Chapter 12 : A Place To Stay
[Alert! Alert! Alert! Another bonus mission has been unlocked! Bonus Mission : Maintain your position in the Takigawa family!
Basic reward upon completion : Roof over your head.
Basic punishment upon failure : No roof over your head.]
Midori cursed in her heart.
How could she not realize it?
When Chie and Fumiko intercepted her brothers at the foyer, they naturally took the opportunity to whine to Shuugo about her. Damn snakes!
On the other side, Midori could not act coy in front of Shuugo because Shuugo was supposedly very protective of his wife. In front of everyone, including her husband, Chie had always done her best to act like the epitome of a traditional Japanese housewife. Gentle, agreeable, and kind.
Oh, if Shuugo only knew what kind of snake spirit his wife actually was!
"But Onii-chan, if Midori-chan cannot stay here, where can she go?" Satoru asked in puzzlement.
Oh Satoru, bless your heart.
Midori was so happy that her twin brother sided with her.
Shuugo shot Midori a curt smile.
"Midori-chan, you are no longer the eighteen-year-old girl from three years ago. You are about to become a mother. It would be good if you could learn to take care of yourself outside of your birth family's house.
Otherwise... People might talk. And it is not good for your reputation."
Midori's face crumpled in sadness.
"Shuugo-niichan... Are you ashamed of me...?"
Shuugo's impassive facial expression stirred when he heard his youngest sibling's heartwrenching words.
"Midori-chan, you are my sister. I will always love you."
"Onii-chan, it was not the answer to my question," Midori's lips trembled from sadness. "I am sorry. I should not have returned and brought shame to the family."
Panic crept to Shuugo's face.
"Midori-chan, I..."
"Midori-chan, if Shuugo-nii does not welcome you to the Takigawa family, come and live with me," Minato said as he pulled Midori to his side.
Like a realtor who was trying to offer his client a house to buy, he continued by promoting his current living space, "I have a nice house at the center of bustling Hongo, just a walking distance from the hospital I work at. You will like Hongo. It is beautiful in spring, warm in summer, mesmerizing in autumn, and enchanting in winter."
"Or live with me," Arata spoke up. He raised his gentle eyes and met Midori's glassy ones.
"I live in Nihonbashi."
Nihonbashi was the financial heart of Tokyo in the Meiji Era, Midori quickly recalled some facts from the historical textbooks she read at school. It was known to be one of the first towns to open its arms to modernization.
A captivating blend of traditional Japanese charm and emerging Western influences, Nihonbashi often appeared like the result of two worlds collapsing into one.
The proud residents of Nihonbashi embraced changes while at the same time stubbornly clung to their rich cultural heritage.
It was the place where one got the experience the best of two worlds.
Satoru, the youngest of the four brothers, shifted his gaze from Shuugo to Minato, from Minato to Arata, and then from Arata to Midori, who was currently shooting star-filled looks at Arata.
"I... I... I also want to move out!" Satoru cried out. "Midori-chan, where do you want to live? I will buy a house for us! Let's live together and raise the baby together!"
Oh. My.
So what if she had to leave the Takigawa house?
She had three gorgeous brothers who were more than happy to take her in.
The handsome and alluring Minato.
The reticent but caring Arata.
And last but not least, the cute and loving Satoru.
"That won't do, Satoru-kun," Shuugo shot his youngest brother a sharp look. "You are working in our family's shipping company after all. You can't just move to any other city in Japan and commute every day to handle your daily job."
"But... But..."
Minato shot Arata a mischievous smile. He squeezed Midori's shoulder and spoke more to Arata than to Midori, "Well, well. I guess Midori will stay with either me or Arata-kun. You can take your time to decide, Midori-chan."
He then slipped a name card out of his pocket and handed it to Midori. His complete designation, address, and phone number were written there in careful, elegant prints.
"Come anytime," he said with a wink. "Better yet, give me a call. I will come and pick you up as soon as possible."
Arata did not have any name card to give, so he scribbled down his address and phone number on his police notepad, ripped the paper off the pad, and pressed it into Midori's hand.
"If you cannot reach me, you can also contact my workplace. It's at..."
"WAIT!" Satoru howled.
The prospect of losing Midori again was unbearable to him.
"Midori-chan is pregnant and you two work the entire days! Who is going to take care of her??? I propose that Midori stays here, at least until she gives birth!"
Shuugo heaved a sigh. He put up both hands in resignation.
"You are all making me out to be the demon. I am also happy to have Midori back. I just don't want her to keep hiding from guests, or have guests ogle her in a disrespectful way."
Dejected, Shuugo walked away.
S-9898's cheerful voice resounded in Midori's mind to announce the success of the mission.
[Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! Midori-san, you have successfully completed the bonus mission!
Basic reward upon completion, a roof over your head remains intact!
3 Creativity Points have been added to your account for your clever ways of maneuvering the situation.
3 Charm Points have been added to your account as a result of your good interaction with Minato-niisan.
3 Charm Points have been added to your account as a result of your good interaction with Arata-niisan.
5 Charm Points have been added to your account as a result of your good interaction with Satoru-kun.
5 Charm Points have been deducted from your account as a result of your bad interaction with Shuugo-niisan.
You have unlocked the title "Most Popular Girl".
Two additional items have been added to your inventory :
1. Minato Sensei's name card
2. Police Detective Arata's contact details.]
Midori was happy to receive more points, but her poor interaction with Shuugo left a bad taste on her tongue.
When Shuugo thus moved to leave, Midori quickly chased after him.
"Shuugo-nii, can we please talk?" Midori asked once she caught up with him.