Chapter 10 : Three Years Too Late

Midori could barely believe the transformation she had undergone by just taking a bath and changing into a set of her old, but fancy kimono.

She felt like a Japanese version of Cinderella!

Giggling like a fool, she twirled around in her kimono in front of the full-length mirror that stood at the corner of her bedroom.

In stark contrast to the elegance of her attire, Midori's long hair was a wild, untamed mess. Fresh from the bathroom, it dripped with moisture, clinging to her scalp like a tangle of wet seaweed. With a mischievous grin, she plucked a strand of her hair and playfully chomped on it, producing a gurgling sound that echoed the eerie wails of a Japanese ghost.

"Midori-chan*!!!"

The door to the bedroom was flung open and a young man stood at the doorway. Midori blinked into a face that looked like hers a lot.

"Satoru-kun*...?"

Three years had painted a stark transformation on Satoru, the twin brother Midori had left behind. The lanky, awkward teenager who had clung to her side, his eyes brimming with tears at the slightest hint of separation, was now a young man, taller than her by several inches.

His once soft features had hardened, his nose bridge sharpening, his jawline acquiring a ruggedness that spoke of a man's resolve. His eyes, once wide and puppy-like, had lost their playful innocence, replaced by a depth and sharpness that mirrored the steely gaze of the Takigawa men. Gone was the boy who had wept at the slightest setback; in his place stood a young man, weathered by life's experiences, his gaze firm and resolute.

Satoru stared at Midori's ghost-like appearance with big, round eyes. 

For once, Midori felt ashamed of herself. She was twenty-one years old, for heaven's sake! And she was about to become a mother, although she was clearly not ready to become one. And here she was, playing ghost in her bedroom after bath.

"Satoru-kun, I was just playing," Midori released the strand of hair from her mouth and grabbed after a comb that lay on the dressing table. She buried the comb into her hair and pulled it down, but it got stuck in her tangled mess of hair instead.

Satoru's frozen facial expression slowly gave way to a grin.

"Midori-chan, it's really you," he said with a soft, broken voice.

Behind the manly facade, Satoru was still Satoru after all. He ran into the bedroom, closing the distance between them in just several steps. Midori let out a gasp when she was pulled into Satoru's arms.

Tears fell from the end of her eyes immediately, drenching Satoru's blue checkered suit.

Satoru smelled like home.

She was finally home.

"Midori-chan, oh, goodness. You have come back. Don't leave anymore, do you hear me?"

Midori could not see Satoru's face when she was pressed into the latter's shoulder, but she was pretty sure that Satoru was also crying.

"M-hm," she choked with sobs. "I won't leave you anymore. I won't."

"If you must leave, at least take me with you," Satoru said. "You were so mean, Midori-chan. You did not even leave an address, let alone write a letter. Don't you want me anymore?"

"I am sorry!" Midori wailed. She was overwhelmed by the original host's emotions.

Truthfully, her life after marrying into the Koishikawa family had taken such a dark turn that she did not have any face to write to her birth family. Besides, at that time, Satoru had already left Japan to study in England.

Midori loosened the embrace and cupped her twin brother's face in her hands.

"Satoru, you... you grew up," she said with a touch of disbelief. "And you came back. How... How was England?"

"England was amazing!!!"

Satoru started blabbing about his three years in England. He had gone there to study naval architecture because the Takigawa family harbored ambitious plans to expand their business horizons beyond the shores of Japan. It was their eldest brother's dream to establish direct trade routes and forge new partnerships across the vast expanse of the globe. 

"That is wonderful!"

Midori squeezed Satoru's hands, her eyes gleaming in happy tears for her brother. At the same time, she could not help but feel sorry for the original host.

The first and foremost reason for Midori Ojou-sama's rebellious bout was Grandpa Takigawa's traditional mindset that did not allow him to see the potential that shimmered beyond the eighteen-year-old girl's inferior gender.

Satoru was excited about spending a few years abroad, but Midori was the one who was truly passionate about learning.

Alas, she was only allowed to go to a women-only school, where she learned reading, writing, calligraphy, basic arithmetic skills, Japanese literature, flower arranging, and tea ceremony. She finished school when she was eighteen years old. Despite her pleas to Grandpa Takigawa to let her go to England with Satoru, what she received was a list of prospective marriage partners instead.

In retrospect, her decision to run away from home and marry Ryouichi Koishikawa was mainly fueled by her frustration toward Grandpa Takigawa. Sure, she thought that she was in love with the third son of the Koishikawa family, but look how quickly that love faded after only a few weeks had passed.

Satoru squeezed Midori's arms hard.

"Midori-chan, listen. I know that it is maybe a little late, but... I have started working in Shuugo-niichan's shipping company. I am earning a decent amount of money. If you want, I can let you go to England to study! Don't worry, we won't tell Grandpa."

Shougo was their eldest brother, the first-born grandchild to Grandpa Takigawa.

Oh, Satoru. Bless his heart.

Midori patted Satoru's cheeks fondly.

"Satoru-kun, thank you, but... it is already too late for that."

"Late? Why?"

The confusion on Satoru's face told Midori that Chie and Fumiko had not poisoned his mind yet.

Midori put a hand on her stomach and caressed her still-flat belly.

"I am ten weeks pregnant. Satoru-kun, you are going to be an uncle."

Satoru's eyes widened in shock as his gaze fell on Midori's stomach.

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Author's note :

*-chan is an honorific used for girls with a close relationship to the speaker.

-kun is an honorific used for boys with a close relationship to the speaker.