I'm Home  

Tall skyscrapers stood firmly, decorating the city famously known as the one that never sleeps, bustling with people day and night. In one of those buildings, a beautiful woman sat alone, lost in thought, in a luxurious apartment.

Her eyes gazed sadly and deeply at the night sky through the bedroom window, her head resting against the glass as she stared at the dark sky, lost in thought.

The dark hues of the night sky reminded her of someone she was currently thinking about and missing all at once. This feeling had never come to her before, but now it filled her heart and felt slightly torturous.

For some reason, she missed the raven-haired young man so much tonight. His arrogant, annoying, narcissistic, and spoiled nature always irritated her. But now, her longing felt suffocating. She wanted to see him and hear Renji's voice calling her name with love and longing.

Tears suddenly fell, wetting her cheeks. Her lips trembled, but no sound or soft sob escaped. Only tears streamed down, expressing all the emotions in her heart. Was this feeling due to her pregnancy hormones?

Or perhaps she was starting to fall for Renji?

No.

All her emotions right now were definitely because of her pregnancy. That had to be it—but her heart.

Aira sighed heavily. She didn't want to argue with herself, trying to deny that she was missing Renji. Wiping both cheeks simultaneously, her thoughts sank deeper into her reverie. For a moment, she unconsciously imagined Renji sitting beside her, keeping her company, but she quickly snapped back to reality.

Renji wasn't here. It was just her, alone in this spacious and magnificent apartment. Right now, she was alone. And she hated it because Renji was usually always there to keep her company.

In the corner of the dining room, a bowl of soup that had gone cold still sat on the table, with a spoon beside it. The soup was mostly untouched, as she had only taken a few spoonfuls. Lately, she had been feeling nauseous and vomiting, which had taken away her appetite.

A gentle breeze brushed her face, stirring a few strands of her black hair. Her eyes felt heavy, and drowsiness began to take over. One of her hands covered her mouth as she yawned widely, but laziness took over again, making her feet feel too heavy to walk to the bedroom.

Laziness defeated everything, leaving her content to sit by the wide-open window, feeling the cool breeze of late spring.

"Uughh~" Her stomach suddenly churned, and she felt like something was about to come out of her mouth.

She ran as fast as she could to the bathroom, crouching in front of the toilet and vomiting everything in her stomach, which was mostly thick liquid.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she tried to stand in front of the sink to rinse her mouth, but her body slumped back to the floor beneath the sink. 

Her body felt weak and powerless, her head throbbed, and it seemed like she would ask Saki to accompany her to the hospital tomorrow.

She felt sad and lonely because there was no one around to rub her back.

"Sob..." A soft sob escaped her lips as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her heart raced, and her eyes widened as she felt a gentle touch on her back, so warm and comforting.

"Still feeling nauseous, Aira?" The handsome young man asked worriedly behind her back. Aira's eyes widened completely upon hearing the familiar baritone voice of the young man.

Without thinking again, she immediately turned her body with her arms outstretched to the front, hoping that full nearby figures would not be an illusion, just like before.

And Aira's hope was fulfilled; a warm feeling spread throughout their body when her hands managed to hold the young man's body.

"Renji-kun," she sobbed.

Gently rubbing Aira's fragile back, Renji whispered longingly, "I'm home, my wife."

"Welcome back," she replied, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Finally, Renji had returned after being away for almost a week without a word or any news. Where he had gone and what business had kept him from contacting Aira didn't matter now. Aira could ask him about it later.

Aira wanted to hold Renji tightly, pouring out all her emotions and longing. No words were spoken—they embraced each other, savouring the warmth they had missed, especially Renji. The scent of his wife's body was comforting and always helped him sleep soundly.

A soft snore could be faintly heard from within Renji's embrace, coming from Aira. A faint smile appeared on his handsome but tired face after his long journey to reunite with his beloved wife.

Carrying Aira out of the bathroom in a bridal style, Renji laid her down on the bed and covered her up to her chest. He then sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers gently stroking Aira's cheeks in an up-and-down motion, creating a ticklish yet comforting sensation for her. Aira's body looks thinner, and it makes Renji sad, too.

"I'm sorry I neglecting you and our child." Renji said with deep regret and guilt.

"Don't talk about it, the important thing is now that you're home safe."

"Thank you, for understanding Aira."

Aira smiled back, "Do you still have a stomachache?"

"A little."

"Want to eat something?"

"No. My stomach is still queasy, and I can't eat anything."

Renji's large hand gently caressed Aira's stomach, which was covered by a thick blanket. "Your stomach can't be left empty. Wait here, I'll make something for you," he said, kissing Aira's forehead before leaving the room and heading to the kitchen.

The kitchen was tidy, but a bowl of cold soup was still on the dining table. When Renji looked at it, he noticed it was mostly untouched. Aira must not have finished her meal again.

