Chapter 71
Rapidly, the silver-haired man raced through the bustling streets of Tokyo. His mind was still trying to grasp what he had just learned. If his assumption was correct and Minako was indeed Mrs. Chiba, then she was expecting a child. He began calculating meticulously; their last night together, which he remembered vividly, was about a year ago. If it were his child, theoretically it should have been born already, yet this strange feeling lingered, suggesting there was more to it. Because there was still that one evening in early June, where he was out with her. That evening of which he had so many missing memories.
Could it really be possible that it was his child? But why hadn't she spoken to him about it? He would have surely found a solution. And why had Chiba married her if it wasn't his child? It didn't make sense in his mind. If Minako had been involved with Chiba, he should have noticed. All these questions swirled in his head, but he found no satisfactory answers. He was almost in front of the Chiba residence when he abruptly hit the brakes. Standing in front of Chiba's door again in his current state was definitely not a good idea, especially since Mamoru wouldn't let him pass anyway. But he needed clarity. He had to know what game Minako was playing here.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. There was someone else who might provide him with answers. With a swing, he turned the steering wheel to execute a 180-degree turn. His foot pressed the gas pedal deeply, to reach his destination faster. With excessive speed, he sped through Tokyo's streets, only slowing down when the Tower came into view. He turned into the underground garage and left the car carelessly in front of the elevator as he jumped out. Proper parking was secondary to him right now. He dashed into the elevator and pressed the button with the number 30.
With the master key, he easily gained access to Seiya's apartment. It was absolutely quiet and dark, which was not surprising given the time of night. Yaten swiftly switched on the light and headed towards the back rooms with determination. He was pretty sure his brother wouldn't be thrilled, but Usagi was his only chance for answers at the moment. He didn't think further about potential consequences, pushed down the door handle, and was immediately met with the sound of his older brother's steady snoring. He easily found the light switch here too, turned it on, and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for a reaction.
The desired reaction didn't take long to come, as only a few moments later, both were sitting up in bed. When Usagi caught sight of Yaten, she reflexively pulled the blanket up to her chin, while Seiya weighed his next step and scrutinized his brother suspiciously.
"What's going on? Are there problems at the harbor? Is there more tampering with the documents than we originally thought?" Seiya asked skeptically, as it seemed plausible to him. He knew Yaten's employees were thorough, and he already feared having to digest the next piece of bad news.
Yaten had almost forgotten about the documents; they had simply slipped into the background after that revelation. With a smirk, he shook his head. "No, everything is fine at the harbor. As promised, everything has been sorted out, and you have nothing to worry about. Your books are so clean that you couldn't even find a speck of dust in them," he reassured the older brother.
Seiya's eyes narrowed to thin slits. "So what the hell were you doing in my bedroom in the middle of the night? Does this place look like a central meeting point for you guys? Isn't it enough that Haruka constantly barges in here as if it were her living room? Do you have to start with that too?" Seiya asked now clearly more annoyed.
The younger man's gaze swept across the room before he reached for a black bathrobe resting on the dresser to his right. He handed it to his blonde sister-in-law for her to put on. Her embarrassed body language indicated to him that she was feeling uncomfortable, and he hoped to provide her with some reassurance. "Serena, we need to talk. Now," he said earnestly, skillfully ignoring his brother's question.
Usagi hesitantly reached for the bathrobe, but Seiya intervened once again. "Yaten, it's the middle of the night! What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow morning?"
Yaten felt his self-control slipping away. He turned his head sharply, shooting Seiya a penetrating look but said nothing. Then he focused his attention back on Usagi. "Is Minako pregnant?" he pressed out the question that was burning like fire in his soul. Even though he was sure after the description that it couldn't be otherwise, he needed certainty, and he found it promptly in the blonde's shocked expression. Even without Usagi saying anything, he could easily read the answer from her face.
"It's true, isn't it?" he stated soberly, his hands clenched into fists.
"Where...? How do you know about it?" Usagi stammered, surprised. She had only spoken about it with Taiki and Seiya so far. Taiki knew exactly how important everything was, and she didn't believe he had called Yaten directly. That didn't seem like him. Seiya couldn't have told him either, as he had been with her the whole time after finding out about it. He hadn't had the opportunity. The only others she could think of who knew about it were Amy and Makoto, and she trusted them too. Makoto had even heard firsthand how important it was to Minako to keep this conversation confidential, and Amy was just Amy. Gossip and chatter weren't her interests. When it came to such matters, she always kept quiet.
Yaten pursed his lips and struggled for air. He tried to calm himself down through the steady deep breaths. But there was another question burning on his lips. "Who is the father of the child?" he continued to probe, once he was sure he had his emotions under control again. She was his sister-in-law; he couldn't afford to make mistakes with her, or else both Seiya and Taiki would give him hell, he kept reminding himself. Even though he was itching to interrogate her.
"I don't know," murmured Usagi, trying to meet his gaze.
