殺人者

SATSUJINSHA

by 江島ひとみ

Chapter Forty: Unveiled

--

Playfully shuffling her feet on the floor as she idly swayed her bag in her arms, Akemi patiently waited on the doorstep of the Morisato residence. A few seconds later, the door finally opened, the sight of her older sister Izumi greeting her beyond the entrance.

"Oh, Akemi!" Izumi stared at her visitor. "You're here!"

"Hey, Neesan," Akemi smiled. "I'm back."

"Why didn't you come back home last night?" The woman frowned reproachfully at her as the girl stepped inside the house. "We were waiting for you the whole time."

"Ah, sorry about that," she grinned uneasily. "You see..."

"Oh my God, Akemi!!"

The brown-haired lass was immediately cut off as the sight of her mother and father emerging from the living room sent her eyes widening in surprise.

"Tousan! Kaasan!" Akemi laughed, running forward to embrace her parents in a long, tight hug. "I forgot you guys were coming home today!"

"Oh, Akemi, we missed you so much!" Her mother cried in joy. "I haven't seen you in such a long time! How have you been doing?"

"I'm doing great, Mom," The girl smiled as they walked back to the living room. To her silent wonder, Akemi found Makoto and his little sister Megumi seated on one of the couches in front of her.

"Temee," The khaki-haired lad growled, standing up from his seat. "Where were you last night?"

"Ah, ano ne..." She scratched her head. "I dropped by the mansion for a while to give Takeshi's gift..."

"Why didn't you return then?!"

"Maa, Makoto-kun, calm down," Izumi sweatdropped. "At least she's here now."

"Speaking of that man," Her father sternly began as they situated themselves on the long couch facing the television, where the news was currently showing. "How are you doing with your husband now?"

"Um, before that, Dad," Akemi clutched the strap of her bag tighter around her hands. "I think I have to tell you guys something first..."

Izumi cast her sister a short glance of confusion.

"I-I'm pregnant right now," she murmured, staring uneasily at the floor. "Don't worry, Takeshi and I are on better terms now. We've already fixed things out between us..."

Her father took in a deep intake of breath as her mother put a hand to her chest at the sudden disclosure.

"Look, we all know how things were before..." Akemi said softly. "But now I think he's really willing to change and start all over again..."

Makoto couldn't help but let out a snort. "Fat chance."

The brown-haired lass frowned disapprovingly at him. "I'm telling the truth, Makoto."

"I think she's right, Mom, Dad," Izumi sighed, resting a hand on the couch the boy was sitting on. "You heard what happened in Shinjuku two days ago... I doubt he would do such a reckless thing if he wasn't serious."

"He was even the one to send me here," Akemi let out a small smile. "He actually suggested I spend the day here with you guys to make up for it since I wasn't around last night."

"Where is he now then?" Izumi asked with creased eyebrows.

"I don't know really," The girl blinked, shrugging. "He said he would be dropping by the office for a while to fix some things..."

"He could've at least come in for a while so we could finally talk things out with him," Her mother frowned.

"He's scared, Mom," Akemi let out a small laugh. "He thinks you guys might not be ready yet."

"Well, he's definitely still not off the hook," Her father replied firmly. "You know we can't just forget all that's happened that easily."

"I know," The lass slowly nodded. "But he's trying bit by bit. I hope you guys will too."

"Well, speaking of the devil," Makoto muttered to himself as he fixed his idle gaze to the television screen in front of him. It was currently showing the clip of none other than Takeshi himself, seated on a long table beside his recognizable cousin Hiroshi and manager Hanada. Cameras kept clicking away furiously at the lad, with a ruckus of reporters throwing questions at him from every angle.

"Oh, what's he doing on TV?" Izumi asked. "I thought you said he was just at the office?"

"I don't know," Akemi blinked in faint surprise. "I thought so too."

"Meanwhile for the entertainment news, Ryuuzaki Takeshi has finally spoken on the matter concerning the Shinjuku incident two days ago. Mr. Ryuuzaki claims the event as nothing more than a film shoot..."

"Oh, so that's it," Izumi slowly nodded. "Well, I suppose he made the right thing this time."

"Why? He's lying on national television," Makoto scoffed. "It wasn't a film shoot."

"Of course it wasn't, Makoto-kun," The older woman frowned. "But think about it. If he said otherwise, the controversy would just get worse."

"Che, I guess so..."

"Mou, that baka," Akemi pouted. "People really are going to be expecting for a movie with that thing in it then..."

"Mr. Ryuuzaki has also officially disclosed on the matter concerning his controversial marriage and the true identity of his wife—"

"What?!" The girl's eyes went wide with surprise as she flinched in her seat. "What the—"

"Yes, the same girl I was with in Shinjuku and the same girl who was my co-model in the J-Phone commercial..." Takeshi said, his signature face showing on the screen. "Her name is Morisato Akemi, and she is my wife..."

"Oh my God, Akemi...!" Izumi whispered in disbelief. "He finally said it...!"

"Never thought he'd say it this soon," Makoto raised his eyebrows.

