Incapable of Love | IwaOiKage

A Glance: Rei Ikumoto

..she really couldn't say no.

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Everything felt wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Kaito was diagnosed with a non-curable illness a week ago. The medical bills were rising, Tobio's school fee went up as he wanted to join a volleyball club, the family calling Tobio the 'lucky heir' to the agency (because why would Rei get it) that was at a low, Rei and Kaito kept fighting and it all felt wrong.

Rei could see the hurt in Kaito's eyes, she sees a lot those days. She avoided the curious but confused looks Tobio gave them when he would ask for a playing buddy. It all bubbled up.

And she hurt her baby. Her poor baby.

She screamed a lot, fighting with Kaito constantly, watching as his health deteriorated. Then Tobio came in again, asking for Papa to play volleyball with him. He was just four- she hurt her four year old son.

Kaito wasn't fast enough to stop her, and just like the day they touched Rei could see it in slow motion. Her hand swung, hitting Tobio near his stomach, the small boy falling down and looking up with terror filled eyes.

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Angry. Rei was angry, so very angry and she was done.

Even seeing them made her heart hurt and she couldn't stand it anymore.

It was their fault, their fault her father avoids her. Their fault her mother ignores her. Their fault she was barely acknowledged as an Ikumoto. It was Kaito's fault for being weak, he couldn't even go out for long and suddenly she was the bad wife. Tobio slowly stops talking to her and suddenly she was the bad mother.

So she left.

She left her soulmate, her son, her home.

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Kageyama Rei was once more Ikumoto Rei even though she was technically not considered one and living alone. Legally divorced now, she spent her days working. Working and working and working.

Her secretary had to force her out after five days of no sleep. Rei was annoyed at that moment, but she was grateful when she could finally fall asleep. Maybe she could give them a raise, they were a god send.

The next day they made her go out early, recommending her a classy bar. It was the weekend afterall and apparently "A beautiful lady such as you shan't rot alone when in my presence" as they put it.

So Rei relented, wanting to drag her legs but stopped herself. It wasn't proper.

The bar was mostly calm, one of those more 'relax and hang out with the bros' type of bar instead of the 'get drunk and pass out in the middle of McDonald's parking lot' kind of bar.

She didn't feel like drinking alcohol though, so sat down and stared at her diet coke. That's when he came into her life.

"Are...are you ok? You've been staring at that glass for 5 minutes without blinking.."

Akaashi Nobu was his name. He was quiet, with a calming aura about him. Maybe he caught onto Rei's quiet nature, maybe he was just wanting to vent, but he told her his life.

He was soulmate-less, proved by the slowly fading blank soulmark on his neck.

He had a son, Keiji, he named him. Has him with his ex-girlfriend by accident and she didn't want the child. So he took care of him. He was 8. A year older than Tobio-

No.

She smiled, telling tales about her job and about that new bakery that opened in the corner plot near her apartment that makes the morning air smell like fresh bread and warm chewy cookies.