"Aika?" Kiryu frowned when he found himself alone in the bed. He was up, but found her already returning to him rather swiftly. He noticed that only the soft lights were on, and he began to worry over where she was.
"Sorry. I had to use the bathroom," she smiled. He studied her and felt that something was off about her demeanor. She rushed back to me. Something's wrong. I can feel it...
"Ah. What time is it?" he blinked at the digital clock. "Five in the morning? Okay. And...hmm. Something feels...off. I don't think you didn't just go to the bathroom..."
"I did..." she said. Then she looked away a touch nervously.
"What are you not telling me?" he asked.
"I..." she winced.
"Aika?"
"I threw up..."
"What?! You got sick?!" he blinked and sat up. Then he paused and took a step back to calm down. "Okay. You got sick. When did this happen?"
"Ten minutes ago..."
"How did it start?"
"I just...I woke up and felt queasy. And my belly was hurting a bit...with that hard rock sensation. It's still there...but..."
"You're pregnant!"
"I don't know! It could have been something I ate!"
"Is there a test here?"
"No."
"Can we get one now?"
"Kazuma! Nothing will show up until next week! I need to see if I get a period, too! It's not time yet."
"The hospital. We're getting you checked there."
"Stop it..."
"No. Not this time. When I go in, I'm telling them of your possible condition. We'll see what they say," he smiled. She rolled her eyes and sighed. He still watched her intensely and noticed that she was still suffering. "Aika. Please tell me what's wrong?"
"I just...I don't know what to do..."
"About what?" he asked and pulled her into his lap.
"I just got sick! Now I'm hungry. I don't know if I can eat. I don't know if I'll get sick again. I don't even know if I can go back to sleep! I mean, what can I do if I can't-" she started to ramble. He stopped her with a small touch to her lips.
"I'll cook up something for you right now," he said. "I'm wide awake. Let's do something about this."
"I don't know..." she swallowed.
"Did you rinse out your mouth?"
"I did."
"Did you see anything before you flushed?"
"I...didn't flush yet...because you woke up. I was just at a loss and couldn't move after it happened..."
"Let's check," he said and gathered her up in his arms. He set her down on the bathroom counter and looked into the toilet. "Okay. Not really seeing anything. No blood. Good. We'll flush this down. Next step! Kitchen!"
"Okay..." she sighed and let him carry her to a chair.
"I think egg fried rice may be light enough to help you. Nothing more," he muttered on getting rice out of the cooker. He pulled out a couple eggs and started up the stove. She was too tired and exhausted to pay much attention right now. He knew this was her first time going through this. I have to stay calm and focused for her. Maybe I can research a few things with her, too, to help her out.
"This is a side of myself that is foreign to me," she whispered out. He glanced at her and gave a small nod of understanding. "I had no female role models to guide me. As much as I know I could reach out to others now..."
"We don't really know them. I know. We'll read up on this to see what others have gone through. There have to be others out there that are going through the same things you are now. Everyone is different, but also similar. You think?"
"You would think so, huh?"
"Right. So, I'll feed you. I'll make sure you feel better. Then we'll both sit down and do some online reading. I think we should invest in getting a tablet. I don't think we have one yet. We can shop online for one," he smiled at her. His smile faded at her frown. "Aika? What's wrong? Can you try and explain it?"
"I think...I got sick from all the stress," she admitted.
"Hmm. That's a big possibility," he thought aloud and finished off the egg fried rice to start plating it. "I'll need to do a bit more to keep you calm..."
"I just...I'm not used to that form of stress. I can handle stress from fear. Anxiety. Not knowing what will happen day to day. This is stress on a whole new level now. Dealing with strangers who should be family. Weeding out lies from truth with cold, hard evidence. Then it's dealing with the grief of others when they realized that they were wrong. I can't process that."
"I know what it is. It's because you were always told you were wrong. And now you are being told you were right."
"Yes! That's it exactly!"
"You're not used to actually getting through to someone."
"I'm not."
"Well, you definitely got through to me."
"I know that. Even when we first met...I knew I got through to you. It was just trying to get back to you."
"Yeah."
"It's just...I'm trying to wrap my head around it. That I was right. I had every reason to be angry. To point out the faults. No one could say anything. Because I was right!"
"Well you are wrong about one thing."
"And what's that?" she asked with a small frown.
"Bubble bath liquid is best in small measures!" he said to get her to finally laugh hard. "You don't dump over half of the container into a tub! And then you didn't check to ensure all of the jets were pointed down!"
"They all looked the same!" she said while dying with laughter.
"No excuse!" he said and found himself grinning at her snickering form. Then he decided to continue it, "And giving me a set of boobs was totally uncalled for! That was almost taking it too far."
"Oh, come on..." she rolled her eyes.
"You are the woman. Not me," he said and managed to sit next to her with their plates of food. "I will never be able to forget about that. So, the next bathtub with jets we come to, I will pour the bubble bath. And I won't fall asleep until you do first. We'll leave it at that."
"If you say so," she sighed and started to eat.
"I do," he nodded. He blinked at the sound of his phone buzzing in the bedroom and he frowned. "Who is calling me?"
"Better check if it's one of the kids," she said. He nodded and got up to bring his phone over. He glanced at who it was while sitting back down.
"Daigo...?" he muttered and answered it. "Hey."
"Kiryu! We need you at the Geomijul headquarters!" Daigo said.
"Saiki got very sick from all the stress. We really shouldn't go out at all. What's going on?" he asked.
"It's Ebina. He's trying to make changes and seems to be pissing off Seonhee. As much as what he wants do makes sense, Seonhee is getting mad that he's ignoring what she's trying to tell him," Daigo sighed. "She's the leader of the Geomijul, the men know this and they have been trying to warn him to no end. She's starting to make threats on getting ready to kill him."
"You tell this to Ebina. All decisions go through me. Remind him that he's working for me of his own choosing. If he doesn't want to go through me, then he backs the fuck down. Because if I have to go over there to talk to him, I won't just use words. He'll be getting stitched back up. Tell this to him now," Saiki said sternly. "And make sure Seonhee hears this, too."
"I can definitely tell him that," Daigo said with a small chuckle and was heard putting the phone down. Kiryu set his phone to speaker, set it down and waited patiently for the resulting answer. The phone was picked up on Daigo's side and he said, "Ebina is going to listen to Seonhee and mildly suggest things to her. And he will back down if she says no."
"Good. Once again, he's trainable. Because he would have had to have been stitched up if I had to confront him," Saiki muttered out. "I'm likely going back to bed soon. Was there any other news?"
"Not really. Ugajin, Kasuga, Chi-chan and Sa-chan will be driving back later in the morning. And, eh...Ugajin said that he may not be at the Geomijul headquarters very much. He and Chi-chan are likely going further in their relationship. We'll still have the room on standby, but he informed us of this," Daigo said with a soft laugh.
"Good. Nothing wrong with that. I want him to keep enjoying life," Saiki chuckled at that fondly. The call disconnected, and she leaned into her husband. Then she yawned greatly and sighed when he wrapped his arms around her.
"You should eat," he muttered.
"I know..." she said drowsily.
"I don't think you ever got much sleep. Did you?"
"Not really. Not until I started to sleep with you."
"Yeah. You really should eat. You'll feel better. And even if you do fall asleep, I'll likely check a few things out on the television until I fall asleep with you," he chuckled. When he didn't get a response, he glanced at her and found her asleep against him. He smiled softly and carefully lifted her to hold her in his lap. Then he was able to carry her to the couch to recline on it with her.
