Chapter 80

Slightly tense, Usagi and Taiki sat next to each other in the waiting room, waiting to be called into Dr. Tanaka's treatment room. Eventually, Usagi couldn't stand the oppressive silence any longer.

"It was quite surprising this morning. I don't think any of us saw that coming with Yaten, did we?" she asked, smiling, and glanced sideways at Taiki.

His lips curved into a smile as well. "Indeed. Yaten is always good for a surprise. I just really hope for Minako's sake that he has thought this through carefully this time. A child is a lot of responsibility, and he can't just hand it off because it gets too tough for him. Yaten has a knack for avoiding unpleasant things, and I'm afraid he's grossly underestimating fatherhood. It's not just about raising the child once it's here. There are so many other things to consider. It needs to be financially secure in case something happens to the parents, and precautions need to be taken to ensure its safety. It needs a good education and a stable environment."

Usagi's eyes widened as she listened to Taiki's explanations. She hadn't thought about such things before. For her, the most important thing had been that the baby was doing well.

"Um... Taiki, if you're already thinking about these things, have you already implemented any of them?" she asked curiously now.

"Of course," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "If something were to happen to us, the two of them are definitely financially secure, without anyone else being able to access the money. All the necessary powers of attorney are also prepared. We just need to fill in the names and birthdates. But we still need to discuss precisely who they should grow up with if such a situation were to arise. So far, I had thought of Seiya, since Ruka and Chiru would then also keep an eye on them, but since this morning, I'm not so sure anymore. After all, Minako is your sister and is having a child herself. That means she at least knows what she's doing..." He paused in his monologue and looked expectantly at Usagi.

The blonde swallowed hard and reconsidered his words. Through her own painful experience, she knew all too well that Taiki was right. If Ikuko had left something like that behind, she and her siblings would have been spared many things. But she didn't want to rush into anything until she knew for sure who the father of her children was.

"I... I'm not sure. I honestly haven't thought about something like that yet, and if we're going to decide something so important, we should really be sure," she murmured softly.

Taiki nodded in agreement, and then finally the receptionist came and led them into the familiar treatment room.

Dr. Tanaka greeted them warmly, beginning by asking about any complaints and how Usagi had been feeling so far. Hesitantly, the blonde told her that she had been in the hospital with pain a few weeks ago, but there had been no further incidents since then.

"Well then, let's take a look at the two of them first. That must have been a shock for you. Once you see the little ones on the screen, you automatically feel relieved. If you'd like, we can try it through the abdomen today as well. It's usually more comfortable, especially when the partner is present."

Gratefully, Usagi nodded and lay down on the examination table. When the cool gel touched her stomach, she involuntarily flinched, but in the next moment, her heart skipped a beat. The doctor didn't need to explain anything because it was quite clear: there was a little human being on the ultrasound image. That was her baby, and then the familiar sound of the heartbeat reached her ears.

"Well, as you can hear for yourself, the first one is already lively. We're already at a size of about 5 cm here, and everything seems to be there at first glance," she said as she moved the ultrasound wand over Usagi's stomach. The second one was much more active than its sibling. It almost looked like it was bouncing up and down, and here too, the heartbeat sounded shortly afterward.

"So, this one is definitely very active. But it's a bit smaller, probably about 4 - 4.5 cm... and again, everything seems to be fine at first glance. If I may ask, have you decided anything? Would you like to have any additional tests done or do you have any questions about it?" she asked the two of them and handed Usagi a paper towel to clean up.

"Well, on the advice of a family friend, we would actually like to have this genetic analysis done. It's supposed to be very accurate and safe," said Taiki, accompanying Usagi and the doctor back to the desk.

A queasy feeling crept over Usagi; she knew it was up to her to provide clarity. "Yes, that's actually the one I prefer to recommend as well, simply because it's very precise and poses hardly any risk to the mother or the child." Her gaze shifted to Usagi. "Are you also in agreement?"

"Yes, of course," she murmured, still feeling slightly unsure about how to explain her intentions. "Very well. Then you can take a seat at the front with the lab. I'll fill out and prepare everything so far," said the doctor, gesturing kindly to the door. Then she pulled out a stack of papers and began filling something out there.

Usagi knew she had to act now. If she waited any longer, she would never be able to bring herself to ask the question. She clenched her trembling hands into fists, then turned to Taiki. "Would you give me a brief moment alone with Dr. Tanaka? I'd like to ask her something private," she forced herself to make her request. He seemed somewhat surprised but just nodded. "Sure. I'll wait for you in the waiting room." Then he closed the door behind him.

Expectantly, Dr. Tanaka looked at Usagi. "What is it that you need to speak to me about?" Usagi swallowed. Her hand was already in her pocket, tightly clutching the small vial containing Seiya's sample, and the corners of the consent form dangled between her fingers. "Dr. Tanaka, you have confidentiality, right? Everything we discuss in this room stays between us, doesn't it?" Usagi began, her voice trembling slightly.

The doctor folded her hands together and looked understandingly at her. "Of course, Mrs. Kou. You can speak openly here. So, what can I do for you?" Usagi's nerves were like a tightrope, but there was no other way. She had to do it now, for herself and for Seiya. They both needed certainty.

