Caught  

Aira's breath hunts fast, and cold sweat floods her face and body. Fear envelops her heart, and her eyeballs keep watching every corner of the place, fearing that a group of people dressed in neat black suits will find themselves. 

Here, sit crouching in a narrow alley, holding tight to the bag. At this moment, she felt like she was in an action movie scene where the main character was hiding from a gang of criminals, doing everything possible to avoid capture.

But all she could do now was stay hidden. Thinking about trying to fight those men?

It would be suicide, plunging herself into danger. Not only were they outnumbered, but she also had no skill in any form of martial arts—unless you counted running away as a speciality, in which case she was an expert.

She had just gotten off the bus and was walking toward the train station when she accidentally spotted a group of well-dressed men roaming the streets, clearly searching for her. It was obvious that Renji had sent these men.

It was infuriating that Renji's men could find her here, even though she had planned everything so carefully. And it seemed Aira had forgotten that the young man she was dealing with was Ishikawa Renji, who left no place to hide or run.

Playing hide-and-seek with Renji, no matter how far she went—even to the ends of the earth—he would surely find her. After all, Renji was terrified of losing Aira. Among the group of suited men, one stood observing from a distance.

This white-haired man, dressed in an expensive shirt, stood at the corner of the street, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. He stood firmly amidst the crowd, his gaze never wavering as he searched for the black-haired woman with her moon-like eyes who had thrown his life and the lives of all his men into danger.

"Where are you hiding, Miss Aira?" he muttered anxiously.

The man, named Shiro Yamamoto, walked with the cigarette still burning in his hand, strolling casually while scrutinizing every face in the crowd. Meanwhile, his men scattered, searching for Aira, who was likely still around the station.

According to the information, Aira had headed to the train station this morning. Although the boss had initially said she was going to Fukushima village to visit her mother's grave, the apartment owner had reported that Aira had suddenly decided to move today without disclosing her destination.

Of course, this was highly suspicious, and Shiro's guess was correct—Aira was trying to flee the city.

But what puzzled and confused him was why Aira needed to run.

A burly man approached quickly, bowing respectfully, his demeanour showing fear toward the authoritative figure of Shiro.

"Have you found her?" Shiro asked softly but with a cold tone.

"W-we apologize, Boss," the man stammered nervously, his voice filled with fear.

Shiro exhaled a plume of smoke into the air, his eyes fixed on the blue sky. "Search again. If necessary, look in every rat hole. Find Miss Aira if you want to keep your lives," he commanded firmly.

"Y-yes, Boss," the man replied obediently. Shiro was confident he could find Aira and bring her to the boss before his time ran out.

Meanwhile, Aira remained hidden, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She was truly scared and anxious as she watched the street leading to the station. Aira was confused—why had Renji sent people to look for her?

Shouldn't Renji be happy about Aira's departure? This way, he could free himself from the responsibilities and demands of Aira's pregnancy.

After all, that's what many men out there do—they leave the women they've impregnated without taking any responsibility.

Aira didn't mean to accuse Renji of being like those despicable men out there, but considering that Renji was still in high school, had no job, and was only a teenager, how could Aira possibly expect him to take responsibility? If Renji's parents found out about this, it wasn't unlikely that Aira would be accused of sexual misconduct and forced to terminate the pregnancy.

Aira didn't want such a terrible fate to befall her unborn child.

After hiding for nearly an hour and feeling that the situation was safe—with no signs of the white-haired man's henchmen around—Aira quickly emerged from her hiding spot and ran frantically into the station. But her steps were halted by the actions of a man.

"Hello, Miss Aira," he greeted her warmly. Her eyes were perfectly dilated with a throbbing heart rate. Her legs slowly retreated away with a trembling body.

"Let's go home, miss. The young master is waiting for you." 

"No!" Aira shouted while throwing the bag. A little surprised by the stranger, she felt there was a chance she would immediately run away.

Of course, the man immediately ordered his men to chase after her before she could disappear again.

She ran as fast as a sprinter in a race, with a group of men hot on her heels. The people on the street stood by, watching and observing the dramatic scene before them, unable or unwilling to help, not wanting to get involved in the trouble.