He took up the remote and began to scroll through the channels. He ran a hand through a lock of her hair and gave a gentle smile on glancing at her again. She's so brave. And so tired. I love her so much. She needs the rest now. More than ever.
A kiss was pressed to her forehead, and all he could do was gaze at her with silent wonder that she was his wife. His gaze became complete concern when she started to shake and whimper. "Aika! Darling! What's wrong?!"
"K-Kazuma...!" she gasped awake and clung to him. "Okay...I'm okay. Just a...bad dream..."
"Bad dream?" he frowned heavily. "Calm down. Tell me what it was about. Just know that I'm right here."
"He wasn't dead..." she shivered.
"You dreamt of him. I see," he narrowed his eyes and grimaced.
"I just couldn't kill him. By the time I was ready to, he had you with a gun to your head. I was just about ready to rush at him when you woke me up," she swallowed. "That fucker...!"
"I know," he muttered and kissed her gently. "It was a dream. I'm with you. You're with me. His body is getting burned up over and over again. I'm going to give you a little trick to try the next time it happens."
"I'm listening."
"If you know you're dreaming, think of holding a ball. Or a weapon that you know of that can signal you're dreaming. That may help snap you alert and turn things into your favor," he smiled. She blinked at that with a small nod.
"Yes. I'll have to try that," she smiled softly. When she went quiet, he nudged her gently. "I'm...afraid...to fall asleep now..."
"Hush..." he soothed.
"That monster...he terrorized me...my whole life...!" she grimaced.
"And you overpowered him in the end. You knew you had to wait. You got smarter behind his back. You proved to yourself that you had what it took to survive. And you grabbed your chance at freedom the moment he let you out," he said in a stern, yet gentle tone. "I have never been so amazed or in love with anyone in my life. No longer are you alone in your struggles."
"I almost did get free," she whispered. "Now that I think about it."
"Tell me?"
"He had dragged me to the office of a patriarch. I don't...remember the name. But it was after my back had healed. I quickly said I never wanted the tattoo and it was forced. Dog Catcher quickly growled at me to shut up. Then he convinced the man that I was only talking out of turn.
"I was ready to kill him. I was ready to bring out the scythe and fuck him up right there. Then I said something that should have aroused suspicion. I said I should have gotten paid for the job. Dog Catcher said the check was cleared. I said I never saw it and should see it. Then the patriarch asked why I haven't seen the check. That had Dog Catcher say that all payments went through him to ensure I had what I needed.
"Then I asked if my pay was being stolen. Dog Catcher said it was time to go. The patriarch had him wait, though. To make sure nothing fishy was going on. I actually did ask...if another could watch over me. Dog Catcher was livid at this, but the patriarch said that Dog Catcher already spent this much time with me. That he was unsure if another could take the job. Only after ensuring that nothing was wrong with my bank account did he have me leave with Dog Catcher.
"As much as Dog Catcher wanted to beat me, he didn't dare. He knew I'd just kill him and say that he struck me. That I fought back in self-defense. He said absolutely nothing on leading me back to my underground room with others. And I think that's why he didn't say anything to me. Later, though, he did come back down. He did try to chew me out. He was going to say something, but I tossed a dart to land right next to his head. He shut up and left right after that."
"Why didn't you kill him?"
"I had no plans on what to do next. This was before the internet. Before I knew any of that. I only learned about it from another mission. I watched my target use a computer. Chat with others. I saw the phone brought out and used. That made me realize...there was more to learn. He was so adamant to keep me stupid! I told you I had to practically beg for the services. But when it came to meet up with the patriarch again, I said I wanted a phone and internet services.
"Dog Catcher was livid and said there was no need. But...the patriarch said to give it over. That if it wasn't done, then he would be investigated. I wanted to say so much more! I should have. But I needed to know of my own safety first. Because I already knew that if it was asked who I would have wanted to watch over me next...I would have said the Dragon of Dojima. If it was ever asked...I was prepared to say that without a second thought."
"And I would have gladly taken you in. Likely defended you and stepped in front of anyone that tried to get at you from there. And I would have demanded for all of the keys to your home that Dog Catcher had. Damn..."
"Yes," she nodded.
"Regardless. We won. We are together. He lost."
"Yes..." she said again in a softer tone.
"And everyone knows...that you...are mine..." he growled and kissed her heavily. "And I...am yours..."
"All mine?" she asked and gasped at his hungry mouth.
"Completely..." he muttered thickly and pulled her close right there on the couch. He had her crying out with everything he did to her until he finished it off with his own intense shout. All he could do was hold her tight until all of the sensations passed. Only then was he able to recline with her again on the couch with a small groan. He felt her run a hand over his chest with a sigh.
"Not tapped out anymore?" she mused.
"With you? Never..." he grinned lightly. "As long as...in the privacy of our own home. Or room..."
"I see. I was wondering about that."
"Yeah..." he grunted out and closed his eyes. She snuggled into him with complete contentment with a happy sigh. She closed her eyes now that she felt safe and secure in his arms.
"I love you..." she whispered.
"I...love you...too..." he mumbled out before sleep finally claimed them both. It was when the lights came on three hours later that he woke up. She was still sleeping deeply against his chest, and he made no move to wake her up. He did remember that they had food that wasn't fully eaten. He sighed at that, but his concern went to her again. I'm having the hospital check her condition. I have to know what's going on with her.
He turned his head to see that the television was still on. Picking up the remote, he scrolled through some channels before pausing at something that looked familiar. He realized it was a live broadcast of a news station, and it was right inside the Tojo land area where the building was destroyed. And he knew that none were to trespass on the grounds from signs being posted all over.
"The hell...?" he muttered and realized they were going over what happened with the Tojo Clan. Then he heard the reporter say it was possible for the Clan to come back. "No..."
"Kazuma?" she frowned and looked over. Her eyes widened with shock. "Are they out there right now?!"
"Yes."
"They are on private land. I am suing for trespassing, and I'm going to give them the message directly!"
"Aika!" he muttered.
"I don't care, Kazuma! This is our home and they are trespassing! We had signs up, too! Didn't we?" she asked.
"We did," he nodded.
"Good. You might see me on television!" she grinned. "Five minutes."
"You are not going up there alone," he growled and got up with her. They quickly dressed with him in his custom suit and her in her red cardigan, black lace halter top and black pants. Her jewelry was put back on, and they were soon leaving through the elevator. He did grab his phone and a set of sunglasses to hide most of his face. They moved swiftly through the back way of the Tojo property and were quick to walk up to the reporter.
"Hello. You're on private property. I bought this land. An orphanage is to be built here. What are you doing here?" Saiki asked the male reporter.
"Ah...well..." the man floundered. The cameraman focused on her now, and he found himself shaking at the rage she was giving off.
"There are signs put up everywhere for no trespassing. I know your news station now. Expect a legal document for being sued!" she growled. "And I have the license plate of your news van!"
"I was just investigating the area!" the man said back quickly.
"Bullshit! I was watching your television station!" she snapped at him. "You were going to spread a lie that the Tojo Clan was planning to come back! Absolutely disgusting!"
"Oh..." the man paused. "And...you are...?"
"Not your fucking concern except that I am the owner of this land and you are not allowed to step foot here. Get out of here! Before I call the police to have you removed!" she growled. Kiryu was standing behind her calmly and already calling Seonhee. He knew that she would know who to contact, and then he called his friend, Makoto, to tell him of the situation.
