Chapter 48
"Seiya, we're..." Haruka called as she entered the apartment but suddenly stopped when she stumbled over a trail of clothes. "What's going on? Why do you..." Michiru, following behind, peered past her and a mischievous grin spread across her face. "I think we should leave him alone. It looks like he has company. Let's go upstairs to Taiki and Serena. Seiya will surely join us once he's ready."
Haruka assertively pushed Michiru's hand off her shoulder. "Not happening! First, he whines to me for weeks about Serena, and on Christmas, when we have plans, he finds a consolation prize... I need to check this out."
Michiru just rolled her eyes. "Ruka, you could be a bit more discreet. Just be happy that he found someone."
"I'll be right back," Haruka called over her shoulder to her friend and disappeared into the hallway.
With a swift motion, Haruka swung open the bedroom door and flicked on the light switch. As she suspected, Seiya was in bed, and to his left, Haruka only spotted a blond tuft of hair. An annoyed grunt escaped Seiya as he reacted to the light. The woman, on the other hand, pulled the blanket over her head, revealing only her contours beneath the cover.
Haruka positioned herself in front of Seiya and pulled back the blanket. "Good morning, lazybones. I just wanted to let you know we're here. Chiru and I are waiting in the living room. Toss the woman out and come; we're about to head to Tai's."
Seiya rubbed his face with his hands, trying to get his bearings. Sleepily, he blinked at his best friend, attempting to comprehend her words. His hand wandered under the blanket to the left, and when he touched soft skin, he couldn't help but grin broadly. Slowly, he sat up. "Do you know you're extremely annoying right now, Ruka?"
Haruka grabbed one of his shirts from a chair and tossed it to him. "Still, you won't get rid of me. So, get dressed and come; we should've been upstairs ages ago." Haruka closed the door with a firm noise, making it clear to Seiya's acquaintance that she was unwelcome.
Laughing, Seiya threw himself back onto the pillow, pulled the blanket off Usagi, and wrapped his arms around her. "Good morning, my darling," he whispered to her and kissed her neck, moving downward.
Usagi giggled softly. "Seiya, not now. Haruka is in the living room. What if she comes in again?"
"I don't care. Maybe she'll finally learn the function of knocking." Seiya pulled himself closer to Usagi and kissed her passionately.
Usagi pushed Seiya slightly away. "It may not bother you, but it bothers me," she said, a light blush playing on her cheeks. Seiya relented and swung his legs out of bed. Then he threw on the shirt Haruka had thrown at him, grabbed a pair of boxers from the dresser, and picked out some pants from the closet. His gaze then lingered on Usagi, who still sat in bed, the blanket pulled up to her chin.
"What's wrong, sweetheart? First, you say we need to get up, and then you're the one still in bed," teased Seiya, leaning over to steal a kiss. "My clothes... I think they're all still in the living room. I have nothing to wear," she whispered shyly.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you don't need to wear anything," Seiya winked cheekily and received a light smack on the upper arm for it.
"Okay, okay. Here, take something of mine for now. When we're upstairs, you can change, and you can take some stuff down as well," he said, pulling out a pair of joggers and a sweater from his wardrobe. "You can go ahead if you like. I'll be right there," Usagi replied and slipped into his sweater.
She deeply breathed in Seiya's scent and indulged for a moment in thoughts of the previous night.
Seiya entered the living room, beaming, where Michiru and Haruka were already waiting for him. Michiru's curious gaze was smilingly fixed on him, but, as usual, she held back with her words, unlike Haruka. She leaned against the wall with arms crossed, awaiting his arrival. "Where's your acquaintance? You didn't introduce her to us."
With an amused head shake, he passed by his best friend and headed for the fridge. "Who is she?" Haruka probed further. "Don't always be so curious, Ruka. You'll find out soon enough," scolded Michiru, the aqua-haired woman.
"I have a right to know. After all, I'm the one who has to pick up the pieces when he gets his heart broken again," Haruka grumbled back, shooting a sharp look into the kitchen.
Seiya tried to tune out the two visitors with a broad grin and first grabbed a fresh coffee from the machine. Then he sat on the stool in front of the small counter. It took only a few seconds, and Haruka was already standing beside him.
"If you're making such a mystery out of it, you've probably gotten yourself into trouble again with this night. So, spill it. Who did you spend the night with?" "Um... that would be me," squeaked Usagi from the doorway, and suddenly all eyes were on her.
Haruka's hand shot up and smacked the back of Seiya's head. "Serena? Are you serious?! Don't you two care about your lives at all? And how did you even get her down here without Taiki noticing?" Haruka started her scolding.
Seiya stood up, took Usagi's hand, and demonstratively gave her a kiss on the lips. Haruka audibly gasped for air, but before she could continue, Seiya turned to her. "Not at all; he let her come with me."
Utter horror now played across Haruka's face as she was not yet informed about the events of the previous night. Seiya intertwined his fingers with Usagi's. "We'll go upstairs first, and then we'll explain everything to you. Yaten, that little fox, has even more planned."
All four of them entered the elevator together and went upstairs. It was rare for Haruka to be at a loss for words, but this was one of those moments. Her gaze kept shifting from Seiya to Usagi and back. Only when Michiru stepped into her line of sight did Haruka regain her attention. "Stop staring like that; it's rude," Michiru whispered in her ear.
Hand in hand, just as they had left the apartment yesterday, they returned today. Amy and Taiki were both sitting at the large dining table. Amy had her laptop open, working diligently on something, while Taiki stared at a notepad, chewing thoughtfully on the end of a pen.
"Oh, good, you're finally here. I've been thinking about all the things we need to consider. Without rules and agreements, this whole thing won't work," Taiki greeted his visitors.