She absolutely couldn't be caught, especially not brought before Renji. She was terrified at the thought of what might happen if Renji found out about her pregnancy.

Suddenly, Aira's steps slowed. Her vision blurred, accompanied by a wave of dizziness. Just before she fainted, she vaguely caught sight of a silhouette of a raven-haired young man running panicked toward her.

THUD!!!

Aira's body collapsed, unconscious, into the arms of the young man she had been thinking about and fearing all this time.

.

.

.

Renji's black eyes widened perfectly, his mouth slightly agape as the doctor who examined Aira informed him that both Aira and her fetus were doing well.

"Fetus?" Renji asked, his face confused as if he didn't understand. Despite being known as the smartest student in school, his brilliant mind seemed to have stopped working at that moment. Perhaps he was still in shock from what had happened to Aira.

The young doctor smiled amusedly at Renji's expression, which he found funny and innocent. "She's pregnant, and the fetus is doing just fine."

"Pregnant?" Renji asked again, his expression still disbelieving.

"Yes, and she's already seven weeks along," the doctor explained.

Renji's face immediately lit up with joy, and he even said, "Yes, we did it!" as if he had just won a huge jackpot.

The doctor laughed at Renji's amusing reaction, but what man wouldn't be happy to hear that his wife was pregnant? The doctor didn't know they weren't a married couple or even lovers.

However, seeing Renji's joyful reaction to Aira's pregnancy, the young doctor concluded that the two were married.

.

.

.

"Ngh~" Aira groaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze wandered hazily around the white-dominated room.

"Where am I?" she thought, trying to sit up and lean against the bed.

She realized she was in a hospital. Renji's men were chasing the last thing she remembered, but then her vision went dark, and she couldn't recall anything after that until she woke up there.

Her face turned pale, and panic set in as she touched her flat stomach gently. Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

She bowed her head, lost in sadness, hoping her baby was okay. She didn't notice the door opening and the raven-haired young man rushing in, immediately embracing her tightly.

"Renji-kun," she murmured in surprise. Renji tightened his embrace as if letting go would make Aira disappear again.

Renji was overjoyed to see Aira awake and well. His heart had nearly stopped when he saw her faint in front of him.

And didn't Aira know how sad, panicked, and angry he had been, searching for her everywhere like a madman when he found out she had left him? He had wanted to surprise her, but instead, he was the one who ended up nearly having a heart attack because of her.

Renji was truly afraid of losing Aira. He didn't want the black-haired woman to leave his life. A drop of tears slid beautifully through the cheeks and fell right on Aira's shoulders, followed by a faint sound. Aira felt her shoulder dampen from Renji's tears.

Who would have thought this annoying young man could cry, showing his vulnerable side, when he usually appeared arrogant, cold, and aloof?

Releasing his embrace, Aira's slender fingers gently wiped Renji's cheeks. "Don't cry, or I'll buy you candy," she teased, making Renji pout.

"I'm not a child," he grumbled.

Aira chuckled softly at Renji's sulky expression, especially since he usually teased her until she got annoyed.

Holding Aira's hand tightly, Renji kissed it gently, smiling meaningfully at her. "Let's get married," he suddenly proposed.

Of course, Aira was stunned by Renji's sudden marriage proposal, which she took as a joke, considering Renji was an underage boy who seemed more like a younger brother. "No!" Aira firmly refused.

Renji's jaw tightened as he suppressed his anger. Even in a situation like this, Aira remained stubborn. She was carrying his child, yet she still refused to be with him. What was he lacking?

He had a face that was more handsome than average, came from a noble family, and was incredibly wealthy, intelligent, and popular among girls. So, please explain what he lacked that made Aira refuse to marry him.

Many girls competed to be his girlfriend or even to be in Aira's position. Whether she liked it or not, Renji had to use his last resort to pressure Aira. If this didn't work, he would think of another way because, no matter what, Aira had to marry him.

"Now you have two choices. Marry me or spend a few years in jail," Renji threatened, dead serious.

"Are you threatening me?!" Aira glared, displeased.