"I have an officer driving over now. I did drive by now and then to check on the place. The signs are clearly seen for no trespassing. Hmm. Oh. It's even on the camera footage if I scroll back. I'll clip that if you didn't," Makoto advised.
"Good. We have a building crew stopping by today to start leveling the land out. We want to start building. And we'll need to enforce no trespassing," Kiryu sighed. Then he watched his wife getting even further pissed off that the reporter wasn't leaving. At the sight of the police car, though, that got the man to change his mind. Even more was when Seonhee showed up with Joongi and several of her men to help back Saiki up.
"Please move along," the officer said to the reporter. "If you don't, I will arrest you and take you in."
"We'll be back!" the man vowed after the camera was shut down.
"I'm sure you will. And I'll be sending back your head to your boss in a box," Saiki grinned wickedly. That got the reporter to pause. "I don't give a fuck about your life. You intrude on my life again, you lose yours. And this is not a threat. It's a final warning."
"Oh, please, lady! I've been threatened many times with-!" he started and found an acupuncture needle suddenly embedded in the camera lens to fully render it useless. Now he realized that she wasn't joking at all.
"That's you next time. Beat it!" she spat. He needed no further convincing after that. The officer paused at this, but Seonhee was already walking over to explain what was going on.
"As long as no one gets killed or harmed. Please call us before such a thing happens," the officer said. Joongi was walking around the area to ensure the signs were not tampered with. Then he looked over to see a blond youth with friends running over with camera phones.
"Ugh. These guys again..." Joongi grimaced.
"Excuse me. You are not to trespass here. Please go before you all are arrested," the officer said. He was still there and was on the radio with Makoto to show something was still not right.
"The little fucking cockroaches came back..." Saiki grinned.
"Great..." Kiryu grimaced.
"We'll handle them. You get her out of here," Seonhee frowned.
"Dude..." one of the young men warned on seeing Saiki standing there.
"That's the one...that broke our phones!" another one hesitated.
"I'm not letting my phone get broken again! I had to beg my parents to help me get another one! No way!" a third one said.
"Oh, come on!" the blond youth growled.
"You have new toys. Want them broken?" Saiki grinned.
"We are gonna find out who you are!" the blond youth vowed.
"And then what? Follow me around like I'm your mommy and you're begging for a treat?" she asked. Seonhee coughed and hid her laugh.
"Hmm..." Kiryu frowned and was quick to let Saiki jump into his arms.
"What do you think we should do?" she asked him.
"Not much with an officer here," Kiryu muttered in her ear. "Best to leave things to him. Play it safe."
"Okay," she nodded.
"Besides, they are now on private property," Kiryu said with a small grin.
"That they are..." Saiki mused and saw another police car drive up.
"Apprehend them!" the new officer said.
"No!" the blond youth gaped and started to run off. Seonhee tripped him and let him get caught by the officers. "I can't go to jail!"
"Tell it to the judge and why you were trespassing," the officer snorted and pushed him into the back of the car.
"We need to finish eating. We'll meet up at the hospital around 11:00," Kiryu said to Seonhee.
"Good. Meet you there," she nodded. Kiryu and Saiki moved back into their underground home to lightly reheat and finish off their meal from earlier in the morning. With that happening, Ugajin found himself waking up in the bed he had fallen asleep in from the luxurious Tokyo hotel.
"That was...rather restful..." he mused. Then he glanced over and paused at Chi-chan's nude form pressed against him in sleep. "Ah. That's right."
"Hmm?" she blinked and stretched against him.
"I had...mildly forgotten that we slept in the same bed," he chuckled.
"True. I mean...you did let me win the wrestling match," she grinned. He laughed at that and growled when she moved on top of him. "Do I get an encore performance? Or do I need to wrestle that out of you?"
"No need for that," he growled out and let her have her way with him. In the penthouse suite, Sa-chan was up and getting ready to leave. She had already woken up Kasuga, and he was making coffee for them both.
"You sleep okay?" he asked.
"Like a dream!" Sa-chan sighed. "You?"
"The couch was...pretty comfortable!" he grinned with a nod.
"Good. Let me text Chi-chan to let her know we're up," she said and took up her phone to do just that. "No response. Eh. She's probably sleeping in. I need to call work. So, I'll do that now..."
"Yep!" Kasuga chuckled and poured out the coffee. He set up the cream and sugar for her, and he put a little in for himself.
"Okay. They told me to go ahead and take the day off. It's pretty slow right now," she chuckled. He gave her a thumbs up and let her take up a mug of coffee. "In a way, I can't wait to get back. This place is nice, but it's not home."
"I can see that," Kasuga agreed. "I'll probably hit up the Survive Bar. Oh! Kiryu-san had to go to the hospital! We need to check on him. So we should go there first. I'm sure we'll get there just as his appointment is about to happen."
"We can text him on our way back. I think he needs a real day with no interruptions with Saiki. Ah! Chi-chan just texted. Hmm. Late morning start. Will meet up in the lobby. Okay."
"Huh. Didn't Ugajin stay with her?" Kasuga asked with a puzzled tone.
"Umm..." she thought. Then she snickered. At his look, she said, "I have to wonder if they shared the same bed."
"Doubtful. He said he wanted to wait a month."
"Well, I think an exception might have been done. I mean, think about it," she started. "They clearly like each other. They got along really well. Sometimes a month isn't needed."
"I wish we were like that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah..."
"Well...if you didn't do things that embarrassed me..."
"I can get more tips from Sai-chan!"
"But you should know this on your own."
"But I don't," he frowned. "I just...I get so anxious around you! Because I care so much about you. I just...oh...I dunno..."
"Okay. Well, what you got me is still very sweet. There's no need to overdo it. And, eh, I guess see what else can be done when it comes to ideas from Saiki. As much as she wouldn't know, I'm sure she's read and evaluated a lot of things. So she does have that."
"Yeah. Anyways, should we finish up here and go down to the lobby?"
"Yes. That we should," Sa-chan smiled with a small nod. It took ten minutes to finish off their coffee and head down to the first floor. The room key was returned, and they found Kon waiting for them.
"Where is, ah, Saiki?" he asked.
"They left last night. They told me I could use the penthouse. Kasuga slept on the couch," she said. "Saiki really needed to be home in familiar territory."
"I can understand. There was much discussion after she left. And a lot of reprimanding. Especially to the one that dared to touch her home network. He won't dare try it again. He knows the outcome," Kon mused.
"What did she do?" Sa-chan asked.
"Saiki was able to detect him getting into her system. He discovered something about her husband, but didn't get the full details. So he sent this information to someone to try to get more information. It backfired. She found his location and sent a virus to him. Needless to say, he has to rebuild his computer from scratch now. And he cannot reuse any of the original parts due to the internal core of the system overheating and melting within itself," Kon sighed.
"She...destroyed his computer. Wow," Kasuga blinked.
"I am curious of something, though," Kon said and gestured for them to sit down with him. "What are Saiki's goals right now?"
"She wants to build a business to help reform the other ex-yakuza out there. And she wants to build an orphanage," Kasuga said. "It was going to be done on the old Tojo Clan land. She was hidden underneath it and had, surprisingly, purchased the land long ago in various means. There was a clause that if anything happened to the original land owners that it would fall to her. We've been helping her rebuild her funds, too, when her kidnapper spent almost everything she had! She had no idea about this until recently."
"It shouldn't be difficult now, though. She just became the owner of a very intense, luxury boat that does lots of gambling and underground fighting. Ugajin, actually, is one of the main fighters there," Sa-chan chuckled. Then she blinked at Kon's look of surprise. "Oh. You didn't know...?"