Rolling up his sleeves, Renji cleared the dining table, washed the bowl, and put it in the cupboard. After cleaning the table, he headed to the kitchen, making his way to the large double-door refrigerator.

Opening both fridge doors, he checked inside to see the available ingredients. The refrigerator was surprisingly full and well-stocked, with everything from fruits, vegetables, eggs, chicken, and even beef, making it easy for Renji to cook.

But seeing the full fridge meant that Aira had gone grocery shopping alone. Renji had already forbidden her from going anywhere or doing any heavy work, especially since she was in the early stages of pregnancy.

Closing the fridge doors, Renji opened his smartphone and began searching for suitable meal ideas for pregnant women that could help with nausea. After browsing various sites, he became even more confused about what to cook.

Renji desperately wanted to ask for help and inquire about Aira's condition, but who could he ask? Tetsuya?

That was impossible. Renji would never ask his cousin for help because he would just be laughed at instead of getting assistance. Besides, what would Tetsuya know about pregnant women, even if he could get a woman pregnant?

He thought about consulting one of the obstetricians at the hospital, but that would be too embarrassing. After all, a teenager asking such questions would likely be interrogated himself rather than being the one asking.

Renji felt completely lost and unsure what to do for the first time. Ten minutes later, Renji returned to the room carrying a tray. Aira, leaning against the bed, glanced at Renji and smiled. "What did you bring, Renji-kun?" she asked eagerly.

"Something to help with your nausea and to make sure your stomach isn't empty anymore," he replied, sitting on the bed and placing the tray on the nightstand beside the lamp.

Renji had brought a glass of lemon water, a large bowl of assorted fruits, such as kiwi, strawberries, bananas, melon, and a pack of crackers. Aira felt a little confused and puzzled by the crackers.

"I'll explain in a moment," Renji said as if he understood his wife's confused expression. Crackers are a type of biscuit made from flour.

The flour in crackers is believed to absorb stomach acid in pregnant women, helping to reduce nausea. However, it's recommended to eat plain crackers, not sweet ones with sugar or toppings, as they don't have the same effect.

"Oh," Aira murmured, responding casually to Renji's explanation.

As Renji had suspected, Aira's stomach was likely empty after vomiting, especially since she hadn't finished her dinner. Sure enough, Aira finished all the fruit and ate a few crackers, but she left most of the lemon water untouched, probably because of its sour taste. Although lemon water is effective in reducing nausea, it's not recommended for those with a history of stomach ulcers or acid reflux if consumed too frequently.

The kitchen was tidy, but a bowl of cold soup was still on the dining table. When Renji looked at it, he noticed it was mostly untouched. Aira must not have finished her meal again.

Now, the two of them lay comfortably in bed, sharing the same blanket. Aira's head rested comfortably on Renji's broad chest, listening to the beating of his heart, which felt like a beautiful melody in her ears.

"Are you feeling better now?" Aira nodded slowly, then tilted her head to look at Renji's face. "Where have you been for the past week? And why didn't you let me know?" she asked demandingly.

"Sorry," was the only word that escaped Renji's lips.

He wrapped his arms around Aira's shoulders. "I'll explain everything, but not now. Give me some time because I don't want to burden you or stress you out. That wouldn't be good for our baby's development."

Aira's face immediately lowered, and a blush spread across her plump cheeks. She felt happy and embarrassed when Renji called the baby 'ours'.

"Aira," Renji called out lovingly. Of course, Aira instinctively looked up, and the moment their eyes met, Renji's lips gently pressed against hers in a soft, tender kiss, not demanding but full of affection. Aira's eyes closed as she savoured every kiss Renji gave her.

.

.

.

The atmosphere at Asahi Cafe seemed as usual, with nothing unusual happening or any major arguments like Saki often had with one of the cafe's regular customers, whom she called 'Pale Face'. This customer was Saki's arch-nemesis and rival in defending her lover, who the pale-skinned man admired. His name was Tetsuya Ishikawa, the cousin of the owner of Asahi Cafe, where Saki worked.

However, Arashi, one of the employees here, feels something strange and odd because this morning, Saki seemed down, silent, not saying a word. Among all the cafe staff, Saki is known for being talkative, cheerful, and always smiling. But now, the girl with aquamarine eyes and blonde hair, wiping clean plates near her, doesn't seem like the Saki everyone knows.

"Hey, spoiled girl," Arashi called out. Saki, busy wiping the plates while lost in thought, didn't respond to Arashi. The young man with multiple piercings stood beside Saki, still lost in her thoughts, unsure of what she was thinking.

"Are you fighting with Issei?" He guessed what might be bothering Saki.

"More than that." Saki finally spoke, answering Arashi's question.

"What do you mean?" Saki put down the cloth she had been using to wipe the plates roughly, her face puffy and her eyes beginning to tear up.