All the brown-haired lass could do was to bury her face in her hands. "Oh my God!! Jesus Christ..."

"I decided not to disclose her name at first to protect her privacy, and to protect our marriage as well," Takeshi explained with a small smile. "But now I think she and I are both ready to finally make things public."

"No, I'm not!" Akemi gritted through clenched teeth. "Oh, I am so going to kill you when I get back home...!"

"Uh, if you can get back home."

"Huh?" The girl stared at Makoto in confusion, who was now glancing outside the window, peeking through the curtains.

"What are you talking about?" Izumi creased her forehead, taking a peek at the window as well. The doorbell suddenly rang and her mother stood up to walk to the door.

The moment the woman opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise as a flock of reporters with their microphones and cameras in hand came attacking on her doorstep.

"Excuse me, is this where Morisato Akemi lives?!"

"We'd like to have an interview with her family—"

"Just for a couple of minutes, if you don't mind—"

Her father and Makoto immediately rushed to help the woman close the door to shut the reporters out.

"Damn it, I knew this would happen!" Akemi exclaimed, immediately standing up from her seat to grab her cellphone from her bag. She hastily brought the mobile to her ear and impatiently waited on the continuously ringing line while agitatedly walking back and forth. "God, answer the phone!!"

--

Meanwhile, ignoring his ringing cellphone as a smirk crept to his lips, Takeshi merely watched the wide scenery of Tokyo seventy floors below him as he stood on the helipad of the Ryuuzaki Business Hotel, the harsh air whipping through his blonde hair as the coat of his informally executive clothing flapped noisily against the breeze.

After a couple of seconds, Takeshi finally decided to answer the phone as he brought the device to his ear.

"Yes, dear?" The lad smiled.

"God damn it, Takeshi! Where the hell are you?!"

The smile on his lips merely curled wider. "I see you've heard the news already."

"Damn right I have!" Akemi angrily exclaimed back at her house. "Do you know how many reporters are outside my house right now?!"

"Hmm, let me guess," Takeshi playfully pursed his lips. "Twenty? Thirty perhaps?"

"Oh, God! At this rate I won't be able to step one foot out of this house!"

"Don't worry," he chuckled amusedly. "I've already sent Hanada to take care of the press for you. I'll be able to pick you up soon."

"You better!" Akemi snarled. "I swear, I am going to maim you when I see you—"

"Now the whole world knows you're mine, Akemi," Takeshi murmured, sending the girl stopping halfway in her reply. "All mine..."

"Shut up," The lass flushed a shade of red.

"I love you, Akemi," he smiled. "I'll see you later."

Cutting the girl off before she could shout at him any further, Takeshi ended the call, safely placing his cellphone back inside his pocket as he smiled contentedly to himself.

--

"Oh my God, what an adorable boy!"

Carefully lifting the baby in her arms, Hidaka Akiko smiled in delight upon carrying the child from its crib.

"Looks just like his father," Izumi smiled, gently ruffling the thin tufts of blonde hair forming on the baby's head.

"Mama, Mama, I wanna see," Little Megumi piped up, tugging on her mother's skirt. "Let me see the baby!"

"Sshh, be quiet, you'll wake the baby up," Makoto’s mother whispered, letting the baby rest his head on her shoulder.

"Can I carry him for a while?" Izumi's mother Azusa asked as the other woman carefully transferred the child to her arms.

"Oh, such a beautiful child..." Azusa murmured, delicately cradling the boy. "You should get your own too, Izumi."

"Really, Mom?" Izumi let out a small laugh as her boyfriend Tomokazu wrapped his arms gently around her shoulders. "Maybe I will get my own one soon, hopefully."

"Who would've thought your sister would beat you first in getting married and having children?" Her father Masahiro heartily laughed.

"Don't say that, Dad. No one saw any of this coming."

All heads turned around to glance at the brown-haired girl who stepped out into the gardens of the Ryuuzaki Mansion. Wearing a simple, cream-colored dress, Akemi looked just as beautiful and as youthful as ever even after giving birth to her child seven months later.

"Oh, Akemi, you're finally here," Her mother laughed. "We were just talking about how lovely your son Tsutomu is. Why, he might just grow up as handsome as his father one day!"

"Maybe even more," Akemi giggled. "I look forward to it."

"And to think his name starts with a letter T too," Makoto, who was seated on a chair near a batch of orchids, lazily grunted. "How perfect. Hell, you could've just named the kid Takeshi Jr. to make it easier."

The group laughed at his remark.

"You'll never change, Makoto," Akemi shook her head. "Why? Could you have suggested for a better name?"

"Yeah, I mean..." The boy scratched the bottom of his right ear. "It could've started with a letter... M... or something."

"That doesn't make it any different," Izumi laughed lightly.

"Where is Takeshi anyway?" Her mother asked. "Shouldn't he be coming downstairs by now?"

"I'll go check up on him in his room then," Akemi blinked. "Excuse me for a while."

Momentarily leaving the place, Akemi returned back inside the Grand Hall, then up the steps of the spiral marble staircase to head to their bedroom. Quietly walking down the hallway, she stopped in front of a door, carefully turning on the knob and poking her head in to check inside the room.