"I had a suspicion. Now it is confirmed. But he does not kill anyone. He just always strove to be the strongest man in fighting. He mentioned these things that he was a professional wrestler of secretive means. He is getting older, though. How did Saiki beat him?" Kon asked.
"She didn't. He didn't want to fight her on seeing how she took out someone that didn't want her to run the ship. She...has a massive scythe. She knows how to use it," Kasuga explained. Kon's face paled at this.
"She made that weapon herself, too. She's very smart. But Kiryu-san is trying to help her keep her mental state. She doesn't want to do what she does anymore. At least when that mindset takes over. She's made a lot of progress with him," Sa-chan said with complete confidence.
"As it was proven in the meeting. At least there is that," the old man sighed.
"Her mind can still snap if the killing side is present. She really wants to get it under control," Kasuga sighed. They looked over to see Ugajin and Chi-chan walking over arm-in-arm.
"We ready to go? We need to get back in time for Kiryu-san's hospital visit," Chi-chan said. "We need to get on the road now."
"Ugajin, I need to know," Kon said calmly.
"Yes, Grandfather?" Ugajin nodded.
"Are you...really an underworld fighter?" he asked.
"I suppose it was mentioned. But...yes. And I'm very successful. I was planning to retire, but Saiki has me working under her. And I'll be helping her with various projects that are coming up," Ugajin said lightly.
"Okay. I want to give over some funds to help. Where can I do this?" Kon asked and rose up to his feet. Chi-chan smiled, got his number and sent him a text of the funding link. "Good. I shall share this with the family. I only request to...well..."
"When she's ready to meet with others. I will inform," Ugajin nodded.
"Good," Kon smiled lightly. "And what will you be doing for her?"
"Smacking around hooligans to force them to behave. And be a possible role model for orphaned children," Ugajin chuckled.
"I like that," Kon nodded. "Good! I will be in touch."
"We look forward to that," Chi-chan nodded.
"What are Saiki's plans next week?" Kon asked.
"She is going to Hawaii for her honeymoon," Ugajin said.
"You will be with her?" he asked.
"Yes," Ugajin nodded.
"Good. I may...have something for you to do for me for her discreetly. And you are with...Chi-chan?" Kon chuckled.
"For now. We...are very compatible," she laughed softly.
"I see! Okay. If the two of you decide to do anything more, please tell me. You are a nice young girl. Possibly one of the most level-headed I've seen in a while. Ugajin, make sure to keep this one," Kon grinned.
"I already planned on it," Ugajin grinned back in knowing. "We're going to give it a year. If all is well in six months, we agreed to try living together. For now, though, we're just going to see how things are."
"Smart choice," Kon agreed and watched the four leave. He was now sending out the funding text with an explanation of what it was for. Back in Saiki's underground home, the dishes were finally cleaned up, and Kiryu noticed his wife's phone going crazy with notifications.
"What's going on?" he frowned and picked it up. Then he paused at what the notifications were for. "Aika."
"Yes?" she looked at him.
"Check the funding site," he said quietly. She moved into her security room and pulled up the link with the master passcode. She froze with shock.
"Who...?!" she started.
"Your family," he said and moved behind her to keep her calm. "They all came together and put in...ten million yen..."
"I can't...how did they...?!" she tried to form the words.
"I'm sure the others left at the hotel said something," he soothed.
"I shouldn't accept this," she muttered.
"They want to show support for what we need to do," he said gently. "I honestly think that this is a step in the right direction."
"I want to ensure there are no demands on this," she said with a hard frown.
"Chi-chan is calling," he said and answered his phone. "Hey. There is now ten million yen in the funding account."
"What?!" Chi-chan asked with shock. She was heard telling the others, and Ugajin quickly got on the phone.
"Grandfather asked what was going on. We told him about the building projects. He likely told the family and sent the link. We should probably pull that money now before the funding company takes a cut," Ugajin said in a serious tone.
"I can do it!" Chi-chan said. "I started it. I can end it."
"Do it. We can probably set up a fresh link, but I don't think it's needed after this. How much was the initial goal?" Kiryu asked.
"It was only a million," she said. "To recover what was lost."
"Clearly killed that limit," Saiki sighed.
"We should use the leftover funds to build on that beach," Kasuga suggested. Sa-chan gave a whoop of agreement at the idea. "And we're all heading back. The phone's on speaker."
"Who's driving you back?" Saiki asked with suspicion. "It can't be Tomi."
"It's one of the Geomijul. Seonhee had someone ready to get us," Sa-chan said to ease the mood.
"Okay. However, I'm still going to reach out to her..." Kiryu said and called Seonhee on Saiki's phone. "Hey. Did you have someone drive to Tokyo to pick up the others?"
"Not that I know of. Why?" Seonhee asked.
"I was just told that one of your men was waiting to bring the others back here. If he's not one of yours..." Kiryu said in warning. Seonhee was already asking for a headcount. Joongi confirmed that none were missing.
"Your driver is a liar. Are you on the highway right now?" Saiki asked.
"We are. The signs are correct to head back," Kasuga grimaced.
"I took you off speaker," Ugajin said. "I don't think the driver can hear us from the earphones he's wearing, but just in case. I'm acting cool, too, with my head down a bit. But he's clearly focused on the road and not on us."
"Let us know the moment you get back in town. Seonhee is now aware. Joongi is going to drive to an exit near you with Goro and Taiga. If you get off of any exit before the one to bring you into Ijincho, text it to me. All of you. If any of you have location tracking, I can have Saiki also track your phones to ensure of where you are. Do this now," Kiryu said sternly.
"Right!" Kasuga said on being shown what to do. This was soon done on all the phones, and Saiki was keeping a very close watch on where they were going.
"So far...all coming back here. They have a two hour trip. I'd say we should drive over to intercept, but we don't have a car. And it's getting close to your hospital appointment," Saiki sighed miserably. "Why does this shit happen?! I just...I don't understand this."
"Is the driver wearing a suit?" Kiryu asked.
"He is..." Ugajin said.
"I bet it's the Daidoji. Likely trying to help us out. Just keep an eye on your surroundings," Kiryu said with complete caution. It was confirmed and the call disconnected. They maintained contact through text messaging, and Saiki kept a close eye on the location. Now her husband looked at her and said, "The moment we get a parking garage built, we are getting a car. And you will get your license."
"That would be important," she sighed.
"It is. In short areas, yes, we can walk. But for the drives for long distances? We need a car. Usually I rent one wherever I go. At this rate, we should get one that's low key and not too fancy. Just enough to get the job done. I'm sure we can even store fuel here, too, with enough gas cans. Even if I get one and park it not far off."
"True. We could park it on the Tojo land. But I'd rather have an underground garage. It could branch off from my security room. Look at this," she said and pulled up a digital blueprint for him. "Right now, we would be under the cafeteria section of the Tojo mansion. The main kitchen. I think. I couldn't really map things out properly.
"The side way in was just outside the main driveway in. That led down and was further out from the main section. The hallways to get here actually sat a bit behind the Tojo building. The main lobby of the Tojo building was the room we started out in before the hallways where the elevator was hidden."
"So, it was the main path up to the main doors from that side entrance," he mused. "So...we're actually sitting behind where the land would be. Under the front side of the park! I remember the kitchen was situated near there. So we're close to the kitchen area, but still slightly away from it. Right?"
