Chapter 42

The oppressive silence in the car felt as heavy as lead. The notion that they might become parents of twins had turned their world upside down. Just as they had embraced the idea of becoming parents, now this – an unexpected doubling of responsibility. Usagi stared at the blurry black-and-white image of the ultrasound, where the small black bubble was now supposed to represent their future child – or maybe even children if something showed up in the other gestational sac next week.

The Kou Tower appeared on the horizon when suddenly Taiki's phone rang, showing an unfamiliar number on the display. "Kou," Taiki answered tersely, his voice still tense.

"Central Hospital, good day, Mr. Kou. You're listed as the emergency contact for Mr. Seiya Kou, is that correct?" a melodic voice sounded through the speaker.

"Yes, what happened?"

"Mr. Kou has just been admitted to our emergency room. It seems he was attacked. Examinations have just started. If you can, you should come."

Taiki's hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white with tension. At the next traffic light, he abruptly turned the wheel in a rapid maneuver, making a 360-degree turn. The sudden turn made Usagi panic, and she grabbed the handle as the car accelerated in the opposite direction. "I'll be there shortly," Taiki replied before ending the call. The pressure on the gas pedal increased, and the streets blurred before Usagi's eyes. Her heart pounded wildly out of fear for Seiya.

Shortly after, Taiki halted the car with screeching tires in front of the hospital.

The hospital corridor seemed to lose itself in an endless labyrinth of neon lights and sterile white as Taiki and Usagi navigated through the halls to the emergency room. The smell of disinfectant hung in the air. Taiki's heart raced faster as he followed the red signs leading them to Seiya.

When they finally reached the emergency room, Taiki saw a visibly grumpy nurse behind the reception desk. "Kou, I was just called that my brother was admitted. Seiya Kou. After an assault," he said politely to get the nurse's attention.

The nurse eyed Taiki skeptically. "Kou, you said?" she grumbled, and Taiki nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I see. He was admitted half an hour ago. Examination room number 4. He's conscious again by now," she read from one of the documents.

"Can we see him?" Taiki asked, trying to appear calm.

"Yes, the doctor should be done with the examination. But he needs rest."

Taiki nodded briefly, thanked her, and hurried to Seiya's examination room, Usagi following him at a slight distance.

Seeing Seiya on the bed triggered a certain panic in Usagi. But when he spotted his visitors, he struggled to sit up. "Tai, what are you doing here?"

"I got a call saying you were attacked. What happened?" Taiki's voice sounded slightly concerned.

Seiya's gaze shifted to the assistant doctor sitting at the desk, writing a report. His eyes revealed that he would tell Taiki everything once they were alone. "Oh, it's not a big deal. You can take me home right away," Seiya waved it off.

"Mr. Kou, you have a concussion; the wound on your head has been stitched with 8 stitches, and two of your ribs are fractured," suddenly the doctor intervened in their conversation. "Of course, you can discharge yourself at your own risk, but I recommend not being alone for the next two days."

Usagi slowly pushed herself into the room behind Taiki. The doctor's words heightened her fears, and seeing Seiya's condition widened her eyes in shock. A thick bandage adorned both Seiya's head and chest. His lip was split, and he looked quite battered overall. When their eyes met, Seiya's eyes spoke volumes. Usagi forced a smile, but her concerned eyes revealed to him what was going on inside her.

At that moment, Seiya jumped up to not show any weakness in front of the others, especially Usagi. However, he immediately winced in pain and clutched his side. Taiki rushed to his side and supported him. "Are you really sure you don't want to stay at least one night for observation?" Taiki asked his brother, but Seiya fought into an upright position. "Absolutely. I have a warm bed at home, and Ruka will surely crash in the guest room if I ask her."

Taiki looked from Seiya to Usagi and back. The idea of Seiya being alone in his apartment downstairs didn't appeal to either of them. "And what if Seiya takes our guest room?" Usagi mumbled to herself. "After all, I'm not supposed to be alone, so we could help each other."

Taiki smiled at his wife and then looked at his brother. "Alright, I like that idea much better. Seiya, you'll temporarily move in with us."

Slightly shocked, Seiya looked first at his brother and then at Usagi. This couldn't possibly be serious. "Uh... am I maybe asked for my opinion? I live just a few floors below you. If something happens, I can come up anytime. Besides, I can ask Ruka; she'll undoubtedly move in with me. We still have some races on the console pending," Seiya tried to protest.

"Well, Mr. Kou, I think your brother's idea is excellent. With a concussion, we shouldn't take any chances. You should have someone close to you for the next two or three days... Since I apparently can't dissuade you from your plan to discharge yourself, you can pick up the discharge papers at the front desk. I wish you all the best," the doctor concluded.

