Still Raining
folder
Gravitation › AU - Alternate Universe
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
28
Views:
3,529
Reviews:
9
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Gravitation › AU - Alternate Universe
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
28
Views:
3,529
Reviews:
9
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
9: One Step Closer
Still Raining
Sequel to: On the Street of Dreams
Written by: chochowilliams
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Summary: Ayaka is used to getting what she wants and what she wants now is Eiri. And she’ll do whatever it takes to make him hers. Anything.
Chapter Summary:
Warning: angst, drama, romance, m-preg, language, m/m, hentai
Inserts: chapter 8
A/N: Thank you to secret hidden within me, CrimsonBlood363, idontsurf, cain aiden, kaname-luvr, UnratedCrimsonBlood, tinlizzie81592, sarah83654123, Mrs. Hatake Itachi, LittleGrapefruit for your reviews and continued support. Welcome to those who are knew to this series! Oh! And idontsurf, every single time I write your name, the computer automatically changes it to “indenture”. LOL! Anyway, here it is, the next installment. Enjoy!
+---+---+---+
Last Time
“What I used was a-well, that doesn’t matter,” Isoroku interrupted himself. “Anyway,” he continued without a pause, “I was able to procure Nami Mataguchi’s phone records for the past two years for both her cellphone as well as her number at The Trinity- and if you ask me how I will have no choice but to kill you- and I searched through those to find the numbers that she called the most, but that yielded the same old same old: her parents in Akita, older sister in Kagoshima, younger brother in Aichi…”
Same old Isoroku. How he was able to say all that in one breath was beyond him.
“So I thought maybe she doesn’t call them. Maybe they call her. So I went back through her phone records and this time I found it.” Isoroku sounded excited.
“Found what?” Chishin had to admit, he was too.
“‘Who’, my dear Chi-Chi,” Isoroku corrected. “I found the ‘who’.”
“And who did you find?”
“Usami. Ayaka. Usami.”
+---+---+
Chapter 9: One Step Closer
In Route to the Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
It was a route he’d traversed numerous times, but this time the hike up the inclined side road to the Compound from the main street seemed to take twice as long as usual. With each step forward, the path seemed to grow that much farther away. Though it was impossible for that to be the case, Shuichi nevertheless was adamant in this belief. Half way up the hill, he was forced to rest in order to catch his breath. Hugging an arm under his pregnancy-swollen belly, he carefully lowered himself down onto a wooden bench located outside a quaint little ramen shop. The smells wafting out of the restaurant would normally be making his mouth water, but this time they started churning his stomach.
As he rested, he took the opportunity to study the Compound that loomed larger than life, or that was the way it had always seemed to him, above the quiet city. A sudden flurry of movement in his belly added to his already nauseous state. “Hush now Kita, Kaya,” he whispered. He rubbed his belly in order to try to soothe his unborn children back to sleep. It seemed as if they were as agitated as he was. “We’re doing this for your big brother.” His words seemed to work, for the twins settled right back down. Grateful, he heaved a sigh.
As much as he would like to, he could not sit here forever. Gathering himself, he stood from the bench, shouldered his messenger bag and continued his trek up the hill.
+---+---+
TCN Studios - Setagaya, Tokyo
The meeting with the Board seemed to be dragging on. It felt as it started ages ago. In actuality, it had only just begun. If asked, Chishin would not be able to repeat any of what was being said for his mind was elsewhere.
“Usami. Ayaka. Usami.”
As unlikely as it seemed, the two of them made quite the team. Nami Mataguchi and Ayaka Usami.
For some reason, the recognition of transgendered people as the third sex disgusted Nami Mataguchi. Despite the extremist magazine she worked for, Nami herself was not a zealot. That was not to say that she was agnostic or even an atheist, for she was a strong believer in her Catholic faith. Having known her since they were children, he could honestly say that if ever someone were to enter the religious life, it would have been her. But something happened when they were first years in high school. He was unsure of what transpired for Nami refused to discuss it to this day, but looking back now, that was when everything changed. That was when she started to change and not for the better.
