Chapter 76
Petzite hadn't exaggerated - the Elysium Elegance lived up to its name. As they pulled into the parking lot, a stunning sight unfolded before them. The restaurant sat serenely by a picturesque lake in one of Tokyo's outskirts, surrounded by lush greenery stretching to the horizon.
Usagi could vividly imagine how splendid this place must be in the summer; even in mid-January, the view was truly impressive. The entire building gleamed in bright splendor, and the path from the parking lot to the entrance was lined with small, round lamps, creating an almost magical atmosphere.
Usagi glanced at Taiki, and together they walked hand in hand towards the entrance, curious about what awaited them inside.
As the two entered through the heavy, ornate doors of the Elysium Elegance, they were immediately enveloped in a unique atmosphere. The interior exuded a timeless luxury, unmistakably indicating that this restaurant was meant for the affluent society. The decor was a masterful fusion of classic charm and modern design.
Tables were covered with fine cloth, adorned with elegant crockery and silverware. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft light over the guests, accentuating the exquisite details of the room.
The presence of the guests themselves also revealed the exclusive nature of the place. Only people with a certain income frequented this establishment; that much was clear at first glance.
Taiki's eyes swept across the room, and he immediately recognized some of his business associates sitting at one of the tables, engaged in lively conversations. With a polite nod and a warm smile, he greeted them.
The lady at the reception desk, a young woman with a professional yet warm demeanor, immediately recognized the couple and greeted them with a radiant smile. "Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Kou," she said in a pleasant voice. "We're delighted to have you here today. Please follow me; I have a lovely table overlooking the lake reserved for you."
With an elegant gesture, she invited them to follow her as she skillfully navigated through the bustling scenery of the restaurant. The eyes of some of the other guests followed them, and Usagi felt the curious gazes upon her as they walked through the room.
The lady led them to a beautiful table overlooking the lake, illuminated by the sparkling lights of the crystal chandeliers. A gentle touch of sophistication hung in the air as they sat down and received the menu that was handed to them.
Even before she had properly looked through the menu, Usagi noticed that Taiki wasn't quite present. Although his gaze was on the menu, it seemed almost vacant, as if something were weighing heavily on his mind.
"What's wrong?" she asked him directly, and finally, he looked up.
"Sorry, what did you say?" Taiki politely asked her to repeat her question. His thoughts were indeed preoccupied with the numerous problems ahead of him.
"Taiki, I can see clearly that something's not right. Your mind seems elsewhere. What's bothering you?"
He took a sip of his water, contemplating his next move carefully. "Serena, I think you should go back to Shingo with Amy. My gut tells me something's definitely off here; first, Minako's sudden appearance, and then there's your father... he's too quiet. You'll be safer with Setsuna, far enough away."
She grasped his hand, and he met her gaze. "No, my place is right here by your side and beside Seiya. Between you and my father. I won't hide from him anymore. Besides, next week marks the opening of the homeless shelter. I haven't worked on it for weeks just to be absent at the opening. Makoto is doing a good job too... I'm never alone when I'm outside the tower, and it'll stay that way. I promise."
Taiki's expression was serious, and he tried to understand his wife, but something deep inside him was unsettled. This premonition that something terrible was about to happen was growing stronger within him. "And what if he does try something, and then something happens to the children? You haven't quite passed the critical twelve weeks yet, and you were just in the hospital because of pain," he expressed further concerns, hoping she would reconsider.
Usagi gave him a warm smile in response. "I simply trust that everything will turn out fine. Some things we can't control; I learned that back on the streets. But speaking of which, the ultrasound appointment is the day after tomorrow. I've gone through all the documents we got from the doctor. Is there any additional test you'd like to have done?"
"I'm not sure, there are so many of them, and honestly, I haven't read the brochures. But how about that genetic analysis done through maternal blood? Amy mentioned it's very reliable and completely safe. That way, we'll be sure both are perfectly healthy..." he paused for a moment, "and besides, we'll know then whether to paint the nursery rooms blue or pink."
Usagi nodded. That suited her plans perfectly; she had also been considering this test, as it allowed for a paternity test as well, something Seiya had also advocated for. They needed to know for themselves who the fathers of the children were, and then they would have to decide on the next steps.
"Yes, that's good. I was going to suggest that to you too... When did you want to make the pregnancy public, by the way? If my suspicion is correct, this news will go through all the media again, won't it?"
Taiki pondered for a moment. "I think if everything is fine at the next checkup, we could announce it at the opening. There will be enough press there, or do you want the entire focus on the project? Then we can do it a little later. Such a press release is quickly issued, but in any case, I wouldn't wait too long. Because it would be good for us to solidify our relationship and keep Kenji's possible accusations minimal," he said.
Usagi reconsidered his words; he was right. Her father was suspiciously quiet, and she too had started to think that he might soon strike back, so they could indeed take some leeway from him.
"Let's wait for the results of the genetic test, and if everything is fine, the world can know," Usagi agreed.
The dinner proceeded in silence. Yaten and Kakashi exchanged skeptical glances occasionally, but neither father nor son reopened the conversation.
Before the meal, Kakashi tried to find out why Yaten had come all the way from Tokyo just to talk to his mother, but Yaten skillfully evaded his questions and instead questioned the origin of his injury. But Yaten didn't receive a clear answer either.
They both knew they were going around in circles, so they both chose silence. Only Hikari tried to bring some relaxation to the table through small talk. Finally, dinner was over, and Hikari smiled lovingly at everyone.
