than the patient would without any treatment at all. But there was no chance that the patient would survive." Naoki stopped.

"Naoki what are you trying to say?" His father asked.

Naoki hesitated. Kotoko gripped her father's hand tightly. Naoki took a deep breath and blurted out.

"Oka-san was diagnosed with Neuroshia before Kotoko was born. As you know, Neuroshia treatment requires aborting the child. She found out in her early stage but seeing she wouldn't live much longer, she decided to keep Kotoko instead of starting her treatment. She didn't know that Kotoko might inherit the disease. She didn't tell you about this because she didn't want you to choose between your wife and daughter. She confessed all this to her doctor who first diagnosed her and she left a document about it." Naoki stopped.

Silence... ... ...

The whole room remained pin drop silent. No one uttered a single word. Each member of his family was silently processing his words.

Finally Mr. Aihara managed to talk.

"What... did you say?"

"Otou-san... I'm really really sorry..." Kotoko said with guilt.

Mr. Aihara looked at his daughter's face but remained quiet. He was too shocked to say anything at all.

"How did you find that out Naoki?" His father asked him. But it was Kotoko who replied.

"I told him this morning. When I first found out about my condition, I did some digging about my mother seeing it was connected to my condition. I went to the hospital where oka-san was diagnosed to get more information which I provided to Dr. Shinju. Then Dr. Shinju found out more information on their research database. Apparently oka-san's doctor left a document about it."

More silence...

"So... so... Etsuko didn't trust me after all."

Kotoko heard her father utter the same words that her husband did. She didn't know which was more hurtful.

"It's not that she didn't trust you otou-san. She didn't want to hurt you."

"She didn't trust me with her decision. She didn't trust me with her burdens." Tears formed in Mr. Aihara's eyes but he held them back with difficulty.

Naoki heard his father-in-law voice his feelings and felt sorry for him. No one better than him understood what his father-in-law was going through right now.

"Otou-san, oka-san chose Kotoko over her life... and even you. She didn't give up on herself for nothing." He said softly.

"I understand why she did what she did. But I still can't forgive myself for being so ignorant. I did not even realize what she was going through. What kind of husband am I?"

Naoki couldn't reply to that. He was also wondering about the same thing himself.

"Otou-san, I am so sorry." She hugged her father. "I wish I was never born." Her tears soaked Mr. Aihara's shirt.

Mr. Aihara widens his eyes when he heard his daughter.

"Oh Kotoko-chan..." Mrs. Irie mumbled sadly.

Naoki took in a sharp breath and just sat rigidly staring at his wife. She was blaming herself even for that? Seriously?

"Kotoko..." Mr. Aihara pulled away from his daughter and looked into her eyes. "Don't ever blame yourself for that. Not everything that goes wrong is your fault. How did you even get to think that it's your fault? It was not your decision and certainly not your fault."

"Otou-san... I... I don't even know what to think. Oka-san... Oka-san could have lived longer if she didn't keep me. She probably didn't want you to be alone."

"Kotoko, I cannot imagine my life without you in it for a single moment. Your mother did the right thing keeping you. She gave me the best gift of this whole world. You are very precious to me. My only daughter... My entire world. Don't blame yourself for anything ever again. Don't regret for being my daughter."

"I don't regret it. I never regretted it. You are the best father of this whole world. I love you so much otou-san. Please don't get hurt. I am sorry for what I did. I am sorry for what oka-san did."

"You never cease to amaze me of how exceptionally similar you are to your mother. You did the same thing your mother did. After all, you are your mother's daughter." He said trying to sound lighter but failing miserably.

"True, we are. But I didn't mean to hide it for so long. Believe me everyone."

"We know Kotoko-chan. Stop feeling so bad dear." Mrs. Irie walked over to her and gave her a hug. "You have been through a lot. You really are a brave woman. You didn't give up and kept fighting. I'm really proud that you are my daughter." She said in a soothing voice.

"Thank you so much oka-san." Kotoko smiled at her when they broke the hug.

"We are here for you now. You don't have to feel alone anymore. We are in it together."

"I never felt alone oka-san. I knew you all were with me all the time."

"Kotoko-chan, I understand why you hid your illness. I did that once too remember? But I ended up being ill even more." Mr. Irie referred to the time when he had a heart attack which led Naoki to take the decision to marry Sahoko.

"Nothing went right after that until Naoki & you got married. I learnt one thing during that time. Family is the most important thing in a person's life. Not the business... not the money... not the career. All we need is the support of our family and stay strong together. I'm sure you and Naoki also understand this now." He looked from one to another.

"Yes..." Kotoko agreed with a soft smile while Naoki only nodded.

"My whole family is too secretive for their own good. I nearly forgot he did that too." Mrs. Irie huffed. "I'm warning you all. If I find out anyone hiding anything again, I'll hunt you till the end of the time and I mean it." She folded her arms.

Mr. Aihara, Mr. Irie and Kotoko laughed loudly. Naoki chuckled softly and Yuki looked outraged. He had remained silent during the entire conversation but now spoke up.

"You don't plan on giving up your detective antics anytime soon, do you?" He asked his mother.

"Spot-on son. Not a chance" Mrs. Irie grinned.

Yuki shook his head while the others laughed again.

"I need to go and see Dr. Ayano. I will see you all in the afternoon." Naoki left the house after that.