Then there was Ayaka Usami. The only daughter of the Ryugan Temple. An only child. The apple of her parent’s eye and spoiled to the core. Whatever it was she wanted, she was given. Her every wish was granted. It was rare that she ever heard the word “no”. Her father was the head priest at the family shrine, a position that was to be handed down to his son-in-law since he had no sons of his own. Up until two years ago, Mr. Usami had his heart set on that person being one Eiri Uesugi. Why? Because Eiri, aside from being a published, best-selling author who went by the name “Eiri Yuki“, was already a fully trained monk. It was the perfect situation. Who else but a fully trained monk would be perfect as his little girl’s husband? Especially one that had been childhood friends with Ayaka. What made it even more ideal was the fact that Eiri was the eldest son to Mr. Usami’s oldest and closest friend, another monk who ran and oversaw the Uesugi Shrine. As far as he knew, she was not prejudiced against Neutrals. Quite the opposite in fact. Isoroku had been able to dig up quite a bit of dirt on Miss Squeaky Clean. All throughout high school, she’d dated a Neutral with full knowledge of what he was. So why would someone like that, who had everything in the world handed to her on a gold platter, try to sabotage Eiri Yuki’s relationship with Shuichi Shindou? Because there was one. When Eiri blew off the betrothal their parents had established between the two of them, Ayaka must have taken the slight personally.
It was obvious that girl was not right in the head. To think that Eiri would have anything to do with her were he to learn what role she played in destroying his relationship with Shuichi was idiocy. That is, of course, if Eiri ever did find out that she was the brains behind the whole operation.
He could just hear Ayaka’s voice in his head now. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
For sake of argument, presume Ayaka’s plan succeeded. What was there to say that Eiri would even renew his connection with her? He blew her off once before. What was their to stop him from doing so again? If, by some slim chance, Eiri were to agree to marry Ayaka, it would not be because he suddenly found himself inexplicably in love with her. He would marry her in an effort to forget there was a huge hole in his chest. Something told him that Ayaka would not have a problem with that. As long as she got to call herself Mrs. Eiri Uesugi, what else mattered?
To think that just because you were in love with him, he was supposed to turn his life upside down was utter lunacy. You confessed. He turned you down. Time to move on. Clinging to a love that was just not interested just made you a pathetic loser. The last thing a stalker is allowed to do is come within five hundred feet of the one they supposedly love.
No. It was clear. Ayaka Usami was playing solitaire with half of the cards in her desk missing.
Chishin reclined in his chair located at the head of the conference table and turned to stare out the window.
He was unsure how Nami Mataguchi and Ayaka Usami came to meet, but they were a perfect pair.
+---+---+
The Trinity Offices - Setagaya, Tokyo
Across town in her office at The Trinity, Nami Mataguchi was going over an article one of the staff writers had written about the truth behind the formation of strata and what it meant for the debate between Creationism and the Big Bang Theory. A permanent smile seemed to have been etched onto her face. She could not stop smiling.
Yes, she had her issues with the so-called Third Sex. Ask anybody who knew her. They would tell you the same thing. That was not to say she was one hundred percent behind Ayaka Usami’s plan. If anything, she was against it. The younger woman was clearly insane. She was dumped by the boy she’s had a crush on since she was a child and for some strange reason, got it into her head that if she were to get rid of the competition, she’d be able to win back that boy’s heart; as if she ever had it to begin with. People like her have gone to jail for pulling stunts like this. While she was against Ayaka’s asinine plan, it was doing wonders for her magazine, but if things went too far, she would be the first to call foul. She had no problem being called a Turncoat.
+---+---+
La Esperança Cafe - Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
“He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin.”
When the voice of her son’s neighbor echoed through her mind, she shook her head vehemently.
She was sitting at a small bistro table with her back to the window in an open-air café located down the street from her son’s condo. The intense summer sun was beating against her back. It felt good compared to the cold air filling the café. She was all for a little AC during the hotter months of the year, but she drew the line when the air conditioner dropped the temperature to down right frigid. It was like living inside an icebox. As she waited for her order, her dark-eyed gaze wandered about the small interior of the café. As it was just a block away, she wondered if Shuichi ever frequented this place. It was quaint place with just enough room within to seat a dozen people max. According to the server who took her order, there was a patio located out back that upgraded the capacity by another dozen. She’d come across the café as she was making her way to the train.