"If that's how you saw it, then yes. Granted, the hallways were short. But that was to ensure they zigzagged with each other. The main entryway had the elevator for me to guide one other in. It was rare, but it was the only way. The back way in is from the park. So...in an interesting stand point...I own a section of the park, too..." she said with a small smile.
"But we can't prove that. It belongs to the city. Unless Seonhee can pull strings with Makoto..." Kiryu thought aloud. He started to write out some notes. Then he texted Seonhee what they were discovering including how much was given to them with funding.
"Are you serious?!" Seonhee asked when she called him.
"Yes. And at the rate we are making money from The Castle, we can easily take over half the park. But, I would only want to do it after the orphanage is built. To make a safe place for children to play. We can let anyone in from that area to show good intentions, but we would be able to moderate it easily for safety."
"I can agree to that," she nodded.
"So, here's what I'm thinking," he said and had his wife pull up a new digital spreadsheet. "I want to have our way in and out be between the buildings. We can make a long hallway that can connect the buildings together. Or our main elevator is now in the lobby, and the lobby has two ways out to either side."
"I like that. It's like a gateway for safety as the only way in or out. We will have underground emergency exits underneath that can lead here. Or to another underground safe house. I don't want anything to get in from the outside. It would have to be inside or underground only. Windows will be fine, but we'll have protective measures set up in case people try to break into them," Saiki said. "We can also have a specific entrance for staff and Geomijul backup needs."
"I like that idea," Seonhee said. "We should have a specific punch code."
"True. But the number should change every day. Recall videos and how people can blow powder on the keypads. Others may not do it, but I'm not risking that. The code can change every day so every number is touched. It's either that, or we have an electronic badge system with a fingerprint scan. We could do a retinal scan, too, but we'll have to see if it comes to that," Saiki chuckled.
"That's brilliant," Kiryu grinned lightly.
"I'd suggest that if the code is entered wrong even once, we get notified. Maybe have a heartbeat detector in case we go with the fingerprint scan so no one can just lop off a finger, too. We'll have to figure that out," Seonhee said. "But anything incorrectly done would go to us directly and the security team."
"Done," Saiki agreed.
"We'd need surveillance 24 hours around the clock. And Adachi excels at security needs. I want him to be the head of our security," Kiryu said bluntly.
"Nanba could be our medical team leader," Seonhee said.
"Kasuga could be part of the staffing team. He's good at knowing who can go where," Kiryu added in. Saiki was making notes in other areas to keep track of what was discussed.
"What would you do with Ebina?" Seonhee asked.
"He can be a lesser supervisor. Same with Tsuruno. Possibly with security detail, so they would report to Adachi," Saiki said without thinking about it. "And if either of them don't like it, then I'll give them jobs as janitors."
"I actually like that," Kiryu said with a rather wicked grin on his lips.
"Maybe I can have them do that for a month. Then, if they do well enough, I'll give them a better role. Maybe all reformed ones that come through here will do weekly janitorial shifts. Of course, they will get paid. But for the orphanage? Only trusted recruits," Saiki said sternly. "And I would have to screen them."
"I fully agree to that," Kiryu nodded. He yawned and checked the time. "Okay. We need to head to the hospital."
"So early?" Seonhee asked.
"I want my wife checked out. She got sick earlier this morning. And we'll just wait there for my appointment," he said.
"I should mention this, then. Ebina mentioned that we should make the Kiryu Clan. We all shot him down fast," she said.
"If he mentions it again, I want my husband to punch him in the face," Saiki growled. "I'm not going that far."
"Yeah. Too much of a mess. It's not needed," Kiryu nodded.
"And we must think of the coliseum. If they are there, they fight if challenged. Not much else to say about that," Saiki had to add in. "But...I was thinking of a possible name for the orphanage."
"Oh? Do tell!" Kiryu smiled.
"Snowdrop Hill," she smiled. "I always loved the snowdrop flower. Like the crocus, it pushes through the ice and snow to show a new spring is there. A new beginning. I want that to be the main theme of the orphanage. A new beginning for lost ones that come to us."
"I absolutely love that," he said with a form of admiration. "Yes. We'll do that as the name."
"Then what do we call the reformation side?" Seonhee asked.
"Hmm. Maybe we can do Snowdrop Hill Estates. As it will be living quarters and other things on it. Much like a working estate. A place for new hope and beginnings. You like it?" Saiki smiled.
"Absolutely," he nodded. "Snowdrop Hill Orphanage and Snowdrop Hill Reformation Center. We have our building names."
"I'll meet you at the hospital. Joongi already left, so Tomi will get me there. Zhao is going through his restaurant for daily routines, but he plans to meet up when he's done for the day," Seonhee chuckled and disconnected the line.
"We should get a bunch of snowdrop flowers to put all over the land," Kiryu chuckled. "I think they're seasonal, so we should stick with white flowers in their off season. White roses would be beautiful, too."
"We can do that," Saiki smiled and let him pull her close.
"So many plans!" he giggled softly with her. "But we need to get there slowly. We'll need to see if we can appeal to the city to get the building started."
"I am throwing down a ton of money. If they say no, then I'll just flip them off and start building anyways," she grunted. Then she squeaked when her husband pulled her fully into his arms to kiss her deeply. "I do have a question to ask you, though."
"What's that?" he smiled and had her grab their phones.
"Are you still...tapped out...?" she asked with a wry grin.
"We have a place to be at," he started and paused when she let a finger trail down his neck. "But I think we can...leave in ten minutes..."
"Even an hour?" she asked demurely.
"Twenty minutes," he growled and kissed her intensely. It was close to thirty minutes later when they finally left the elevator. "The things I do for you."
"As you said before, if I recall. Welcome to married life?" she grinned.
"Yes. That I did," he grinned and kissed her cheek. He flagged down a cab and let it take them to hospital. He paid the fare and brought her in.
"Hey! I could have picked you up," Tomi frowned.
"It's fine. I want to check in my wife to see if she's pregnant," Kiryu said. "I have an appointment a bit after her."
"Right," Seonhee agreed and walked with them to the front desk. Saiki was checked in, and Seonhee put in her medical insurance to cover everything.
"Looks like we'll need to check into this, too," Saiki frowned and looking everything over. "I have no idea about this."
"It's a benefits program. There's various types to choose from. We can work with the financial manager at The Castle to help us," Seonhee said.
"Yes. That we can do," Saiki agreed.
"Saiki Kiryu, the doctor will see you now," a nurse said. Her husband nodded and led his wife into the main medical doors. Tomi and Seonhee sat down to wait and text the others of where they were.
"Okay, let's see. A hard lump with your uterus?" the doctor asked.
"Yeah. And she threw up early this morning. She didn't start feeling anything until we were together. Just about a week ago. So, a week went by when it started. About that long," Kiryu said. Saiki was soon laying back on a table and letting the doctor feel around her abdomen.
"I do feel...something..." he mused. "We can ultrasound. I will not suggest to x-ray in case there is a fetus."
"Right," Kiryu nodded.
"We can draw some blood to check for the pregnancy hormone, too. And we may as well draw blood from you while you're here," the doctor said.
"Ah. Yeah. May as well," Kiryu agreed. Saiki had to look away when blood was pulled, and Kiryu kept his eyes focused on her when it was his turn. After that, he watched the clear gel get lightly coated on before the transducer was pressed down. On the monitor screen, she was examined thoroughly.
"I do see the hardening of the uterus," the doctor muttered. "Nothing else really. It doesn't appear cancerous. I have seen some pregnancies start out like this in older women. Let's wait a bit and see what the bloodwork tells us."