Taiki observed his battered brother. "Can you make it to the car?" Seiya tried to straighten up as much as he could, attempting to downplay the pain in his side. "Of course." "Good, then go with Serena to the car. I'll wait for your papers. We'll talk at home," Taiki said, opening the door. Usagi was about to go to Seiya's free side to support him, but he was too proud to accept that.

"I'm fine," he gritted his teeth, walking alongside Usagi. The night air was cool as Seiya and Usagi headed towards the car. At some point, he cast a fleeting glance over his shoulder to ensure Taiki was out of earshot. Then he turned his pained gaze to Usagi. "Sweetheart, what's this about? Are you trying to torture me on purpose, or why do you want me to sleep in your guest room? Do you really think it's a good idea to be right under Taiki's nose?"

Usagi hesitated for a moment before taking Seiya's hand and stopping. Her gaze met his, and she could see the uncertainty in it. "Seiya, I... I need you close to me. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Seiya looked at her, a hint of desire glowing in his eyes. His hand wandered to her cheek, gently stroking it. She nestled her head into his rough palm and enjoyed his familiar touch.

Seiya wanted to respond, but when he saw Taiki approaching, his words fell silent. His gaze became serious, and he delicately removed his hand from Usagi's cheek. "We'll talk about this when we get home," he whispered to her.

Meanwhile, Yaten attempted to find a free spot in the crowded ashtray for his cigarette. The documents about Minako lay open before him. His thoughts still revolved around the fact that she was indeed alive – hardly comprehensible to him. Although he didn't hold much hope, he reached for his phone and dialed her number. How many times had he tried to call her in the first weeks after the accident, just to hear her voice on voicemail and then hang up? Without a dial tone, the familiar automated message started.

"Hello, my dears, this is the voicemail of Minako Tsukino. I can't answer the phone right now, but if you're kind enough to leave me a message, chances are good that I'll get back to you." Usually, that was the point where he hung up, but today he wanted to tell her something. He waited for the beep and took another drag from his cigarette. Finally, the tone he had been waiting for sounded.

"Mina, it's me. I really don't know if you still listen to this message or if you have an entirely new number... I just wanted to let you know that I know you're alive... Damn, why didn't you say anything? I thought we were friends! Why did you fake your death without talking to me about it? Why did you marry Chiba of all people and involve him in your plans? Or weren't they your plans? Did he force you into something you didn't want? If that's the case, he'll pay, I promise you... I just wanted to say, if you need me, I'm here for you..." There was so much more he wanted to say, but he felt his voice trembling, so he ended the call. Angry at his own emotions, he cleared the table with a swift motion. All the documents, his phone, the laptop, and even the ashtray crashed loudly to the floor. Yaten rested his head in his hands. Still, there was no response from Setsuna, and he was growing impatient.

Suddenly, there was a knock, and the door creaked open a little. Yaten had completely forgotten that he had temporarily accommodated Amy in his secluded house, and that was exactly who stood before him now. The silence was interrupted by the cracking of the wooden floor as Amy cautiously stepped inside.

"Is everything okay? I heard quite a noise," she inquired worriedly as her gaze wandered through the dimly lit room.

"Yeah, things just aren't going as smoothly as I'd like," Yaten snorted, attempting to rearrange his belongings on the table.

"Do you maybe want to talk about it? It might help," Amy suggested, her eyes reflecting compassion.

"No. All this talking is useless in this case and wouldn't lead to anything... Have you been able to make a decision yet?" he tried to change the subject.

Amy fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. "I... um... I think I'll give your plan a chance. But... but what if you're wrong? I mean, now I definitely have no chance to take the job in Zurich, and I've already burned all my bridges here," Amy expressed her doubts, and suddenly, the gloomy atmosphere in the room seemed even more oppressive.

Yaten rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Trust me. I've rarely been so sure about something as I am about this plan. Should it unexpectedly fail, I will, of course, use my contacts and arrange an adequate job for you in the city of your choice, promised," he said, tossing some folders onto the table as he stood up.

Amy sat down on the rickety wooden chair. "I really don't know if this whole thing is a good idea, and then right on Christmas? Shouldn't we wait until after the holidays for something like this?"

"No, not an option. Christmas Eve is perfect. We'd otherwise just be sitting in Taiki's apartment stuffing ourselves. On the first, the game repeats with the small difference that Haruka usually joins us. The only conflict is on Boxing Day, as we're invited to our old man's place, but even that could be interesting this year."

Amy was already getting nervous just thinking about Yaten's plan. Yaten chuckled when he noticed.

"You don't need to worry; it will be fine. I'll pick you up here, and then we'll launch Operation Happy End."