“He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin.”
Despite how hard she tried to ignore it, the question continued to plague her.
“He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin.”
Why would Shuichi say something like that? Tears stung her eyes. She used the cloth napkin folded neatly in her lap to cover her sob in order to keep the whole of the café from hearing her sob. Yes, they’d had a falling out. Yes, she hadn’t been an ideal mother. Nobody was going to nominate her for world’s best mother anytime soon. She would be the first to admit that she had been a terrible mother. She’d made her share of mistakes. Choosing her husband, who’d always had a problem with two adopted sons in the family as well as being embarrassed that his only child- a daughter at that- was conceived through invitro fertilization, over Shuichi was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. It was one of the biggest mistakes she ever made. If she could go back and change things she would, but unfortunately, she can’t. But was that reason enough for him to create such a lie?
But was it really a lie?
The sudden thought came from out of nowhere. It must have been something she’d been mulling over subconsciously ever since that girl made that comment about Shuichi supposedly telling her about his mother being locked away. But it started her wondering. What if his lie wasn’t a lie?
But then what would it be?
On the one hand, it could be a cover story: a lie to mask the heartache he felt at being abandoned by his parents.
But was that really the case?
In truth, she was not sure what became of Shuichi’s birth mother. All details concerning his conception and subsequent birth were sealed. Even if Ryuichi had been free to tell her the details surrounding the birth of his son, he wouldn’t have told her anything. Something happened. She was almost positive that he hadn’t been assaulted, but there was some sort of strain between Ryuichi and Shuichi’s birth mother. It was still there till this day. It could be why Ryuichi never told Shuichi the truth, but did Ryuichi finally tell him? Was that why Shuichi said what he said? If that were the case, then it was entirely possible that when Shuichi claimed that his mother was in a psychiatric hospital (the “loony bin”) somewhere, he’d been speaking of his birth mother.
But-
Her buzzing cellphone cut through her thought. The name on the LCD screen had her frowning. “Why aren’t you in class Maiko?” she asked her daughter suspiciously. A quick glance at her watch indicated that yes, her daughter should be in class at that very moment.
“We’re being sent home early today.”
“What?” Panic started her heat racing. “Why? What happened?” Concern for the wellbeing and safety of her daughter flushed through her.
“Not sure. Something about a water main break or something.”
Relief washed over Mai. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious.
“You went to see Big Brother, right?”
“That was the plan.”
“So? How did it go?”
“It didn’t. He wasn’t there.”
Maiko made a sound that clearly convoyed how disappointed she was.
“A neighbor said something about him possibly spending the night with Eiri.”
Maiko squealed in delight. “Then they made up?”
“Looks like it.”
“Oo! Hey, I think I may have Eiri’s address somewhere. Do you want it?” Maiko asked, sounding a little too eager.
Mai straightened. Her eyes flashed. Her heart started racing once again, but this time for a very different reason. War raged inside of her. Part of her wanted to scream out, “Yes! Give it to me!” She desperately wanted to speak to her son and apologize for her behavior towards him. She had voluntarily taken him into her home in order to raise him as her own and yet…There was no excuse for the way she’d behaved. Your children were supposed to be the most important aspect of your life. They came before God, country, your job and your spouse. She’d made so many mistakes. Even if it took several lifetimes, she would make it up to him. They may never have the type of mother-son relationship that she and Ryuichi once had, but as long as Shuichi accepted her into his heart in some capacity, then that was fine by her.
Yet at the same time, there was another part of her that wanted to say, “No. That’s all right. Maybe some other time.” What if Shuichi rejected her? If he did, she could not very well blame him. After the way she and her husband treated him, abandoned him, rejected him, it would surprise her if he didn’t.
But…
She had to at least try. Even if he shut the door in her face, it was better then wondering what if. The last thing she wanted was to have any regrets on her deathbed. At least, any more then she already had.
“Okay. Sure.”
“Cool! I’ll go find it and call you right back.”
“Sounds good.”