"Of course," Kiryu nodded. Ten minutes later had a nurse walking in with the results of the blood test.
"We got the bloodwork back. She is with child," the nurse beamed.
"Ah!" Kiryu gasped with delight.
"There was a very slight amount of the HCG hormone there. But it only appears with pregnancy. We can see the sex of the child when there is further development," the nurse nodded. "I would suggest she get plenty of rest and more proteins. We'll want to monitor her closely, so please bring her back after five weeks. We would strongly advise for no stress, as we don't know how it will affect her from her age. I'll see if pre-natal vitamin pills can be prescribed."
"Definitely..." Kiryu swallowed. Saiki was completely silent at the news to process what was going on.
"We will call you with the results of your bloodwork when we analyze it," the nurse said to Kiryu.
"I look forward to the results," he nodded.
"I'll still want to take a test next week..." she whispered.
"That's fine. But...now we know!" he grinned and could barely contain his excitement. At her grimace, he could easily tell what was on her mind. "I know you'll want to train at various times. I understand. We will work with what you can do. But nothing too strenuous when you start to show. Will this work?"
"I...suppose so," she smiled a bit.
"We're having a baby! We'll have to make a new room, start building up supplies...okay. I have to calm down..." Kiryu said with a deep breath. She found herself laughing softly and shaking her head. He waited until she was clear to leave the room, and he had to scoop her up into is arms to carry her out. They did stop by the main desk to get the prescription vitamins, and he carried her to the others after that.
"Hey! Is everything okay?" Tomi asked.
"We're pregnant!" Kiryu grinned and kissed his wife's cheek.
"Ah!" Seonhee gave a little squeal of delight before texting everyone.
"Don't let her other family know. Not yet. Just the inner circle," he warned.
"Ugajin is okay to know," Saiki smiled.
"I can totally get that!" Tomi nodded.
"I'll still take a test in Hawaii, though. Just to reconfirm," Saiki said calmly.
"Bloodwork is always the best way to go, but do what you want," Tomi chuckled. "I remember when my girl got pregnant. But she lost it when I had false accusations put against me. All the stress. Then she left me."
"That's terrible," Saiki frowned.
"The guy that did it got eaten by a shark, though," Tomi grinned.
"Well, at least the problem solved itself. Who was it?" she asked.
"The leader of The Barracudas," Kiryu muttered.
"I see. Interesting. I will gladly wipe them all off the face of the planet if they disturb us," she said without a single care in her tone.
"Not when you're pregnant," Kiryu muttered. She gave him a look. "I know. Just...let me enjoy this?"
"I suppose..." she sighed and blushed at his loving nuzzle. "How far out are the others? Ah, wait. My phone still has their location..."
"Looks like still on track. They have another hour. Let's get something to eat. I'll text them to let us know when they're in town. You think Zhao's restaurant?" Kiryu suggested. They left to get there, and Saiki was presented with a dish of various gourmet meats of various cooking styles when she sat down.
"I want that kid to grow!" Zhao grinned. "This meal is on the house! Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Kiryu chuckled.
"I don't think we ever went through the wedding gifts..." Saiki blinked.
"Huh. Yeah, we may want to look through them. We have had a rather busy set of days after the wedding. Hopefully nothing spoiled if it was food," Kiryu frowned at the thought. "We'll sort through them when we get back."
"The kids can help us," she smiled. Kiryu's phone rang and he answered it.
"Makoto? What's going on?" he asked.
"The land the Tojo building was on has more visitors," Makoto sighed. "A group of protestors are not letting the building crew in. I just sent out some of my police force to clear them out."
"Thank you for that. I just found out that my wife is pregnant. I don't want her to go through any stress," Kiryu said with a frown.
"Oh! Congratulations! Yeah, I'll help take care of that mess. But someone is sending out some kind of a rumor that the Tojo Clan is trying to make a comeback. I know the news crew said something, but this is something else on a bigger scale. I'm looking for leads," Makoto said.
"You do that," Kiryu grunted and let the call end. He looked at Seonhee and said, "Someone is still spreading the lie that the Tojo Clan is trying to come back. It's not happening. Neither am I to do anything of the sort."
"I want to stop by a place that makes signs," Saiki said. "Just a basic wooden one that we can push into the ground. One that says 'Coming soon! Snowdrop Hill Estates!' to show that what they are thinking of is a lie."
"As long as they don't think it's a front," Tomi frowned.
"All the more reason for me to lure out the one spreading the lies..." Saiki smirked lightly. Seonhee was already on the phone talking to her scouting team. It was in full agreement that no one wanted Saiki to do anything from her condition.
"It's getting looked into now," Seonhee nodded. "Also, we are making a metal sign right now to place on the gate of the property to hang on it. And I have one of my lawyers going in to secure the name to get it taken care of. What you want to do is too important. I have to help."
"Thank you," Saiki nodded. She was given water after that and more meat. "Oh! There's a bowl of honey here..."
"No," Kiryu said with a small snicker heard from Tomi. Seonhee had to swallow down her laugh and she grinned at the whole thing.
"Actually, that's mint honey," Zhao grinned.
"What?" Kiryu asked. Then he found some smeared on his lips to get kissed heavily by his wife. When the kiss was done, he looked at her with intense amusement. "You can definitely taste the mint."
"You tasted it? I didn't..." Saiki gave a mock pout. Then she grinned at his smoldering glare. "What? I thought you liked it."
"Do you have an extra jar of this? I'll buy some," Kiryu said to get Zhao laughing at it. "And I think this would work great in that concoction of liquid stuff that she makes."
"Ah! Yes! Okay. We need that to try it," Saiki said with complete understanding. Zhao mused to himself out loud and was quick to move and get a jar. He gave it over with a chuckle.
"Don't worry about payment. If it works, then what you make will be my profit for selling it," he said.
"I want two jars, though. I'll buy the other one," Kiryu smiled. That was soon done, and he took up the bag they were given in to set aside. "Okay, let's finish eating and go by the home grounds."
"Yeah," Saiki nodded.
"The sign is almost done. I have a small team that loves to metalwork and build things from scratch. Also, we did clear out an old area that wasn't in use to become the new training area. So, when you're ready, I'd like you to inspect it," Seonhee said. "We have been placing orders for materials, but we need to know how much we'll really need."
"That's fine. Tomorrow, though, I'm sure Kazuma and I will need a full day off from everything. We haven't had a true 'alone' day. I know Hawaii may also give us that, but it's something we've been wanting to do for some time," Saiki said. Her husband nodded to show he was in full agreement. "Tonight is the family meal with the kids."
"If you need help cooking, let me know," Zhao chuckled.
"We may have to take you up on that. I don't think we know what to do for dinner, too," Kiryu frowned. He noticed his wife was grimacing with her eyes closed, and he showed instant concern.
"Just...a little queasy..." she muttered.
"I bet it's from the pregnancy. Zhao, do you have any ginger? That always helped my girl out. Like, ginger cookies?" Tomi asked.
"I might have something like that!" Zhao blinked.
"In the States, they had a soda called Ginger Ale. It's like, carbonated water with ginger flavoring. Maybe a touch of sugar, too. It also helped," Tomi said.
"I might...be able to make something! Keep her calm," Zhao said and rushed back into the kitchen. He was able to make up a drink for her with pressed ginger extract, sugar and carbonated water. This was brought over to her, and she took in a small sip. After another moment, she showed intense relief and drank more down.
"Awesome. Give her the recipe? She can make more," Kiryu smiled.