Seiya took a step aside, giving his brother a clear view of Haruka. "I'm afraid we need to give her an update from yesterday first," Seiya said and sat down on the sofa, pulling Usagi into his arms. It was still uncomfortable and awkward for her to be lying in Seiya's arms in front of Taiki, but since Taiki didn't object, she relaxed a bit.
Taiki stood up, motioning for Haruka and Michiru to take a seat at the table. "Oh, you missed quite a bit yesterday. Yaten surprised us all. But before I begin, can I offer you something to drink?"
"Is coffee enough, or do I need something stronger after your information?" Haruka asked and received an elbow jab from her beloved.
"I'll make you a coffee first, and you can have something stronger when we're done," Taiki said and placed a cup under the machine. "Seiya, Chiru, Serena? What about you?" "Coff..." Seiya began, but when his gaze fell on Usagi, he changed his mind. "I think tea."
"Yes, tea is good," came from Usagi, and she glanced at Seiya. "I'll take one too," Michiru replied and took a seat next to Amy.
Once all the drinks were distributed, Taiki took a seat next to Amy, placed his hand on her thigh, and began to bring her up to date. When Taiki finally finished, Haruka just shook her head in disbelief. "So, you and the doctor?" Taiki nodded. "And Seiya and Serena." "Yeah... I already knew about those two... How many times have I endured his moods to distract him." Haruka hadn't finished speaking when a pillow hit her from behind. "I heard that; I thought you enjoyed doing that." "Quiet in the cheap seats when the adults are talking," Haruka called back, laughing. "Man, you had quite an exciting Christmas. Speaking of Yaten, where is he anyway?" "He arrived at the Black Moon last night... I think he was still there this morning."
"And where was I when he arrived?" "You were already asleep; I didn't want to wake you." "Yaten will be here soon; he just messaged," Seiya informed the others and placed his phone on the table.
"Now that everyone is on the same page, would you two also sit at the table? There's a lot to discuss if this is going to work," Taiki called to the couple on the couch. The two got up and joined the others.
With the group now complete, Taiki took out his notes to explain his considerations. "We have to maintain the impression that we're living together up here since cleaning staff might report to your father, Serena. Although everyone working here is handpicked by Yaten, we've seen what happened with Tellu. I think we shouldn't do anything thoughtless. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there's a thorough cleaning in the mornings. I believe it would be best if we spend the evenings together here in the apartment. Dishes, used bathrooms, messed-up beds, those are things that would be noticeable. You also need to bring up your dirty laundry," Taiki addressed her. "Seiya? When do you have cleaning?"
Seiya scratched his head. "Um... honestly, no idea. They just come, do their job, and then leave. I'm usually at the harbor office or on field assignments; I've never really paid attention."
With a slight headshake, Taiki sighed. "Please find out. It could be problematic if they encounter Serena in your apartment in her nightgown." "Until we know, I can just stay up here when Seiya is away," Usagi suggested, and Taiki nodded approvingly. "Alright, we'll do that for now. Amy and I will handle it similarly with my old apartment." Taiki's gaze shifted to Amy, and she smiled at him benevolently.
Taiki continued. "Tomorrow at lunch, when we're with Father, I'll announce the pregnancy. It's crucial that we present ourselves as a couple. Serena, do you think you can handle that? No one should suspect anything; ideally, we need to convince them that we may have even fallen in love."
Haruka smirked sarcastically. "This will be fun. You should ask your brother if he can control himself."
"I'll manage it. After all, I know what's at stake," he hissed back, then Usagi took his hand. "We'll make it, both of us," she said with conviction.
Taiki agreed, and he continued the discussion. "We all need to be aware that this is just the beginning. Father is just as dangerous and power-hungry as Kenji. If either of them finds out about the game we're playing here, we might as well start choosing our tombstones. I hope you all realize the gravity of the situation."
"I grew up under him too, already forgotten?" muttered the raven-haired man. "Man, you sure have a mood. And I thought it would be better after having good sex," Haruka whispered to Seiya. "It would be much better if you hadn't barged into my bedroom this morning, and we didn't have to have these conversations now."
"That's enough! Can we please focus on the important things? We can't afford any mistakes tomorrow," Taiki warned the two, redirecting their attention, and continued explaining the plans for the next day.
The tension in the air was palpable, and the stress reflected in the faces of those present. While going through the details of the plan, a sudden knock on the door interrupted the meeting. Yaten entered, and all eyes turned to him. Broadly grinning, he surveyed the group at the table. Taiki sat next to Amy, with some distance, as was his way. Seiya sat next to Usagi, their hands tightly clasped, shoulder to shoulder, gazing at each other like infatuated teenagers. Next to them were Haruka and Michiru, who already felt like an old married couple compared to the others.
"What did I miss?" Yaten casually asked, moving closer to the others. "Not much, we're currently discussing the approach for tomorrow, Father's dinner," Seiya informed him. "Oh, alright. Then we might as well inform Father about our vacation. Looking at you all, it seems you've figured everything out. That's why I booked tickets for Seiya, me, and Amy." His gaze then shifted to Haruka and Michiru. "And if you want, you're welcome to come too. Suna's chosen finca has more beds than we have friends."
Suddenly, Usagi's phone rang. She answered the call, and her expression changed. "Yes... Merry Christmas to you too, Makoto... Oh damn, I totally forgot... I'll come down right away, so it's not too late... see you in a bit."
Apologizing, she looked at the others. "I'm sorry; I completely forgot that we still wanted to distribute the bags for the needy. Is it okay if I leave now? Seiya can tell me later what else you discussed." "Of course, go. As I said, everything has to appear normal on the outside," Taiki said.
Usagi gave Seiya a quick kiss on the lips, said goodbye to everyone, and then turned to the door. Before Yaten, she stopped for a moment, pulled him into her arms, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. You have no idea what all of this means to me."