"So, my dear, come with me. Let's sit in the conservatory; it's cozier there," she said, getting up. Yaten couldn't leave the room fast enough, so he took the lead. Just before leaving the room, Hikari turned to Kakashi with a threatening look. "And don't you dare eavesdrop. This is a confidential conversation between mother and son."
Kakashi rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What do you take me for?" he asked with feigned indignation, but he couldn't fool his beloved. "That's precisely why I mentioned it," she reminded him again.
When they entered the conservatory a little later, Yaten was casually seated on the small couch, already lighting a cigarette. Hikari ignored the cloud of smoke, which she would usually address, as her youngest still looked very agitated. She took a seat across from him and patiently waited to see if he would break his silence on his own. But after a few minutes had passed, she spoke up.
"So, what's wrong?" she asked empathetically, scooting a little closer to him. She knew him well enough to know that he needed patience right now, as Yaten found it difficult to talk about his feelings, quite unlike Seiya, who would just blurt out everything.
Yaten's mind was still swirling with all the information. Last time he sat here was on the day of Minako's death notice, in a similar state, and now suddenly everything was different. He brushed a strand of hair back behind his ear and took another deep drag.
"If only I knew where to start..." he pondered aloud, leaning back. He closed his eyes and recalled the image of Minako, standing before him, his hand on her belly, as he realized that it was his child growing inside her.
"It's okay, just tell me what's weighing on you. Sometimes it helps to speak your thoughts out loud," Hikari said, but she already suspected that it was something significant she was about to hear.
"You're going to be a grandmother," Yaten said after another moment of silence.
Hikari smiled. "I've known that for a long time. Serena and Taiki told us at Christmas..." then she stopped, as if suddenly having an epiphany. "Or do you mean from you?"
He nodded and sat up to stub out his cigarette. His mother's eyes, both surprised and delighted, practically beamed at him. "That's wonderful news," she said, changing her seat. She now sat next to him, placing her hand on his knee, as she sensed there was more. Hikari now tried to temper her joy a bit. She carefully considered how to proceed because the troubled expression on his face was unmistakable.
"Yaten, darling. Do you want to tell me more? ... for example, who the mother is?" she asked cautiously.
Yaten's gaze wandered through the large glass front to the dark garden outside. "Minako," he replied absentmindedly.
Hikari was momentarily paralyzed when she heard the name. "But, Minako is..." she began.
Yaten stood up and paced back and forth a bit, but then everything burst out of him. "No. No, she's not. Damn it! She faked her own death and then ran off to New York to marry Mamoru Chiba!" With each word, he grew louder. Hikari also rose now and took a few steps toward Yaten. His hands were clenched into fists, and tears welled up in his eyes. "She just ran off, without a word, and if it hadn't been for Rei, I wouldn't have known until now that it's my child she's carrying. My daughter, who will be born soon, but none of it matters because she's married to Chiba. He'll automatically be listed as the father in her life, without ever consulting me about what I even want!" His voice trembled with emotions, and he struggled not to completely lose his composure.
Hikari wasted no time and pulled him into a tight embrace. Comfortingly, she stroked his back, just trying to provide support. They stood together, arm in arm, until Yaten eventually freed himself from his mother's embrace.
Her hand still rested on his shoulder, and she gently caught his gaze. "Have you already had a calm conversation with her about everything? Perhaps there's a simple explanation for her behavior."
With a slight pressure, he pushed Hikari's hand aside and then moved closer to the window. "No... Why should I? For her, the matter is clear. Chiba is her husband, so he will automatically be registered as the father, which means I have no rights or say in any decisions regarding my daughter's life. I can only watch from the sidelines."
He felt that his mother stood behind him, but he didn't dare to turn around. "But you see for yourself that you're making a mistake here, don't you?" she asked him with a provocative undertone in her voice.
Yaten didn't know where this sudden anger came from, but he felt it rising within him again. "Well, I think you're here because you wanted to hear my advice, and you're going to get it now. You're going to go upstairs to your room and lie down. Tomorrow after breakfast, you'll get your car keys back, and then you'll drive to the Chiba villa and listen to what Minako has to say to you. No one makes the decision to fake their own death lightly. Consider what kind of situation that poor girl must have been in to resort to such drastic measures. She was supposed to be sold off to your brother like a piece of livestock; I've desperately tried to make your father understand that this approach is wrong, and then she suddenly finds out she's pregnant. With you, her ex-boyfriend, her future husband's brother, and that, even though the future marriage contract requires her to be a virgin. Don't take it personally, my dear, but I can also understand her to some extent. How could she tell you something like this when she knew exactly how impulsive you can sometimes be? Besides, you've never made a secret of the fact that marriage and children were never an option for you. She was all alone and had to figure out what to do... or is it possible that your views on this subject have changed? If so, she should hear it from you too. Think tonight about what you want and what you don't want. If you want to be there for your daughter, you'll have to fight for her, and if you still believe that you're unsuitable for a family of your own, then take pleasure in the fact that she'll hopefully grow up in a happy family with lots of love. But the most important thing is that you listen to Minako and tell her exactly what's on your mind. I know it's just as difficult for you as it was for your father, but he managed to talk openly with me back then, and that's why I'm still with him... and you'll make the right decision too. I'm sure of it."
Yaten kept his gaze fixed on the starry sky, absorbing his mother's words. A part of him knew she was right, but another part of him would have preferred to smash everything in the room just to feel better and express his emotions. He couldn't afford to do that here, though; he would have to go to his basement for that, where it wouldn't matter what he smashed, but Hikari would never allow him to go there now.
He heard her footsteps receding. "I'm going to bed now; turn off the light when you go upstairs. See you tomorrow," her gentle voice whispered, and the door closed behind her.