July 12
Hideo was listening to music and flipping through an art magazine that Valerie had forced him to read, when Hanae walked into Valerie's hospital room. He felt his heart skip a beat when their eyes met, but he could tell she wanted to run out of the room.
"What... What are you doing here? Where's Valerie?"
"Well I was supposed to leave yesterday, but Valerie's practically got me kidnapped... How's Ootori?" He asked pulling his headphones out of his ears.
Hanae looked behind her shoulder before she closed the door and walked towards him, her face riddled with guilt, "I need to talk to you."
Hideo let out a sigh, he knew what this was about. It was the same conversation they had every day they saw each other back at Ootori's house.
She was going to beg him to leave.
And he would give her the same answer he always gave her, no.
"What is it?"
She looked away, and he could sense the shame she was feeling, but he couldn't understand why.
"You need to leave." She said weakly, her shoulders slumped.
"You're coming–" Hideo stood up from the couch, but she quickly cut him off.
"No, Hideo. You need to leave, you're going to leave right now."
"Hanae, what happened to all those promises you made me? We were so happy, we were–no, we are in love, and now that I can provide for you–"
"I'm pregnant."
Hideo's breath seemed to stop for a second and his eyes went wide.
He had imagined Hanae being pregnant a thousand times over, but this was wrong, it was all wrong. She wasn't carrying his child, she was carrying another man's child, her husband's child.
He opened his mouth but quickly shut it as he looked down at her, at the love of his life.
"You're pregnant?"
He saw the tears begin to form in her perfect eyes, and the disbelief hit him like a bag of bricks against his stomach.
"Hanae, you're pregnant?" He repeated his voice shaking.
"I'm so sorry," She said wiping her tears away before they fell.
He felt as if his world had come tumbling down, and he knew he was being unfair, but he couldn't help himself. "How–How could you get pregnant?"
That's when he felt her arms wrap around him as pull him towards her familiar body.
This was their goodbye, and he knew it.
Before she pulled away, he cupped her face, and in an instant, his lips were against her own. He could feel her gasp in his own mouth as he savored her for the last time before he had to let her go, before she shoved him away, her face crimson-red with shame.
He closed his eyes and his hand went up to his mouth, that had been their last kiss... and she'd pushed him away.
"What the hell are you two doing?!"
His stomach sank as he turned around to see Valerie Swann standing in the front door, slamming the door behind her, before either of them could speak.
"Anybody could walk in here, I know you care about her, but you," She turned to look at Hanae. "You're married, your husband's next door."
Hanae shook her head. "No, Valerie!"
"It was my fault, I kissed Mrs.Ootori, she–" Hideo began but Valerie didn't let him finish.
"Shut up! Don't lie to me, I'm not blind, you need to tell me the truth! Or else... Or else I'll go to Ootori and tell him everything!"
Hanae's eyes widened and she latched onto Valerie's arm. "Okay–Okay we'll tell you everything, but please, don't tell Kyoya anything!"
Hanae was too shaken to begin so it was Hideo who spoke first. He told Valerie everything from him and Hanae's engagement, his unfair prison sentence, to his arrival to Kyoya's estate, he paused for a moment before he said, that Hanae kept trying to make him leave.
Once he finished Valerie frowned. "You're such a liar, I've never heard such a ridiculous story,"
"Valerie, I'm telling the truth!" He said stepping forward. "You can look me up. My real name is Hideo Nanako."
Valerie wrinkled her nose but pulled out her phone and typed in Hideo's real name, and after a couple of minutes she pulled out the ID picture of a teenager in high school, that looked a lot like the man standing in front of her.
"What high school did you go to?" Valerie asked.
Hideo answered, and Valerie's eyes widened. "What's your birthday?"
"May thirteenth," Hanae answered.
Hideo looked back at her, but Hanae avoided his gaze.
"Holy crap, you two aren't lying." Valerie said astounded. "Romeo and Juliet, am I right?"
Hideo swallowed back his pain.
"But wait... how on earth did Hanae's mom send you to jail?" Valerie cocked her head to the side.
"My parents are friends with General Swann..." Hanae trailed away, and Valerie's brows furrowed.
"My–My grandfather?" Valerie asked, her face contorted with confusion. "No, I think you're confused."
Hanae shook her head. "I'm not confused, your grandfather was the one who sent out the order for Hideo's arrest, Akise told me himself." She paused and looked at the door behind Valerie. "I've been gone for too long, Valerie can you please promise me you won't tell anyone anything?"
Valerie's lips formed a flat line but she nodded, "Your secret's safe with me."
Hanae bit the inside of her cheek before she thanked her, and then she turned to him one last time and with a shaky breath said, "Goodbye,"
He closed his eyes unable to see the love of his life walk away from him, "Goodbye, Hanae."
Valerie had apologized to Hideo a thousand times over, but Hideo only smiled and told her that what her grandfather had done wasn't her fault. After Hideo saw Hanae leave Kyoya's room, he mustered up the courage to go to Kyoya's door and tell him that he was quitting.
Kyoya shook his head and told him, that he would triple his paycheck because he owed Hideo that much for saving his life.
Hideo only shook his head and said that he and his assistant didn't feel safe working in the estate anymore. Kyoya reluctantly nodded and wrote him a check for five million yen, which Hideo refused because he could barely stand looking at the man after he'd tried to steal his wife, let alone take his money.
Hideo walked back into Valerie's room to say goodbye to her, but instead of bidding him farewell she took a sharp breath and said, "Marry me."
"What on earth are you talking about?!" He said, taking a step back from her.
"You know I like you, why are you so shocked?"
"Valerie you're the biggest flirt I've ever met, you like everyone!" His face was so flushed he couldn't even look the girl in the eyes.
"No, listen to me, listen to me!" She took an exasperated breath before sitting down on her small loveseat. "I'm going to die soon... Hideo."
His lips parted. He wanted to make her feel better, but how could he? It's not like she wasn't lying.
"You don't want to marry me, I don't have anything to offer you."
"I have more than enough money, and my grandfather can help clear your name, and I'm sure he can help clear your friends as well."
Hideo closed his eyes. "Why do you want to marry me?"
Valerie bit her lip, her violet eyes looking at him pleadingly.
"The doctors said I only have two years left, and I'm not in love with you, but the way that you love her..." She paused and looked down at the floor. "If you could love me half as much as you love her, even if it's fake, that's all I would ask from you."