After they exchanged goodbyes, Mai was left to ponder quietly. Was this really a good idea?
+---+---+
Sakuma-Uesugi Residence - Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
“What the hell is he doing?” Tatsuha grumbled as he pushed through the swinging door that separated the living room from the bedrooms. “Ryu,” he called.
“Coming!”
Seconds later Ryuichi barreled out of the master bedroom, nearly plowing into him. “What the hell were you doing? Didn’t you hear me? My brother’s here.”
“And Shu?” Ryuichi asked hopefully.
Tatsuha shook his head. He did not miss the fact that Ryuichi avoided answering the question. “Apparently he went to see Kizou.”
Ryuichi frowned. “What the hell for?”
Tatsuha sighed. Here we go again. “You know why,” he said. From the very beginning, Ryuichi had been flat out against giving in to the demands of Nami Mataguchi. Not as if he did not understand Ryuichi’s reasoning. They all did. It made sense. You do not give terrorists what they wanted. They could hold the nations leader hostage. It did not matter. Only fools listened to the word of a criminal. Give so much as an inch and you will be trampled. Like an alcoholic, they cannot stop at just one. At the same time, Nami Mataguchi had a point. If they had nothing to hide, then what did it matter if a DNA paternity test was done? Either way, Ryuichi as well as Shuichi had been adamantly against the idea. It was absurd. Like father like son. But early this morning, they received a phone call from Eiri. Apparently, Shuichi was traveling out to Kyoto to see Kizou. Shuichi had decided to do the DNA paternity test after all. To say Ryuichi was not a happy camper would be an understatement. What was the catalyst that pushed Shuichi into giving in?
Grumbling, Ryuichi pushed passed his lover and vanished out into the living room.
“Hey, Sakuma,” he heard his brother’s rumbling voice. Tatsuha was torn between saying Eiri sounded bored or uninterested. Knowing where Shuichi was at this very moment, alone, he decided to go with distracted instead. Who would have guessed? To think this was his same stoic big brother from two years ago. There was a squeal of laughter followed the sound of running feet. What did that mean that he couldn’t distinguish whether little Takanori or Ryuichi was responsible?
Chiding himself, he started after his wayward husband, but halted his forward movement. From the other side, he could hear little Takanori spinning some sort of tale. He glanced down the hall over his shoulder at the closed master bedroom door. A frown marred his features. Just what had Ryuichi been doing in there?
+---+---+
Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
At least fifteen feet, a white wall surrounded the entirety of the compound. Climbing gear was needed to scale it, which was the way Kizou liked it. At any given time, there was a dozen or so armed guards patrolling the grounds, all of whom were at the level of Dan in their perspective martial art. It was a requirement that Kizou strictly enforced. The wooden doors looming before him were the only way in or out of the compound. At least, they were the only access everybody other than he and Kizou knew about. In reality, there were at least half a dozen secret escape routes that he knew about. Though he was not sure where they were located, he was almost positive that there were others.
Shuichi ran his sweaty palms down the front of his shirt and then tugged at the hem to make sure it was lying straight, which was not very given his current state. Next, he straightened out his collar. Then he smoothed out any wrinkles or creases fixing his collar might have produced. He caught himself as his hands wandered down to the hem of his shirt.
“Stop it,” he reprimanded himself. “Just ring the damn bell already.”
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and raised a hand to the buzzer located on the wall besides the double wooden doors. Either the buzzer was moving or he was shaking. Pulling back, he inhaled, taking a deep breath in through the nose, held it, and then exhaled slowly out through his mouth. He did this several more times until he felt the tension start to slowly melt away. It was a technique Ryuichi taught him years ago in order to deal with his stage fright. But this was nuts! Why was he so nervous? It was only Kizou after all. At that, he tried to laugh, but it came out sounding sickly. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he squared his shoulders, stepped forward once again and rang the buzzer.
---TBC---
A/N: I did not make up the part about strata. Honest. There are some people who believe that strata is formed at once during a cataclysmic event instead of over years & decades & centuries…etc. They say it’s like having different colored sand in a glass jar. If you shook the jar, the sand would settle into layers...Can you say, “Morons”? It always astounds me the extent of people’s asinine beliefs.
