Chapter 52: Regrets and Revelations

Haruki paced restlessly in his apartment, his hand reaching for his phone again—only to hesitate before pressing the call button. He had tried calling Tsukiko countless times, but each attempt ended in silence. 

His chest tightened with each unanswered ring, and a gnawing anxiety grew within him. It was a bitter reminder that he, too, was now a part of her past—one she had locked away behind walls that no one could penetrate.

Tsukiko, meanwhile, had found solace in staying with her close friend, Ayumi, trying to drown out the confusion and hurt that had taken root in her heart. 

She told herself she was fine—that pushing Haruki away was the right thing to do. But no matter how hard she tried to bury her emotions, the pain refused to fade.

Her life felt like a mess of shattered pieces, ones that no one—not even she—could put back together.

Then Ayumi's phone rang.

Ayumi glanced at the screen before quickly turning it toward Tsukiko, her expression cautious. Kai.

The name alone made Tsukiko's stomach tighten.

Ayumi hesitated before answering. "You still have my number?"

Kai's voice came through, tense and urgent. "Ayumi, please… I need to talk to Tsuki. You know where she is, right?"

Tsukiko stiffened, having heard every word.

"Why should I—" Ayumi started, but Tsukiko cut her off. "What do you want?"

A sharp inhale on the other end. Then, a familiar, shaky voice.

"Tsu-Tsuki…yo- you're there?" Kai's voice trembled as he heard her voice for a long time. 

She swallowed hard. "Just say it." Her voice was cold, steady—refusing to waver.

Kai hesitated, his voice laced with quiet desperation. "Tsuki, I know you don't want anything to do with me, but… can we meet?"

Tsukiko's grip on her phone tightened. "I refuse." 

A shaky breath came from the other end. "Please, Tsuki." His voice was softer now, almost fragile.

She glanced at Ayumi, who met her gaze with an unreadable expression.

Tsukiko swallowed hard. She had spent years running, burying, pretending. But some ghosts didn't fade—they had to be faced.

"Fine."

Reluctantly, she agreed.

They met at a quiet café. The moment Tsukiko saw him, something twisted in her chest.

Kai looked different—his face gaunt, his posture slouched, as if the weight of something unseen had drained him.

She sat down without a word. He couldn't stop staring at her. "Tsuki… how… have you been?"

"Make it quick." She kept her gaze lowered, refusing to meet his eyes.

Kai purposely didn't want to rush his reunion with his ex-wife. Standing up as he said, "Let me order something first. Mocha frappe, right?"

Before she could protest, he was already on his feet. 

When he returned, setting the drink in front of her, an awkward silence stretched between them. He seemed lost, struggling to find the right words.

Tsukiko, impatient, finally spoke. "Does taking care of a child really wear you out this much?"

Kai's eyes widened. "H-How do you know I have a child?"

She ignored his question. "Just tell me what you want."

Kai's eyes lingered on her, filled with a mix of sadness and longing. "You're still the same, Tsuki," he said softly. "You never waver from your dreams. When you disappeared last time... I went to your workplace, hoping to find you. But when I heard you'd resigned on the spot, I... I feared I had made you give up everything you believed in."

"Why would I abandon my dreams because of you?" Tsukiko's voice was calm but firm.

"Right," Kai said softly, his voice cracking. "I was wrong to assume that."

Tsukiko remained silent, her eyes cold. Kai continued, his voice thick with regret.

"I… I got married soon after you filed for divorce. I thought… maybe that was my way of atoning for my mistakes. But my bond with her... it was never like what we had," Kai continued, his voice heavy. "There was no love, no real connection. It was a marriage born of mistakes and regret."

His eyes teared up as he spoke. "Every day, I lived knowing I had lost the love of my life. I couldn't see you again after the divorce. The guilt kept me away. But sometimes, when everything was quiet... I would close my eyes and remember you. Your smile, your laugh, your warmth. I'd cry for what I had lost."

Tsukiko's chest tightened. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm sorry, Tsuki. I know my apology won't change anything. But I needed to say it. I don't expect you to forgive me." His voice trembled, raw with emotion. "You deserve so much more than what I became. And though I can never change the past, I'll carry this regret for the rest of my life."

Tsukiko couldn't respond. Her mind was a whirlwind. His words, though heartfelt, didn't erase the betrayal, the pain. The scars were still too fresh.

Without a word, she stood abruptly, her heart heavy in her chest. Before leaving, she turned to him and said, her voice steady but piercing,

"Just so you know, Kai, you made your choice. You have a family now. Are you going to be the kind of father who can't move on with his past lover? It's time to stop living in the past. You can't undo what's been done, but you can still make things right with the people who are here now, the ones who need you."

She didn't wait for his response. Turning on her heel, she walked out of the café, her heart hammering against her ribs. The moment she stepped outside, the composure she had forced herself to maintain cracked. A sharp breath escaped her as she wiped at her eyes, the tears slipping through her defenses.

But were they for Kai?

Or for Haruki—the man she had just pushed away?

Across the street, hidden by the steady stream of pedestrians, Sha watched.

She hadn't planned on being there. When she couldn't reach Kai, she had driven to his office and waited outside, expecting him to appear. When she finally saw him leave and tried to call out, he hadn't heard her.

So she followed.

Now, standing in the shadows, she saw everything—the way Kai looked at Tsukiko, the regret etched across his face, the undeniable weight of their conversation. And when Tsukiko walked away, Sha saw the flicker of longing in her husband's eyes.

Her blood boiled.

Teeth clenched, she turned abruptly, marching back to her car. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"So this is how it is," she murmured darkly.

That woman. That wretched woman.

The one she thought she had buried in the past.

"You think I'll just back away?" she sneered, her heart pounding with rage.

Back at home, she sat at her desk, flipping open her laptop.

Her mind raced with schemes, with ways to sever whatever lingering thread connected Kai and Tsukiko.

If Tsukiko thought she could just walk back into their lives, she was sorely mistaken.

This time, Sha wouldn't let her win.