"Hey," she began with a small smile as she found her husband Takeshi quietly watching the scenery below him from the window. "What are you still doing here? Mom and the others are already looking for you."

Takeshi slowly turned around and returned back his wife's smile with his own. "Nothing, I just thought I'd stay in here for a couple of minutes longer."

Softly closing the door behind her, Akemi made her way to Takeshi and wrapped her arms around him.

"You have a wonderful family," he murmured, his eyes turning gentle upon looking at the small crowd below. "Somehow I feel like I don't deserve to be a part of it."

"Nani yo," Akemi laughed, facing him. "Don't say such a thing. Of course you deserve to be a part of our family! What even made you say that?"

"I can't help but remember what happened before," Takeshi sighed, creasing his forehead worriedly. "I mean, I'm still rather surprised up to now how your family can accept me this quickly."

"We've all long forgiven and forgotten," Akemi smiled, playfully poking him on the cheek. "It's nothing more but a thing of the past. Don't be such a sour grape and move on, silly."

"You're right," Takeshi smiled in return as he planted a soft kiss on his wife's lips.

"Saa, let's go," Akemi grinned, taking hold of his hand and gently guiding him out of the room to head downstairs.

The moment they arrived back at the garden, the group fell silent for several seconds as they watched the couple emerge from the Grand Hall.

"Takeshi, my son," Akemi's father smiled, taking hold of the lad in a small embrace. "What took you so long? We were looking for you."

"I was just in my room, Masahiro-san," Takeshi smiled in return. "Sorry about that."

"Takeshi-niichan!" Makoto's younger sister came running to the man and held him tight. "They won't let me see the baby! Let them make me see the baby, please? Please?"

"Of course," Takeshi let out a small laugh. "Don’t worry, we’ll play with him later, okay?"

Makoto, who was currently carrying the baby, then fell to a silent glower and stuck his tongue repulsively at his sister.

"Shut up, kaijuu," he spat out. "You're just going to drop the kid. Then again, this isn't mine, so I suppose I shouldn't mind."

Takeshi smirked amusedly to himself as he approached the khaki-haired lad.

"Let me have Tsutomu for a while," he said. "You might just be the one to drop him instead."

"Nandato?!"

"Maa, calm down, you two," Akemi sweatdropped, slipping in between the two men when both seemed ready to begin bickering at each other. "You're going to wake the baby up..."

"Che, stuck-up ass," Makoto muttered under his breath, crossing his arms when Takeshi finally took hold of his son to return him back to the crib.

"I heard that, ahou," Takeshi grumbled.

"Guys..." Akemi sweatdropped further.

"Then again, some things really won't change, huh?" Izumi smiled as she stood beside her mother and father, who were watching the scene in silent amusement.

--

Slowly opening the door, Takeshi quietly slipped inside the nursery later that evening and walked to the crib at the center of the room, peering over the cradle where his son was nestled in and soundly sleeping as a small smile crept to his lips. With a careful hand, he traced a gentle finger on the baby's cheek and felt the smooth surface of his skin, his round and supple cheeks making his father smile wider with pride and affection. Most people had said that his son looked just like him, for his blonde hair and fair skin was a signature trait that the boy had acquired, but Tsutomu had taken Akemi's beautiful ruby eyes, making him, as Takeshi himself would hate to admit, most probably grow to become a more handsome man than he was. He couldn't help but be amused at the idea of this, but well, at least the man who would beat him to it would be one of his own.

Unable to hold himself back, Takeshi gently lifted the sleeping boy into his arms, protectively cradling him near his chest. Carefully, he began swaying his arms in a lulling motion to the boy who was long asleep, but Takeshi didn't really care no matter how silly he looked like. For once he wanted to feel how it was like doing something so fatherly.

Too occupied with the child in his arms, Takeshi did not notice Akemi standing by the door, watching the scene with a smile on her lips. Slowly, she walked to the two, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Hey," she murmured, smiling. "It's already late. What are you still doing here?"

"Nothing, I just thought I'd check up on the baby for a while," Takeshi smiled in return as the couple looked at the sleeping child still in his arms. "I'm never going to see any other baby as adorable as my son."

"Of course, he's your own," Akemi grinned. "He's only going to add to your endless list of things to be proud about."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I'll make this as an exception and say it as a good thing," she laughed softly.

With a sigh, Takeshi carefully situated the child back inside the crib.

"Now, I'm happy," he smiled. "Now, I can really say I have everything I want."

"That's good to hear," Akemi giggled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her shoulder from behind.

"I love you so much, Akemi," he murmured, trailing his kisses up to her neck as he rested her back to the nearby wall. "I have nothing more to ask for..."

"Mm, I know," she smiled, guiding his face to her own as she trailed a playful finger to his cheek and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you too, Takeshi."

Resting her head on his shoulder, Akemi quietly contented herself to their embrace and closed her eyes, knowing just like Takeshi, she could wish for nothing more.

--

THE END

March 2004