A/N 2: And if you guys are on myspace or facebook, add me as a friend! Go to my profile for the details!
Sequel to: On the Street of Dreams
Written by: chochowilliams
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Summary: Ayaka is used to getting what she wants and what she wants now is Eiri. And she’ll do whatever it takes to make him hers. Anything.
Chapter Summary:
Warning: angst, drama, romance, m-preg, language, m/m, hentai
Inserts: chapter 8
A/N: Thank you to secret hidden within me, CrimsonBlood363, idontsurf, cain aiden, kaname-luvr, UnratedCrimsonBlood, tinlizzie81592, sarah83654123, Mrs. Hatake Itachi, LittleGrapefruit for your reviews and continued support. Welcome to those who are knew to this series! Oh! And idontsurf, every single time I write your name, the computer automatically changes it to “indenture”. LOL! Anyway, here it is, the next installment. Enjoy!
+---+---+---+
Last Time
“What I used was a-well, that doesn’t matter,” Isoroku interrupted himself. “Anyway,” he continued without a pause, “I was able to procure Nami Mataguchi’s phone records for the past two years for both her cellphone as well as her number at The Trinity- and if you ask me how I will have no choice but to kill you- and I searched through those to find the numbers that she called the most, but that yielded the same old same old: her parents in Akita, older sister in Kagoshima, younger brother in Aichi…”
Same old Isoroku. How he was able to say all that in one breath was beyond him.
“So I thought maybe she doesn’t call them. Maybe they call her. So I went back through her phone records and this time I found it.” Isoroku sounded excited.
“Found what?” Chishin had to admit, he was too.
“‘Who’, my dear Chi-Chi,” Isoroku corrected. “I found the ‘who’.”
“And who did you find?”
“Usami. Ayaka. Usami.”
+---+---+
Chapter 9: One Step Closer
In Route to the Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
It was a route he’d traversed numerous times, but this time the hike up the inclined side road to the Compound from the main street seemed to take twice as long as usual. With each step forward, the path seemed to grow that much farther away. Though it was impossible for that to be the case, Shuichi nevertheless was adamant in this belief. Half way up the hill, he was forced to rest in order to catch his breath. Hugging an arm under his pregnancy-swollen belly, he carefully lowered himself down onto a wooden bench located outside a quaint little ramen shop. The smells wafting out of the restaurant would normally be making his mouth water, but this time they started churning his stomach.
As he rested, he took the opportunity to study the Compound that loomed larger than life, or that was the way it had always seemed to him, above the quiet city. A sudden flurry of movement in his belly added to his already nauseous state. “Hush now Kita, Kaya,” he whispered. He rubbed his belly in order to try to soothe his unborn children back to sleep. It seemed as if they were as agitated as he was. “We’re doing this for your big brother.” His words seemed to work, for the twins settled right back down. Grateful, he heaved a sigh.
As much as he would like to, he could not sit here forever. Gathering himself, he stood from the bench, shouldered his messenger bag and continued his trek up the hill.
+---+---+
TCN Studios - Setagaya, Tokyo
The meeting with the Board seemed to be dragging on. It felt as it started ages ago. In actuality, it had only just begun. If asked, Chishin would not be able to repeat any of what was being said for his mind was elsewhere.
“Usami. Ayaka. Usami.”
As unlikely as it seemed, the two of them made quite the team. Nami Mataguchi and Ayaka Usami.
For some reason, the recognition of transgendered people as the third sex disgusted Nami Mataguchi. Despite the extremist magazine she worked for, Nami herself was not a zealot. That was not to say that she was agnostic or even an atheist, for she was a strong believer in her Catholic faith. Having known her since they were children, he could honestly say that if ever someone were to enter the religious life, it would have been her. But something happened when they were first years in high school. He was unsure of what transpired for Nami refused to discuss it to this day, but looking back now, that was when everything changed. That was when she started to change and not for the better.