"No. Just giving you a warning," Renji replied with a smirk.

"It's the same thing. Besides, on what grounds do you want to imprison me? That night, I wasn't even conscious of what I was doing." Aira tried to defend herself, refusing to be blamed because she felt like the victim, especially now that she had to bear the consequences of that night.

Renji's smirk made Aira feel uneasy. "I have a recording of that night. You can judge who the victim and the perpetrator were," he said, handing her a metallic white six-inch smartphone. "Watch it, and then think carefully about my offer."

Confidently, Aira opened the video Renji showed her, convinced of her innocence. A few seconds into the video, Aira's face turned pale. She even closed her eyes tightly, ashamed to see herself acting so wild and bold, attacking Renji and even being the one to remove his clothes. The sounds of pleasure escaping her lips were unmistakable, and she felt no shame as she took advantage of a high school student.

Unable to watch further, Aira quickly returned the phone to Renji, her eyes tightly shut. Her face flushed red, even with embarrassment, as she couldn't bear to look at Renji.

Guilt overwhelmed her heart as she realized that Renji was the victim, not her. Her heart shattered, and she felt deeply ashamed for being the immoral woman who had taken advantage of a minor.

"I'm sorry," Aira whispered, her head bowed low.

Renji took her cold, trembling hand, sensing her struggle to hold back tears. "I may be a child because I'm much younger, but I'm not a scoundrel who runs away from responsibility."

"W-what do you mean?" Aira pretended not to understand.

"You're pregnant, and it's my child."

Aira suddenly laughed, though stiffly. "You must be joking," she said, trying to divert the conversation.

Renji's face turned deadly serious. "Do I look like I'm joking?" he hissed.

"N-no," she squeaked fearfully.

"Let's get married."

"No! I can't marry you."

"Why? Do you think I'm not good enough for you?" Renji raised his voice, growing increasingly frustrated. Aira shook her head slowly.

"Then why won't you marry me? Would you rather go to jail than be with me?"

Aira remained silent, unsure how to respond. On one hand, she didn't want her child to grow up without a father or end up in jail. On the other hand, she didn't want to ruin Renji's future, as his life was beginning, and she didn't want it to be cut short because of her pregnancy.

She felt truly confused and torn.

"Do you hate me?" Renji asked, his face filled with sadness. Aira shook her head quickly, which only made Renji more frustrated. "Then why are you so stubborn and unwilling to accept my proposal?" Renji looked utterly frustrated.

"I want to take responsibility because it's my child, from the woman I love. What's wrong with us getting married, even if I'm much younger than you?" Renji rested his head on Aira's shoulder, hiding his sad expression.

Aira was stunned to hear Renji's love confession and hadn't expected the annoying boy to have genuine feelings for her.

After a long silence, Aira finally spoke. "I don't want to ruin your bright future. What about your parents, your family, and your friends? They would never approve of our relationship," Aira said sadly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Renji cupped Aira's round face, his dark eyes staring straight at her with a sorrowful expression. "Why should you care about people who don't care about you? Besides, my parents passed away when I was eight. I'll graduate next year, and I don't have any friends because I don't trust anyone—except you. My future is you, Aira."

Aira was speechless, her emotions conveyed only by the tears streaming down her face.

"In the future, you're not allowed to cry. You must always smile because I hate seeing you sad. Do you understand, Aira?" Renji pulled Aira into his embrace, letting her cry on his chest.

"Sob..." Aira whimpered softly.

Renji was indeed very young, still a teenager in high school, far from being an adult in appearance. But who would have thought that his attitude was so mature? He was a responsible man who didn't run from problems and even boldly insisted on marrying Aira, refusing to let his child be born out of wedlock or grow up without a father.

Renji was truly extraordinary, and Aira had misjudged him all this time. Perhaps it was time for her to give him a chance because she also needed someone by her side now that she had no one else left.

"I'll ask one more time. Will you marry me and spend your whole life with me as a family?" Renji asked, his heart pounding as he waited for Aira's answer.

"Yes. I will, Renji-kun," Aira replied firmly, without a trace of doubt.

…