"I had forgotten that ginger can help with nausea. I'll need to infuse some in the crap drink," she chuckled. Then she blinked. "It is in my drink! Hmm. I'll need fresher ingredients. Or...I wonder if I can make that drink carbonated..."
"You'd need a machine for that," Seonhee said.
"Zhao, can you bring me some carbonated water?" Saiki asked. This was retrieved, and she took out the flask to empty half of the contents into it. She mixed it up with the straw and sipped it. "Wow! It...actually tastes better when it's carbonated!"
"What?" Kiryu blinked and found himself trying it. "We need more carbonated water for this. It really does improve the taste!"
"And with some of the honey..." she mused and mixed some in. "Oh. This is much better!"
Kiryu sampled it and ended up drinking it down. She laughed at that, made a few notes and went back to her ginger drink. Her husband was happy that she found a good ailment for her nausea now. He ran a hand over her belly, and they looked over to see Nanba walking over with Adachi. And they were carrying several bouquets of various flowers and roses.
"It's about time Kiryu-san's getting a kid!" Adachi grinned.
"We just had to get some flowers," Nanba chuckled. "Also, ah, Gelek has been asking about you. And Rabten has been sulking. But, when we told him of the text we got, he neatly shut up."
"Good," Saiki muttered and let Kiryu check over the flowers. "I gave over some of the ingredients that he left with me. The moment I know what they are, I want him out of my life."
"We should just pay for the ingredients I need in advance. Hmm. Didn't you have camera footage going on to see how he prepared it?" Kiryu asked.
"I think so..." she mused. He kissed her forehead and fed her a bit more meat to help her. He noticed she was brooding, and he nudged her. "Sorry. I'm just...not used to all the attention. You know...how I was treated before."
"I know. I'm trying to show you that everything is fine. You are reacting as you should. Things need to be introduced slowly. And it's okay. I'm right here to help you through everything," he promised. She nodded and snuggled into him with a shiver. "Hmm. I may need a box for takeout. She's overwhelmed."
"I think it's more than that. She's gonna have a meltdown. I'll take you back home," Tomi said. "I've seen this side of things. I know. Let's move."
"How do you know?" Zhao asked.
"Hormonal surges during pregnancy can easily teeter around. Some women aren't affected. Mine was. To various degrees. So, huh. I have an idea! If this works, we might not have to leave yet. If I remember, the moment my girl started to show signs like this, I was ready to pamper. With ice cream," Tomi grinned. Zhao was now rushing into the kitchen and bringing out a bowl of it.
"Ice cream...?" Saiki blinked. Now Kiryu looked at her with shock.
"You've...never had this...?!" he had to ask.
"I've heard of it. I never bothered to try it," she said and blinked when he brought up a spoonful for her. He recognized what it was and chuckled.
"This is vanilla with cinnamon and caramel swirl. Try it," he smiled. She did and could only grab the spoon from him now.
"Mine!" she beamed and got him laughing. Another bowl was brought to him, and he knew that ice cream was going to be lining her freezer soon. Then he gave her a weird look when she took his bowl to put some of the honey on the ice cream. He found himself trying it and pausing with shock.
"Zhao. You have a new dish," Kiryu said. This was quickly tried and commented on intensely.
"Yes! I definitely have a new dessert dish!" Zhao grinned.
"I need to see about making this," Saiki chuckled.
"It's relatively easy. Ice cream makers are available everywhere," Tomi chuckled. "Some of the ingredients can be a bit hard to find, though."
"I'm sure I can figure something out," Saiki grinned. "Hmm. I wonder...if my crap concoction could become ice cream..."
"Ah..." Adachi blinked and found himself laughing.
"We will experiment," Kiryu said with a small nod.
"She's hooked on the stuff now," Seonhee snickered. Her phone rang for her to answer it quickly. "Joongi? Okay. They are at the hospital? Good. Pick them up and bring them to Zhao's. Yes. See you soon."
"Good. At least they were dropped off. When they get here, though, I want to go home. We need to check on the builders. With everyone with us, we'll show we mean business," Saiki said with a narrowing of her eyes. Then she sighed and took up the ginger soda to drink down.
"Are you feeling okay?" Kiryu asked with concern.
"Just...coping," she frowned. He nodded and rubbed her belly again. She leaned into him and let him cradle her. "I've never felt so sluggish before."
"You've been through a lot recently. We should have nothing happen tomorrow to ensure you can recover. We'll plan for that. For now, though, let's go back and check on the grounds. After Joongi gets here with the others," he said softly and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure your brother will want to ensure your safety, too, and we could definitely use his help."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm not feeling sick. Just very exhausted."
"That's fine. Fall asleep if you need to," he chuckled warmly and shifted her fully into his lap. He let her snuggle into his neck and enjoy his embrace.
"This was...also...a fantasy of mine. To be held...all the time...by you..." she sang softly in his ears. That got him smiling lightly.
"As much as you want," he muttered and glanced over to see the others joining them now. He rose up a hand to keep the noise down.
"How is she?" Ugajin asked.
"She's exhausted. I want her to rest as much as she needs it. As it stands, we have intruders trying to block the way into the Tojo land. It's been falsely said that the Tojo Clan is attempting to come back," Kiryu muttered.
"Hmm. Yeah, we can put a stop to that," Goro nodded.
"No. Not us. If they see us, they'll think it's true," Taiga said. "Unless we are disguised, we can't be seen anywhere right now."
"Disguise yourself as part of the building crew," Saiki suggested.
"Oh! That could work. I can wear safety goggles," Goro nodded at the idea.
"And you can help direct where the blueprint plans need to be. I'll need to print them out to give over," Saiki said and kept herself snuggled into her husband.
"I do find it odd that you gave out the signs of pregnancy so early. Usually it takes a few weeks. It took a month for my mom," Chi-chan chuckled.
"Everyone is different," Kiryu smiled.
"My mom didn't even have symptoms with me," Sa-chan said while thinking back. "Just some nausea."
"Oh, my mother told me I gave her hell," Ugajin grinned. Then he asked, "What are you going through, Saiki?"
"It just...feels like a hardened ball right now with occasional bouts of queasiness," Saiki admitted. "I guess I'm just overstimulated due to how I know my body works."
"Kiryu...I think you're going to have a son," Ugajin grinned widely.
"What?" Kiryu blinked at him.
"My mother had the same issue with me. With a girl, though? No issues. In fact, I think Aunt Kai never had issues with her pregnancy, either. So, I do have a sister, but she's traveling abroad right now," Ugajin chuckled. "And she is eager to meet with you, Saiki."
"Oh," she smiled softly.
"You and her actually played in the same playpen at one point. You're the same age," he smiled at the memory. Saiki went quiet at that and let her husband comfort her even more. Her husband was just lost in thought.
"A son..." Kiryu found himself swallowing. The others there started to laugh and chuckle. "The hospital wants to see her at five weeks. They really want to keep an eye on her. So, I want her to do practically nothing. The only other concern is the medicine she has to put on me."
"As long as I wear gloves," Saiki said softly. "I should be okay."
"Right. Yeah," he nodded. "And put me to sleep, too."
"Of course," she chuckled.
"We should head over to the place now," Kasuga said. "If there's problems, well, we need to take care of it. Fast."
"Right. Let's move," Kiryu said.
"I just texted you that ginger drink recipe. I'll have some bottles of sparkling water sent over. That's the carbonated water you use," Zhao nodded.
"Good," Kiryu nodded back.
"I'll drive a bit away to hide those that can't be recognized," Joongi said.
"I'd better go with you, then," Kasuga sighed.