Then there was Ayaka Usami. The only daughter of the Ryugan Temple. An only child. The apple of her parent’s eye and spoiled to the core. Whatever it was she wanted, she was given. Her every wish was granted. It was rare that she ever heard the word “no”. Her father was the head priest at the family shrine, a position that was to be handed down to his son-in-law since he had no sons of his own. Up until two years ago, Mr. Usami had his heart set on that person being one Eiri Uesugi. Why? Because Eiri, aside from being a published, best-selling author who went by the name “Eiri Yuki“, was already a fully trained monk. It was the perfect situation. Who else but a fully trained monk would be perfect as his little girl’s husband? Especially one that had been childhood friends with Ayaka. What made it even more ideal was the fact that Eiri was the eldest son to Mr. Usami’s oldest and closest friend, another monk who ran and oversaw the Uesugi Shrine. As far as he knew, she was not prejudiced against Neutrals. Quite the opposite in fact. Isoroku had been able to dig up quite a bit of dirt on Miss Squeaky Clean. All throughout high school, she’d dated a Neutral with full knowledge of what he was. So why would someone like that, who had everything in the world handed to her on a gold platter, try to sabotage Eiri Yuki’s relationship with Shuichi Shindou? Because there was one. When Eiri blew off the betrothal their parents had established between the two of them, Ayaka must have taken the slight personally.
It was obvious that girl was not right in the head. To think that Eiri would have anything to do with her were he to learn what role she played in destroying his relationship with Shuichi was idiocy. That is, of course, if Eiri ever did find out that she was the brains behind the whole operation.
He could just hear Ayaka’s voice in his head now. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
For sake of argument, presume Ayaka’s plan succeeded. What was there to say that Eiri would even renew his connection with her? He blew her off once before. What was their to stop him from doing so again? If, by some slim chance, Eiri were to agree to marry Ayaka, it would not be because he suddenly found himself inexplicably in love with her. He would marry her in an effort to forget there was a huge hole in his chest. Something told him that Ayaka would not have a problem with that. As long as she got to call herself Mrs. Eiri Uesugi, what else mattered?
To think that just because you were in love with him, he was supposed to turn his life upside down was utter lunacy. You confessed. He turned you down. Time to move on. Clinging to a love that was just not interested just made you a pathetic loser. The last thing a stalker is allowed to do is come within five hundred feet of the one they supposedly love.
No. It was clear. Ayaka Usami was playing solitaire with half of the cards in her desk missing.
Chishin reclined in his chair located at the head of the conference table and turned to stare out the window.
He was unsure how Nami Mataguchi and Ayaka Usami came to meet, but they were a perfect pair.
+---+---+
The Trinity Offices - Setagaya, Tokyo
Across town in her office at The Trinity, Nami Mataguchi was going over an article one of the staff writers had written about the truth behind the formation of strata and what it meant for the debate between Creationism and the Big Bang Theory. A permanent smile seemed to have been etched onto her face. She could not stop smiling.
Yes, she had her issues with the so-called Third Sex. Ask anybody who knew her. They would tell you the same thing. That was not to say she was one hundred percent behind Ayaka Usami’s plan. If anything, she was against it. The younger woman was clearly insane. She was dumped by the boy she’s had a crush on since she was a child and for some strange reason, got it into her head that if she were to get rid of the competition, she’d be able to win back that boy’s heart; as if she ever had it to begin with. People like her have gone to jail for pulling stunts like this. While she was against Ayaka’s asinine plan, it was doing wonders for her magazine, but if things went too far, she would be the first to call foul. She had no problem being called a Turncoat.
+---+---+
La Esperança Cafe - Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
“He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin.”
When the voice of her son’s neighbor echoed through her mind, she shook her head vehemently.
She was sitting at a small bistro table with her back to the window in an open-air café located down the street from her son’s condo. The intense summer sun was beating against her back. It felt good compared to the cold air filling the café. She was all for a little AC during the hotter months of the year, but she drew the line when the air conditioner dropped the temperature to down right frigid. It was like living inside an icebox. As she waited for her order, her dark-eyed gaze wandered about the small interior of the café. As it was just a block away, she wondered if Shuichi ever frequented this place. It was quaint place with just enough room within to seat a dozen people max. According to the server who took her order, there was a patio located out back that upgraded the capacity by another dozen. She’d come across the café as she was making her way to the train.