"Don't lie to me. She must have told you, she has always wanted a sister to share her secrets with. So who is the father of Minako's baby?" he called out more urgently, approaching his sister-in-law. But he couldn't disguise the slight tremor in his voice. Then Seiya's hand shot forward, pushing Yaten back by the shoulder. "Calm down, for heaven's sake! If she says she doesn't know, then that's it. She just hasn't talked to Minako about it, and now calm down or even better go to sleep!"
Tense, Yaten clenched his teeth, and only reluctantly did he take a few steps back. Usagi had thrown on the bathrobe and stood up now. Compassionately, she placed her hand on Yaten's shoulder. "Yaten, I really don't know. You have to believe me. But since Minako has so vehemently avoided contact with you, I've also thought that maybe you...", she bit her lip to silence herself. She couldn't finish that sentence. "I promised her that you wouldn't find out about the pregnancy from me. So please tell me, how do you know?" Usagi now tried to extract information from him. But Yaten only had a weak grin for her, shaking his head as he turned away, and then the door fell shut behind him. He was stuck in a dead end. Somehow, he had to find a way out.
Usagi was about to chase after him, but Seiya grabbed her wrist and held her back. He could well imagine what Yaten was going through, as he was in the same boat. Not knowing who the father of the child was, the woman you loved carrying it under her heart, was anything but easy. "Yaten needs some time to process everything. He'll surely be in a better mood tomorrow or the day after. Give him his space; such a possible paternity would even knock him down," Seiya said, gently pulling Usagi towards the bed. "Come and lie down with me."
As often since her return to Tokyo, Minako was plagued by a sleepless night. Trying to lie sensibly was often problematic, and when she finally found a comfortable position, either her bladder would remind her of its presence, or the little inhabitant in her belly would start dancing. She quietly took out her phone and looked at old pictures. Pictures from a time when her life was still in order, pictures from a time when she still believed that everything would eventually be okay. She sniffled softly and wiped her damp cheeks dry. No, there was no going back to that time. She had to be strong now, for herself and for her unborn daughter. The little one should lead a better life than hers. She should not lack anything, she should be allowed to love whomever she wanted and make free decisions. That's what she had decided in that moment when she saw the two stripes on the test strip, and she was willing to leave everything behind for it.
A annoyed grumble made her look to the side.
"Mina, damn it, turn off your phone. It's the middle of the night, and I have a bunch of appointments tomorrow," grumbled Mamoru, turning to the other side and pulling the blanket higher to shield himself from the light.
At first, she set the phone aside and stared into the darkness. Eventually, however, she couldn't stand the silence anymore and decided that some fresh air would do her good. With one last look at the sleeping Mamoru, she left the bedroom. She was grateful to him for everything he had done for her, and also for what he was still willing to do. Carefully, she sneaked into the dressing room and chose warm but comfortable clothes. Since it was already dark outside, she skipped her mask and makeup. Instead, she chose a warm woolly hat to hide her hair, and a much too large winter jacket of Mamoru's, in which her baby bump had enough space. Then she slid the key into her pocket and put on her gloves.
Outside, it was icy cold, and she briefly considered whether this was really a good idea. But then she just shook her head and closed the front door behind her. She needed this moment for herself. Lost in thought, she walked through the dimly lit streets and pondered over everything. She didn't pay attention to her surroundings, she simply let her feet guide her. Minako had been walking for quite a while before she realized where she was. She had been on her way to their place. To her and Yaten's place. Her steps slowed until she finally stopped. Her heartbeat, on the other hand, accelerated, and she was unsure whether she wanted to continue this path. One part of her urged her to just turn back. After all, the spot on the bench would be empty anyway; what could he possibly be doing here. After all, he probably thought she was dead. Then she had to smile. No, he hadn't swallowed that trick. Everyone else, but not Yaten, she knew him too well, he definitely hadn't been fooled. Then there was the other side of her that almost pushed her to keep going. If nobody was there anyway, she had nothing to fear, said this tempting voice from the past.
Minako was torn, but eventually decided to continue walking the few meters to the lake. It wasn't far anymore, just a little bit through the forest, and then the shore would be in sight. Her thoughts whirled around, and her emotions were on a rollercoaster ride as she carefully walked through the forest. Numerous memories flashed before her inner eye, and she was once again fighting back tears. The cold winter wind rustled through the treetops, making the branches creak.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, and she felt a mixture of excitement and fear, but she didn't know why. For years, this place had been a refuge, but that was over now. So why were her steps leading her here now? Here, to this memorable place of her past? The answers seemed to be far away, as she followed her instinct and moved forward slowly.
When she reached the edge of the forest, she stopped dead in her tracks. In the dim light of the street lamp, she clearly recognized the silhouette of a person on the bench at the shore. She swallowed and quietly approached, always careful not to make any noise. It couldn't possibly be, she kept thinking. But then she was close enough to see it clearly. Panicked, she targeted the nearest tree and hid behind it. Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest. Yaten was unmistakably sitting right in front of her on the bench. Why was he here? Why was she here at all? How could she be so careless? The bark of the tree dug into her fingertips as she feverishly considered what to do next.