"Daigo just left with some men from the Geomijul to help out," Seonhee said from a text she just received.
"Tomi," Zhao said and walked over quickly. "I put a gift for Saiki near the driver's seat as a surprise to keep it hidden. If she starts to snap, give it to her."
"What is it?" Tomi asked with a small grin. Zhao whispered to get Tomi raising a brow with a knowing nod.
"I'll be there later to help with dinner," Zhao promised.
"Load up!" Tomi said and started up the minivan. Kiryu pulled out his sunglasses again to slip back on.
"I should make you a set of antidote sunglasses," Saiki mused.
"Do whatever you need to do," Kiryu nodded.
"So handsome in them..." she purred and ran a hand over his cheek. He glanced at her to grin and kiss her heavily.
"We should take a shower before setting up dinner," he growled in her ear.
"I like that idea," she muttered back to get his blood boiling.
"The things you do to me..." he mumbled and kissed her again.
"Complaining?" she teased and chuckled at his wry smile.
"Never," he said and kissed her forehead. "Also, depending on how you are through the pregnancy...you know I'm going to want another one."
"We'll see if it comes to that," she said with a small grin.
"I always wanted a boy and a girl. I wouldn't care about the order of them," he admitted. Ugajin was traveling with them and chuckled at the thought.
"I think I'm going to like being called an uncle," Ugajin mused at the thought. "Ah. We're here."
"Not a moment too soon, either," Tomi muttered at the people with signs. Saiki got right out of the minivan with Kiryu on her heels.
"Who is the leader of this gathering?" Saiki asked.
"Why?" a girl asked holding one of the signs.
"Because this is my property and we're building an orphanage on it," she said levelly. That got the group to pause at this news. "It will be called Snowdrop Hill Estates. The name is already in the system. So you all being here is absolutely redundant. Please leave before I have you all arrested for trespassing."
"We're not on the grounds!" a young man scoffed her.
"Yes you are," Kiryu said. "You are in front of the gate. In the driveway. That's on the grounds."
"Break it up!" a police officer said when he arrived with another patrol car.
"We can't let anyone build here!" another girl said. Then she fell into a dead sleep from Saiki letting out an acupuncture needle.
"I will put them to sleep. You cuff them. No fights this way," Saiki smirked. The police officers looked at each and back at her.
"As long as no one gets injured," the first officer agreed. There were at least ten protesters in front of the gate. Before they could even react within five seconds, all of them were put down and handcuffed.
"She's my wife," Kiryu said to the officers with a soft smile. "Even I know not to cross her when she's like this."
"How was she trained to do this?" the second officer asked.
"A lot of time and patience," Saiki said with a small shrug. When the small group was secured, she walked over each one to collect her needles. Adachi helped haul them into the cars for transport.
"You haven't seen the last of us!" the initial girl swore.
"Good. Come back here alone. At night," Saiki said with an edge in her tone. That got the girl to blink. "I look forward to hunting you down. In fact...I could even wait outside the police station you'll be taken to..."
"Not with the warrants we're putting on them," Makoto said when walked over. "I was close by. I don't think we want Saiki to be near this group."
"Yeah. You don't," Kiryu frowned.
"Oh?" he asked.
"We have footage of what she does in a crowd," Kiryu muttered to his friend. "It's...not for the faint of heart."
"I see..." Makoto nodded with interest. He watched the police cars drive off, and he turned to follow the others into the gated area.
"Hey! You bitch!" a man screamed on running over. He was clearly ready to punch and attack anyone he could. Saiki turned, had her scythe out and was already impaling the man to lift him up in the air.
"Shit!" Makoto gaped. Saiki didn't have to say anything. She tossed him aside to smash into a pile of trash on the side of the road. Nanba was already rushing over to help him. Seonhee was slapping a hand to her forehead and had her men help out when she pointed at the downed man. Daigo was there, but he was wisely staying back to be kept hidden. He was moving with the others to hang up the new metal sign on the gate.
"I purposely missed the vitals. He'll live. I didn't break any bones, but he'll have a nice scar on each side as a reminder of who he tried to fuck with!" Saiki snarled out. "I should...finish the job..."
"No," Kiryu said and stood behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and let her feel his touch. "You did well. You've done enough. The job is done."
"Hmm..." she frowned. The scythe was put away before she winced from the mild headache. He scooped her up to cradle her and looked at Makoto.
"This is what my wife was trained to do. She doesn't think about anything. She just does it. She has no form of rational thought when it comes to attacking. I'm...glad that she's not killing anyone. She's trying not to. It's hard for her, but she's improved so much! And that was self-defense, too," Kiryu said.
"I know..." Makoto swallowed lightly. They looked over to see another Geomijul car driving up with Ebina and Tsuruno. Saiki frowned at this and sat up a bit in her husband's arms.
"What the fuck are you two doing here?" Saiki growled.
"Oh..." Ebina blinked.
"Did you think I wouldn't be out here assessing the problem?" she glared.
"Easy..." Kiryu muttered and looked at the two men. "We were about to go over blueprints. We took care of the protestors. And she took out one that was running at us to attack. I need to move her away from here. If you want to help, don't be seen. I don't want anyone recognized. I will also tell you this now. We are NOT making a Clan! That is done and over with."
"Right," Ebina nodded. "But, with all of us here, it does look like something unofficially being made. I know that's not the case, but..."
"If you say another fucking word, I will ensure you live on The Castle for rest of your fucking life!" Saiki spat at him. Ebina paled at this. "I just had to keep myself from killing someone! Don't let me think that I can do it now with you standing in front of me running your fucking mouth!"
"Of course..." Ebina swallowed hard. Tsuruno was remaining quiet with a small smile. He was also telling Ebina about this.
"Whoop-dee-fucking-doo! I have ex-yakuza working for me. Wow. I am also a secret ex-yakuza. I don't fucking care. All that I know is that I'm exhausted. I am officially pregnant. And I'm not in the mood to give a fuck about anything else," Saiki growled out. Ebina's jaw dropped at this. Even Tsuruno blinked at the news of the pregnancy.
"Let me talk to Ebina. I'll set him straight," Kiryu soothed her.
"Oh. Zhao had put something in my van when he went to get you the Ginger Ale mix. Here," Tomi said. He presented her with a small carton of chocolate-caramel swirl ice cream and a spoon. She gasped with sheer delight and snatched it up. Kiryu found himself laughing and accepting a spoonful of it.
"I think I may get fat if I'm not careful. I'll look for some healthy recipes. For now, though? Fuck it!" Saiki grinned and took down another spoonful of the rich, creamy treat.
"I will owe Zhao one later," Kiryu found himself saying aloud. Ugajin was laughing with the others in agreement. "Let's get those blueprints printed and dispersed to the builders."
"I want to see what she did," Makoto said calmly.
"As long as she is not thrown into jail for it," Kiryu said in warning. "I don't want her to kill you on trying to do it. I value our friendship."
"Nah! It's a bloody movie I'm gonna be watching. And it was offshore out of my jurisdiction. Also, what she did before was purely self-defense. And she didn't kill anyone," Makoto added with a nod.
"Glad we have that understanding," he nodded. Saiki was trying to take her time with the ice cream treat, but it was already nearly gone. "You're fast!"
"I will be making a section of my freezer for this!" she beamed.
"I figured you would," he laughed and let her kiss him. They managed to walk through the land to the park and head down the false tree to their underground home to plot out the next few hours. He was already trying to figure out what to feed the adopted kids, and he was going to be recalling what each one liked to eat.