It's been a week since you started your new job, taking care of Suki. Sometimes you wonder if this is just a fancy way of being a nanny, but you've never felt like that. You always felt like you belong with them, like the piece that completed the puzzle.
This time, as you did so for a whole week now, right after dinner, Suki would ask you to go in her room and read her a book.
"Daddy never read you a book before?" you asked as Suki settled on her bed before she shook her head no and looked at you.
"He was too busy with work and streaming," the little girl said. "Sometimes he would, but his voice did not fit the fairy tale."
You couldn't help but chuckle at what Suki said. True enough, Kenma's voice had always been as languid as he is. Fairy tales are meant to be read using a certain type of voice that would appeal to young kids. And you can't imagine Kenma trying to read Suki a fairy tale.
"Alright, let Ms. Y/n read you a fairy tale from now on," you said. "What story does Suki wants to listen to this time?"
There were several books sprawled on the bed and Suki looked at them, scanning the covers before she pointed at the fairy tale book Beauty and The Beast.
You opened it, sitting comfortably on the couch next to her bed, you started reading it while Suki listened assiduously. She was so invested in the story at first, until you got to the middle part and Suki started to doze off.
You would take a glance at her once in a while to see her head bobbing down and she tried to fight the urge to fall asleep. At least until you got to the last part.
"And they live happily ever after," you said, closing the book.
You tucked Suki in to bed, putting the duvet securely to provide her warmth. You were about to straighten up when Suki lifted her arms and wrapped them around your shoulders as you lowered down.
"Good night," she said. "Ms. Y/n."
"Good night, Suki-chan." You lowered down to plant a feather light kiss on her forehead, silently wishing her a sweet and happy dream because children don't deserve to have nightmares.
She managed a smile with her eyes closed as you brush some strands of her hair away from her face. She unconsciously leaned towards your touch as if asking to be touched more, like a little kitten when it's being cleaned by its mother.
You wanted to stay for a while, but then you realized the time and you had to catch the bus.
Straightening up, you tucked the duvet securely again before you turned around and headed outside her room. Once you walked out, Kenma suddenly came and you almost bumped into each other. He lowered his hand that's holding his phone to look at you.
"Is she asleep?"
You nodded your head. "I'm leaving then."
You had walked past him, but after a second you heard Kenma called.
"Isn't it too late? You can stay here for the night."
"Kozume-kun, I—"
"Kenma," he said, turning to face you. "I told you to call me Kenma from now on."
"Kenma, I appreciate your concern. But our contract only states that I should take care of Suki from the moment she wakes up to the time she falls asleep." You briefly turned to look behind Kenma to where Suki's room is.
"And your daughter is already asleep."
Kenma didn't say anything for a few seconds before he lifted his hand that's holding the phone but he didn't tear his gaze from you. "Then, if you don't want to stay, allow me to at least book you a taxi so I'd know that you'll get to your place safely."
"Kenma, that's very generous of you," you said, a bit taken aback by the bounteousness he had been showing. "But I really don't need you to be this much generous."
"No, I'm not like this with just anyone." After booking a taxi, he lowered his hand that's holding his phone before he look back at you. "I'm only doing this because you're Suki's..." he trailed off and you raise your eyebrows.
"For a year, you're going to stand in as Suki's mother."
That's right, you thought. For a year, you'll be a stand in to replace the woman who should be her real mother.
"And wouldn't it be normal for me to take care of you the same way I would to her real mother?"
"Right..." you muttered, averting your gaze down.
Kenma looked at you, his brows furrowing slightly for a second before you looked back up.
"Now I'm starting to get more and more curious about Suki's real mother."
"Are you now?" Kenma asked, and you noticed him taking a step forward and you unconsciously almost instinctively took a step back. "Don't worry, she'd be more than happy to see someone taking care of Suki the same way a mother would to her child."
"I still don't get it," you said, looking straight into his amber hues. "Why can't she just take care of Suki herself? Even if you two are not on good terms, Suki would be happy if it's her birth mother."
"Then should we terminate the contract? I'll go ask her birth mother to take care of her."
"You can do that?"
"Terminate the contract?"
"No," you said, shaking your head. "Ask her birth mother to take care of Suki."
Kenma suddenly chuckled dryly as he took another step forward, this time you didn't back away and you realize he was closer than you thought. "No, of course I can't do that. What's the point of this all if I can just do that?"
"Right," you said.
"If you're really that curious about her real mother, fine I'll tell you something about her. She—"
Kenma suddenly felt his phone vibrated in his hand and he held it tighter on instinct as he closed his eyes for a second before he released a breath and took a step back, looking briefly down at the notification in his phone.
"The taxi's here," he said, walking past you.
You stood there for a few seconds before you shook your head and followed Kenma to the front door. You were a bit surprise when Kenma followed you outside and to the elevator.
"Wait, where are you going?" you asked, looking at Kenma who stood beside you in the lift.
"Outside, the taxi's here."
"What about Suki?" you asked, worried about the little girl who is alone right now in that spacious unit.
"She'll be fine. And I thought you told me she's asleep?"
"Well, yes. But what if she wakes up suddenly and looks for her dad?"
"She wouldn't," Kenma insisted before he looked at you. "Haven't I told you, as long as you're under the contract, I'll treat you the same way I treated her birth mother."
He averted his gaze and looked up at the numbers.
"Whenever she was going somewhere and there's a taxi waiting outside, I used to come with her and stood outside until she got in the car, just to make sure she was safe."
Kenma looked down, lowering his head before he continued in a faint voice. "She always hated it."
For a split second you thought you saw the side of his lips turning up in a faded smile before you averted your gaze from him.
"I liked it," you suddenly said, making Kenma looked at you. "Back home in Hyogo, someone always did the same thing to me when we were going home from school. He'd wait until I boarded the bus. I liked it, because it made me feel protected and safe."
Listening to what you're saying, for some reason, Kenma wished he'd gotten to know you sooner than college. He wished he knew you back in high school or even way back.
"Even if she said she hated it, I bet she didn't. Maybe she's just too shy to admit it."
Kenma was about to say something, but the lift dinged and the door opened. You were the first one to walk outside, Kenma following right after. The taxi is waiting and you headed to the vehicle as Kenma stood there by the sidewalk until you got inside the taxi and it drove off.
He stood there until the car vanished out of view and Kenma turned around and headed back inside the apartment complex.
When Kenma got inside his unit, as he walked to the living room, he saw Suki walking out of the corner. She looks like she just woke up, her hair messy and she's rubbing her eyes.
"Daddy?" she asked when she saw Kenma standing there. "Where's Ms. Y/n?"
Kenma walked over to her and picked her up as he walk back to her room.
"She already went back home."
The little girl leaned her head on Kenma's shoulder and he thought she went back to sleep, until she spoke.
"It would be better if she just stays here," she muttered. "Since she'll be Suki's mommy. She has to stay in the same house as daddy."
"Is that how it works?" Kenma asked, lowering his daughter down on the bed slowly as she nodded her head yes, her eyes closed.
"When the prince fell in love...the princess and the prince lives in the same palace...and they live happily ever after..."
Her voice slowly got fainter and fainter until her breathes evened and Kenma knew she's asleep.
His gaze fell down on the book on the couch and Kenma picked it up. "Beauty and the Beast, huh?"
If he wants you to stay in the same house with him, whether you like it or not, he wonder if he's doing the same thing as the beast did in the book. Take her prisoner in exchange of her father's freedom.
But in the end, the girl fell in love with the beast and they did live happily ever after.
"The classic Stockholm syndrome," Kenma said, putting the book back to the shelf. "Why is this even a children's book?"