Speechless

This afternoon, accompanied by her best friend Aira, she went to the hospital to check on her pregnancy. Fujita, her husband's driver, drove her. Renji wanted to accompany her, but Aira forbade him from skipping school.

The doctor who examined her said her baby was healthy and growing well. However, the doctor advised Aira to consume more fiber-rich foods and vitamins and drink plenty of water. She was also told to avoid stress as it could harm the baby's development.

While the doctor was examining Aira, Saki waited outside the examination room. Most of the people around Saki were pregnant women. Some came alone, their husbands accompanied some, and some even came with boyfriends. Waiting like this wasn't very interesting. She wanted to play with her phone and exchange messages with her boyfriend, but she was still angry and upset. Even though Issei had explained everything yesterday, her heart was still unsettled.

As Saki's eyes wandered around, she accidentally caught sight of a young man she recognized very well—the leading cause of her recent argument with her boyfriend.

"Isn't that pale face?" Saki thought to herself. The young man, whom Saki called 'pale-face,' walked toward a specialist doctor's room near Saki's sitting.

"Saki-chan," Aira called out as she approached.

"Ah, Aira. How's the baby?" Saki asked curiously, eager to know the condition of her future niece or nephew, momentarily forgetting about Tetsuya, whom she had just seen.

Gently stroking her slightly swollen belly with a bright smile, Aira replied, "The doctor said the baby is growing healthily."

"That's a relief. So, where are we going after this?" Saki stood up from her seat.

"How about having lunch? There's a good restaurant nearby."

"Alright, I'll join you."

After the doctor gave them the prescription, the two went to the restaurant for lunch. Fujita joined them but sat at a different table.

"Oh, by the way, Aira, I saw pale—I mean Tetsuya going into a specialist doctor's room earlier," Saki informed her.

"Oh, today is his scheduled check-up," Aira replied casually, without any hesitation.

"Check-up? What's wrong with him?"

"According to Renji-kun, Tetsuya has had a heart condition since childhood," Aira explained while enjoying her meal.

"Are you making this up, Aira?" Saki's face turned horrified.

"At first, I thought the same thing, but you saw for yourself today—Tetsuya came to the hospital. From what I heard from Renji-kun, Tetsuya goes to the hospital every week to check his condition."

"Is it that serious?" Saki asked again, her face filled with curiosity. She began to feel a bit anxious about Tetsuya's condition.

"According to the doctor treating him, Tetsuya only has about one to two years left because his heart is weakening."

At that moment, Saki fell silent, her eyes wide open in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. So, pale-face—her rival and enemy—was secretly suffering from a serious illness, even though he seemed perfectly fine on the outside.

Saki should have been happy that her rival wouldn't live long, but her heart felt sad and pitying for some reason. Tears streamed down her face as she recalled Aira's words about Tetsuya's limited time left. Aira herself was genuinely shocked and confused seeing Saki crying. Could her friend feel sad after learning about Tetsuya's condition?

.

.

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Black loafers were fitted on both feet. Renji deliberately shook one of his feet to ensure the shoes weren't too big or tight, considering the pair he had bought two months ago no longer fit because his feet had grown.

His dark, night-like eyes glanced to the side as he stretched out his hand. "My bag, Aira," he requested softly, waiting for his wife, who was standing faithfully by his side in an apron with a bunny design. She looked dazed while clutching her bag tightly in front of her chest.

"Aira," he called again, this time with a slightly louder tone. But there was no response, as if the woman beside him was a statue.

Feeling curious, Renji turned around to check on his wife and found the beautiful black-haired woman in a daze.

Renji's school bag was still clutched tightly in front of her chest, and her moon-like eyes were scanning Renji from head to toe. This morning, he looked exceptionally handsome and different in his high school uniform.

Aira was mesmerized and struck simultaneously by Renji's morning appearance, which hit her heart hard. The handsome young man with raven hair and night-dark eyes standing in front of her was now wearing a high school uniform, not a work shirt or office suit. Usually, wives would send their husbands off to work to earn a living, not to school to pursue education, especially when their husband was still in high school.

Was there anyone else in the world who experienced something as strange and extraordinary as this, other than Aira?

"Aira, are you sick?" Renji asked, puzzled by Aira's strange behavior this morning.

"Ah!" Aira jumped in surprise, then smiled sweetly, trying to hide her shock and embarrassment for spacing out in front of her husband. 

"Sorry," she said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

One of Renji's hands touched Aira's forehead, but she gently pushed it away. "What are you doing?" Aira asked nervously.

"Stay still!" Renji scolded as he pressed his palm against Aira's forehead. "No fever," he muttered.