“He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin.”
Despite how hard she tried to ignore it, the question continued to plague her.
“He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin.”
Why would Shuichi say something like that? Tears stung her eyes. She used the cloth napkin folded neatly in her lap to cover her sob in order to keep the whole of the café from hearing her sob. Yes, they’d had a falling out. Yes, she hadn’t been an ideal mother. Nobody was going to nominate her for world’s best mother anytime soon. She would be the first to admit that she had been a terrible mother. She’d made her share of mistakes. Choosing her husband, who’d always had a problem with two adopted sons in the family as well as being embarrassed that his only child- a daughter at that- was conceived through invitro fertilization, over Shuichi was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. It was one of the biggest mistakes she ever made. If she could go back and change things she would, but unfortunately, she can’t. But was that reason enough for him to create such a lie?
But was it really a lie?
The sudden thought came from out of nowhere. It must have been something she’d been mulling over subconsciously ever since that girl made that comment about Shuichi supposedly telling her about his mother being locked away. But it started her wondering. What if his lie wasn’t a lie?
But then what would it be?
On the one hand, it could be a cover story: a lie to mask the heartache he felt at being abandoned by his parents.
But was that really the case?
In truth, she was not sure what became of Shuichi’s birth mother. All details concerning his conception and subsequent birth were sealed. Even if Ryuichi had been free to tell her the details surrounding the birth of his son, he wouldn’t have told her anything. Something happened. She was almost positive that he hadn’t been assaulted, but there was some sort of strain between Ryuichi and Shuichi’s birth mother. It was still there till this day. It could be why Ryuichi never told Shuichi the truth, but did Ryuichi finally tell him? Was that why Shuichi said what he said? If that were the case, then it was entirely possible that when Shuichi claimed that his mother was in a psychiatric hospital (the “loony bin”) somewhere, he’d been speaking of his birth mother.
But-
Her buzzing cellphone cut through her thought. The name on the LCD screen had her frowning. “Why aren’t you in class Maiko?” she asked her daughter suspiciously. A quick glance at her watch indicated that yes, her daughter should be in class at that very moment.
“We’re being sent home early today.”
“What?” Panic started her heat racing. “Why? What happened?” Concern for the wellbeing and safety of her daughter flushed through her.
“Not sure. Something about a water main break or something.”
Relief washed over Mai. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious.
“You went to see Big Brother, right?”
“That was the plan.”
“So? How did it go?”
“It didn’t. He wasn’t there.”
Maiko made a sound that clearly convoyed how disappointed she was.
“A neighbor said something about him possibly spending the night with Eiri.”
Maiko squealed in delight. “Then they made up?”
“Looks like it.”
“Oo! Hey, I think I may have Eiri’s address somewhere. Do you want it?” Maiko asked, sounding a little too eager.
Mai straightened. Her eyes flashed. Her heart started racing once again, but this time for a very different reason. War raged inside of her. Part of her wanted to scream out, “Yes! Give it to me!” She desperately wanted to speak to her son and apologize for her behavior towards him. She had voluntarily taken him into her home in order to raise him as her own and yet…There was no excuse for the way she’d behaved. Your children were supposed to be the most important aspect of your life. They came before God, country, your job and your spouse. She’d made so many mistakes. Even if it took several lifetimes, she would make it up to him. They may never have the type of mother-son relationship that she and Ryuichi once had, but as long as Shuichi accepted her into his heart in some capacity, then that was fine by her.
Yet at the same time, there was another part of her that wanted to say, “No. That’s all right. Maybe some other time.” What if Shuichi rejected her? If he did, she could not very well blame him. After the way she and her husband treated him, abandoned him, rejected him, it would surprise her if he didn’t.
But…
She had to at least try. Even if he shut the door in her face, it was better then wondering what if. The last thing she wanted was to have any regrets on her deathbed. At least, any more then she already had.
“Okay. Sure.”
“Cool! I’ll go find it and call you right back.”
“Sounds good.”
After they exchanged goodbyes, Mai was left to ponder quietly. Was this really a good idea?