"Issei-Kun is cruel!" Tears flooded down Saki's cheeks as she sobbed quietly. Saki's head rested on Arashi's chest, and she didn't resist or push him away. Instead, her sobs grew louder.

"Cry as much as you want until your tears run dry, but after this, never shed another tear for him." Arashi said coldly, gently stroking the top of Saki's head.

"Sob... He's cruel... Issei-Kun, so cruel." Saki whimpered softly.

While the two were hugging, it wasn't like a couple, as there was no intimacy, but if anyone saw, they would misunderstand. Ryuji happened to see them but immediately turned around and walked out, pretending he hadn't seen anything.

"Sorry," Ryuji said, feeling embarrassed and awkward as if he had been an intruder.

When another friend of theirs tried to go into the kitchen to get something, Ryuji quickly stopped them and directed them elsewhere, as he didn't want any gossip spreading if they saw the 'romantic' scene between Saki and Arashi.

It wasn't that Ryuji didn't like gossiping. Still, when it came to Arashi, it was bound to cause a big problem because both Ryuji and Issei knew how Arashi was. Even the young man with all the piercings had never hesitated to hit a woman if he was angry.

Issei sat brooding near the pantry, and from the look on his face, it was clear he had a problem, and it was surely related to Saki.

"Arashi is with Saki, and she's crying," Ryuji informed, sitting next to Issei to try and comfort him.

"Saki's crying?" Issei seemed quite shocked.

"Yes. And it's probably all related to you. Can you explain what's really going on between you two?" Ryuji urged Issei to explain because he felt sad as well.

Issei sighed heavily. "Saki misunderstood when she saw me talking with Tetsuya at a café. She thought I was meeting him on purpose, but we just ran into each other by chance." Issei explained the situation.

Since Tetsuya appeared in their relationship, Saki has become more sensitive, easily angry, and emotional. She never expected a genuine man who could be considered handsome and well-off to have feelings for her. If she were a woman, she would probably feel flattered and happy to be liked by someone like Tetsuya, but the problem was that she was a man just like Tetsuya.

"So that's what the problem is," Ryuji nodded, understanding.

"Exactly," Issei confirmed.

"Then hurry and explain everything to Saki before it's too late and the problem gets worse," Ryuji suggested because, from his perspective as an observer of their relationship, it was highly likely that Arashi and even Tetsuya could take advantage of this situation to destroy their relationship.

"Yeah, I'll tell Saki everything."

"Good."

"Yeah, that's a good suggestion! But do you two really need to discuss personal matters here? While everyone else is working?" Fujin scolded, her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring at them.

At that moment, Aira, who had been sitting and brooding sadly, was now Issei. Is the pantry a place for people to brood? Or should we put up a big sticker here with a warning saying "No brooding allowed here! This is a pantry, not a place to mope!"

"Get back to work!" Fujin ordered loudly, making both of them scatter and return to their tasks.

The nickname' mood killer' given to Fujin by the Asahi staff was fitting, as she always showed up at the wrong time and messed everything up. Luckily, Fujin was the head chef here, someone Rika had once trusted. Without her, the café might have closed down long ago. Otherwise, Fujin would have been going home daily with a flat tyre.

All day, Saki avoided Issei, trying not to meet or talk to him because she was angry, disappointed, and betrayed. If Issei had met a girl out there, Saki would have pulled her hair when they met, but this time, the person Issei met was a real man.

And that made Saki so furious with Issei—afraid her boyfriend would shift his affections.

Saki refused to talk to Issei and spent the whole day avoiding him, leaving the blonde-haired young man confused and unable to know what to do because he couldn't explain anything to Saki.

After trying to find a way, Issei finally got the chance and managed to find some time to talk to Saki alone. Saki kept struggling and refused to speak with him, but in the end, he forced her to talk.

By coincidence, Arashi and Ryuji witnessed the scene, and seeing the look on Arashi's face, Ryuji reflexively grabbed Arashi's shoulder, his eyes cold and sharp as he stared at him.

"Let them resolve their issues together, you and I should stay out of it," Ryuji warned.

Arashi tried to walk away, but Ryuji used all his strength to hold him back, his eyes still cold and sharp. "I know you care about Saki and like her, but you have to remember that Issei is her boyfriend."

Arashi returned Ryuji's gaze with a cynical look, and the cold aura around him was palpable. "I want to go to the bathroom, is that not allowed?" Arashi asked sarcastically.

Ryuji was momentarily taken aback, then awkwardly smiled, feeling embarrassed as he thought Arashi was trying to interrupt Issei and Saki's argument. Turns out, he had misjudged.

"Go ahead, sorry for blocking your way," Ryuji said nervously, stepping aside to let Arashi through.

"Tch~ you're so weird," Arashi muttered as he passed Ryuji and walked towards the bathroom.

…