With trembling hands, she pulled the vial out of her pocket and placed it on the desk in front of her. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. "Dr. Tanaka, I would like to have a paternity test done. It's only to confirm or exclude that this man might be the father of the children... and all of this without my husband being informed. I already have a sample of the potential father and the consent form for the test here," she said, sounding calmer than she actually was.

Dr. Tanaka scrutinized her carefully. Silently, she pulled the vial and the papers towards herself. She unfolded the paper and quickly scanned the lines. Anxiously, Usagi fidgeted with her index finger, praying impatiently for the doctor to finally respond.

Then Dr. Tanaka lifted her gaze. "That's an unusual request, Mrs. Kou. Normally, both possible fathers are informed, and to get a more accurate result, samples from both possible fathers are submitted... Such a situation, where only one paternity is to be excluded, is rare... I believe I need to discuss this with the lab first, to see if it's legally possible."

Usagi now put on a serious expression. For the past few days, she had hardly thought about anything else. "Yes, it is. I've researched everything thoroughly," she began, her voice calm, but her insides were boiling with excitement and uncertainty. "There are indeed some labs that reject this procedure and only accept two samples, with all three parties having to sign. But there are also many that carry out the test exactly as we wish."

She paused briefly as her hand reached into her pocket again. She admonished herself to be professional, even though she felt completely uncertain. What she had to do now went against her instincts, but Seiya and Ruka had advised her to do so. They had explained that a little money often made others more willing to comply with such demands, and that she wouldn't harm anyone by doing so. Besides, she was a Kou now, and thus belonged to Tokyo's elite. She would get her way, both of them had told her repeatedly.

Internally, she was completely agitated, but she now pushed the envelope with a certain authority towards the doctor. "I think that should be enough to get everything started. The name and address to which the results should be sent are noted on the last sheet."

Dr. Tanaka opened the envelope and looked with wide eyes at the banknotes inside. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and the tense atmosphere between the two women reached a dangerous point. Then the doctor opened a drawer and slid the envelope inside. "Of course, Mrs. Kou. I will address your issue. Rest assured, it will be treated with the utmost discretion. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Usagi got up relieved. She had never bribed anyone before. Until a few days ago, she would probably have thought anyone crazy for even considering such a thing, and now she had done it herself. But she knew she was doing it for an important matter, for Seiya. "No, thank you very much. I appreciate your efforts. We'll see each other in a few weeks for the next appointment."

In a way, Usagi now felt shabby for resorting to such means, but she knew what she had done it for. For her future, for her future with Seiya. Even though he said it wouldn't change anything, she was sure it meant more to him than he admitted. Lost in thought, she first went to the lab and then to the waiting room to check on Taiki.

"Serena? Is everything okay? You're so pale," Taiki asked worriedly when he saw her. Abruptly, her head snapped up. "Yes, yes. Don't worry about me. I'm just tired, and I don't like needles... Would you mind taking me home directly?" "No, of course not. Is Seiya at least home? If you're not feeling well, you shouldn't be alone," he asked concerned. "I think so."

Seiya scrutinized Yaten intently; they were alone. Minako had bid farewell, as she wanted to attend to the condition of their apartment. So, the two brothers sat silently at the table. However, Seiya's skeptical gaze couldn't dampen Yaten's good mood that had filled him since yesterday.

"So, Minako... once again. Damn it, Yaten, how many times have you two tried this, only for it to fall apart again? You can barely hold it together for a few months, and then you're at each other's throats again, except now there's a child between you," Seiya broke the silence.

"That's just how we are. In the end, all that matters is that we keep coming back together... and you can't deny that," Yaten replied casually.

"True, but with a child, everything will change again..." Seiya said tensely. There was something about Yaten's indifferent demeanor that irked him. He wanted to make his brother understand the seriousness of the situation.

Suddenly, a phone began to ring. Yaten reflexively pulled his out of his pocket. "Not mine for once," he said casually.

But Seiya immediately recognized from the ringtone that it must be an emergency. He quickly leapt over the couch and grabbed his own phone, which had slipped out of his pocket before breakfast. It was his logistics master.

"Yes, what's up? ... Trinitrotoluene? What is that?" he whispered impatiently into the receiver.

Yaten's eyes widened suddenly upon hearing the word. With two large strides, he was next to his brother, snatching the phone excitedly from him.

"Where and in what quantity?" the silver-haired one demanded the crucial information while his brother still pondered the meaning. Yaten pulled out a piece of paper and made a few notes.

"Seal off Tokyo completely, no matter what - by land, sea, or air. Nothing comes in or out until we know who the recipient is and if there's more on the way," he issued brief instructions and ended the call.

"Seiya, Trinitrotoluene is TNT. You really should have paid more attention in chemistry class. Someone here is planning to build a huge bomb. Luckily, your people opened the container because there was a paperwork error, and they needed to verify the contents... I'll send my birds out. Someone will surely know something about it. You go to the harbor and handle things on-site. I have a suspicion about who this delivery might belong to, but that's no good without evidence," the younger one shouted and was already out the door.