+---+---+
Sakuma-Uesugi Residence - Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
“What the hell is he doing?” Tatsuha grumbled as he pushed through the swinging door that separated the living room from the bedrooms. “Ryu,” he called.
“Coming!”
Seconds later Ryuichi barreled out of the master bedroom, nearly plowing into him. “What the hell were you doing? Didn’t you hear me? My brother’s here.”
“And Shu?” Ryuichi asked hopefully.
Tatsuha shook his head. He did not miss the fact that Ryuichi avoided answering the question. “Apparently he went to see Kizou.”
Ryuichi frowned. “What the hell for?”
Tatsuha sighed. Here we go again. “You know why,” he said. From the very beginning, Ryuichi had been flat out against giving in to the demands of Nami Mataguchi. Not as if he did not understand Ryuichi’s reasoning. They all did. It made sense. You do not give terrorists what they wanted. They could hold the nations leader hostage. It did not matter. Only fools listened to the word of a criminal. Give so much as an inch and you will be trampled. Like an alcoholic, they cannot stop at just one. At the same time, Nami Mataguchi had a point. If they had nothing to hide, then what did it matter if a DNA paternity test was done? Either way, Ryuichi as well as Shuichi had been adamantly against the idea. It was absurd. Like father like son. But early this morning, they received a phone call from Eiri. Apparently, Shuichi was traveling out to Kyoto to see Kizou. Shuichi had decided to do the DNA paternity test after all. To say Ryuichi was not a happy camper would be an understatement. What was the catalyst that pushed Shuichi into giving in?
Grumbling, Ryuichi pushed passed his lover and vanished out into the living room.
“Hey, Sakuma,” he heard his brother’s rumbling voice. Tatsuha was torn between saying Eiri sounded bored or uninterested. Knowing where Shuichi was at this very moment, alone, he decided to go with distracted instead. Who would have guessed? To think this was his same stoic big brother from two years ago. There was a squeal of laughter followed the sound of running feet. What did that mean that he couldn’t distinguish whether little Takanori or Ryuichi was responsible?
Chiding himself, he started after his wayward husband, but halted his forward movement. From the other side, he could hear little Takanori spinning some sort of tale. He glanced down the hall over his shoulder at the closed master bedroom door. A frown marred his features. Just what had Ryuichi been doing in there?
+---+---+
Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
At least fifteen feet, a white wall surrounded the entirety of the compound. Climbing gear was needed to scale it, which was the way Kizou liked it. At any given time, there was a dozen or so armed guards patrolling the grounds, all of whom were at the level of Dan in their perspective martial art. It was a requirement that Kizou strictly enforced. The wooden doors looming before him were the only way in or out of the compound. At least, they were the only access everybody other than he and Kizou knew about. In reality, there were at least half a dozen secret escape routes that he knew about. Though he was not sure where they were located, he was almost positive that there were others.
Shuichi ran his sweaty palms down the front of his shirt and then tugged at the hem to make sure it was lying straight, which was not very given his current state. Next, he straightened out his collar. Then he smoothed out any wrinkles or creases fixing his collar might have produced. He caught himself as his hands wandered down to the hem of his shirt.
“Stop it,” he reprimanded himself. “Just ring the damn bell already.”
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and raised a hand to the buzzer located on the wall besides the double wooden doors. Either the buzzer was moving or he was shaking. Pulling back, he inhaled, taking a deep breath in through the nose, held it, and then exhaled slowly out through his mouth. He did this several more times until he felt the tension start to slowly melt away. It was a technique Ryuichi taught him years ago in order to deal with his stage fright. But this was nuts! Why was he so nervous? It was only Kizou after all. At that, he tried to laugh, but it came out sounding sickly. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he squared his shoulders, stepped forward once again and rang the buzzer.
---TBC---
A/N: I did not make up the part about strata. Honest. There are some people who believe that strata is formed at once during a cataclysmic event instead of over years & decades & centuries…etc. They say it’s like having different colored sand in a glass jar. If you shook the jar, the sand would settle into layers...Can you say, “Morons”? It always astounds me the extent of people’s asinine beliefs.
A/N 2: And if you guys are on myspace or facebook, add me as a friend! Go to my profile for the details!