Chapter 38 : Ryouichi's Demand
Minato did not intend for the meeting to last the entire night, thus they only chatted for a while before Susan went back home. Before she left, she insisted on having lunch with Midori next time, just the two of them.
Once the door fell close, Minato turned to look at Midori and asked with an arched brow, "Well?"
Midori beamed at her brother and put her arms around him.
"She is perfect. Minato-niichan, I am so, so happy for you."
Minato exhaled out of relief and breathed into Midori's hair.
"Thank you. We are both very desperate for acceptance, as you might notice."
Midori loosened her embrace and gave Minato a concerned look.
"Is Grandpa against Susan because she is a foreigner?"
"In a nutshell, yes," Minato confirmed. "Japan is changing, but Grandpa still believes that marriages should happen within the same race."
A storm raged within Minato's handsome features, his face a canvas for the war between duty and desire.
The deeply ingrained custom of taking a perfect Japanese woman to wife held him captive, a gilded cage offering the comfort of societal approval.
But a fierce hunger for free love, unbound by cultural constraints, clawed its way to the surface, demanding its right to roam the world freely.
Oh, the older generations.
Midori almost rolled with her eyes.
Modern Japan not only approved of a relationship with foreigners. They assumed the appearance of foreigners in their own country.
Men and women wandered the street in rainbow wigs that would make a sunset jealous, costumes that would make a Kabuki actor blush, and makeup thicker than a bowl of ramen.
If Grandpa Takigawa ever came across those cosplayers, he might just suffer from a heart attack.
Midori squeezed Minato's arm lovingly.
"Onii-chan, don't worry. Let me talk to Grandpa about this matter first. Maybe I can talk some sense into him."
The ends of Minato's mouth tugged up into a smile.
"I know that I can rely on my little sister," he said.
"Ehehehe..."
Helping Minato was one thing, but Midori needed to take care of her own affairs first. The first step toward the future was ensuring a clean break from the Koishikawa family, and making Ryouichi Koishikawa stop pestering her for good!
At eight sharp the next morning, Midori found herself at the doorstep of the family register office. Nestled amidst the urban chaos, the building seemed decidedly underwhelming – small, unassuming, with a single counter presided over by a woman whose face was stiff from smiling too much.
The recent introduction of mandatory marriage registration was still a novelty, not yet woven into the fabric of tradition. Some, married long before the law, saw it as an unnecessary formality, while others, newly embarked on their matrimonial journey, grappled with its purpose.
The man, impeccably dressed in a black kimono, exuded an air of dashing charm. His wife, adorned in a vibrant floral kimono, radiated beauty and grace. The unspoken love exchanged in their gazes painted a picture of a couple united in happiness, seeking to formalize their joyous union on that momentous day.
Once the couple finished putting down their signatures on the registration form, they wrapped each other in a warm embrace under the thunderous cheer of their family members, who were waiting some distance away from them.
Against her will, Midori saw the original host's memory of her wedding to Ryouichi Koishikawa.
There was no marriage registration form to sign, the wedding took place in a lonely setting with no one from the Takigawa family's side to hand her over to the Koishikawa family.
And yet, the original host was happy.
Until she wasn't anymore.
Midori dabbed the ends of her eyes with a handkerchief to drive the past sentiments away. She was about to take a seat on one of the long benches opposite the counter when Ryouichi arrived.
"Sorry for being late," the man said hastily.
"No worries," Midori replied graciously. "This is the last time I wait for you."
Ryouichi's expression hardened from hearing Midori's words.
"Midori-san, I..."
Midori's wrist was yanked backward by her ex-husband. "I wish to renew our marriage vow."
"And I wish to put an end to it," Midori replied mercilessly. "Ryouichi-san, we endured each other for three whole years. Let's do ourselves the favor and separate right now."
A palpable tension hung in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife. Every eye in the room seemed glued to the couple as Ryouichi, without a word, pulled Midori away from the counter to grant themselves some privacy.
"I don't want that. Midori-san, please. I beg you, please give me another chance," he repeated his pleas from the previous night.
A burst of cheerless laughter left Midori's lips.
"This again?"
Midori yanked her wrist off Ryouichi's grip. "Ryouichi-san, let's stop beating around the bush. You don't love me. You never did. The one you love is Hanae Makimura-san."
"And I keep telling you that you are wrong," Ryouichi insisted.
He grabbed Midori by her shoulders and looked her deep into the eyes.
"Midori-san, did the private eye fail to tell you that Hanae-san was the daughter of my father's best friend?"
Midori stared at him.
"And how is that relevant? If you are using this additional information as an excuse to cheat..."
"I did not cheat!" Ryouichi insisted. "Never! I took care of Hanae-san's living expenses and education because my father asked me to do so! She is like a sister to me!"
"Some sister," Midori murmured. "I should thank your sister for the unforgettable night at Kagemachi, then."
As she said the words, she ran a hand down her stomach. "I am carrying the fruit of her horrible crime."
"You are wrong again, it was not Hanae-san who drugged you!"
Midori's mouth fell open from amazement. To think that Ryouichi sided with Hanae even after she spoke about her crime!
"Then who? Who drugged me that night?" Midori snapped.
"That... No one knew. Hanae herself also got drugged..."
Midori narrowed her eyes at Ryouichi.
"Oh? And did she sleep with someone?"
Ryouichi clenched his jaw and took a deep breath before he answered, "We slept together by accident."