Aira pouted. "I'm not sick."

"But your behavior is strange. I was afraid you had a fever, but you don't. So why are you acting weird and looking at me like that?" Renji stared at her suspiciously.

Aira awkwardly laughed, trying to cover up. "I-it's nothing. I was just..."

"Just what, hm?" Renji interrupted with a crooked smile.

Aira's face felt hot, and her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "Hurry up and go, or you'll be late for school," she said, quickly handing him his school bag.

A soft laugh escaped Renji's lips as he lovingly ruffled the top of his wife's head, then quickly kissed her tempting, luscious lips. "Wait for me at home, don't go anywhere." 

"Not even to Asahi Café?" Aira asked with sparkling eyes.

"No," Renji answered firmly.

"But I'm bored staying home always," she whined sweetly.

"We'll go out when I'm on break."

"I don't want to!" Aira pouted, her eyes even starting to glisten with tears. "I want to go out. I'm tired of being stuck at home," she pleaded.

"If I say no, then it's no!" Renji snapped loudly.

Aira's body stiffened momentarily, and tears soon began streaming down her cheeks. At that moment, Renji's heart was filled with guilt for yelling at her. He truly hadn't meant to scare Aira; he had just been momentarily overwhelmed by his stress. He reached out to hold the trembling shoulders of his crying wife.

"I'm sorry," he said regretfully.

"Renji-kun is scary... and mean," Aira sobbed softly.

"Yes, I admit I was wrong. Please stop crying, my love," he pleaded gently.

Since becoming pregnant, Aira's personality and behavior have changed drastically, almost 180 degrees. She wasn't the same Aira he had first met, who was always sharp-tongued, cold, and indifferent, often treating Renji like a child because he was younger than her. But now, everything was the opposite. The old Aira had disappeared, replaced by a more emotional, clingy version who had grown to love and accept Renji's presence.

Renji sometimes found it frustrating and endearing when Aira got angry or sulked like a child, always seeking attention when she felt ignored. However, the one thing Renji hated the most was seeing his wife cry. Whenever this happened, he had to be the one to give in, coaxing her in every way possible. From the many pregnancy books he had read, he learned that mood swings were common in pregnant women due to hormonal imbalances. Renji was trying his best to understand Aira's ever-changing emotions.

"Your face looks ugly when you cry, Aira," Renji teased, only to be met with a hard punch on his shoulder. Renji pretended to be in pain, but Aira's punches grew harder as she realized he was teasing her.

Renji's hands cupped Aira's chubby cheeks, and their eyes met. "It hurts my heart to see you cry. What should I do to make you stop crying and forgive me, Aira?" he asked, pleading.

At that moment, the arrogant, cold, cruel, and apathetic side of Renji that Aira had always known seemed to melt away. He appeared vulnerable and helpless, even begging for forgiveness—something Renji rarely did, as it went against the pride of the Ishikawa family. But for Renji, he would do anything to make the black-haired woman in front of him happy and keep her smiling because she was the center of his world and his life.

A soft blush spread across Aira's cheeks, accompanied by a shy smile. "A... a kiss," she whispered hesitantly, her voice barely audible. Fortunately, Renji's hearing was sharp, and he caught her words, faint as they were.

"As you wish, honey," Renji said before gently capturing Aira's lips in a kiss.

One of Aira's hands gripped Renji's arm tightly, and her eyes closed as she savored the intoxicatingly sweet kiss like candy.

After a few seconds, Renji pulled away. "We'll continue tonight," he whispered seductively into Aira's ear before giving her a quick peck.

"Pervert!!!" Aira shrieked, her face turning as red as a tomato. Renji's shoulders became the target of Aira's frustration as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

"I'll have Fujita take you to Asahi Café later," Renji said, lovingly ruffling Aira's hair and gently patting her belly. "I'm heading out now, Aira."

"Be careful on the way, and study hard! Don't skip class!" she called out, waving her hand.

After Renji left, Aira was alone in the house again, but her duties as a wife weren't over yet. Even though Renji had hired people to manage the house, there were still some household chores, such as cooking, preparing provisions, and tidying up Aira's room, even though there was a small debate because of the problem.

At home, Renji is very indulgent to Aira, treating her so well and so responsible; his attitude is very mature, far from his teenage years. Aira felt really lucky and thanked God for being reunited with Renji, an extraordinary young man.

She remembered the words of Fujin, her former coworker and a devout follower of the god Hachiman, who once said that God gives us what we need, not what we want. Now, Aira understood and agreed with those words. She had needed someone like Renji, even though her heart had once desired Kairo.

…