art: --
<July 19, 2018 - 12:57 pm>
"Bye-bye, Miss Chi!" Reina waved, watching as the little toddler got in the car with Y/n.
"Get home safe, Chinatsu-san. Don't stay too out or you'll get a cold."
"I won't, thanks for worrying. Get home safe."
I waved bye to them, the smile on my face slowly disappearing. I lowered my hand to grip my bag, my lips pursing as I wandered off to my thoughts.
I still couldn't believe the fact that she was going to marry Haitani. It was a short-lived happiness for me when I found out it was made through a contract though.
I've known her since we were young, and I've always noticed how smitten she was with Ran even when she denied it. More so the pain she felt when they lost contact when he suddenly showed up with a girl around his arm.
"What's got you thinking, Miss Akashi?" I heard Haruchiyo's voice call out. My eyes turned to him, seeing him already looking at me, a questioning gaze in his eyes.
His beautiful azure hues encased in pink stared into mine. Aquamarine meets amethyst as we stare.
I felt my heart thump when he called me by his surname, but unfortunately, Kehaan didn't know that. She's known to have her surname as Sanzu, not Akashi.
I've also noticed the hint of pain in his eyes when he muttered his surname, with our unknowing daughter on the premises.
"It's nothing... But," I looked back at the wet rain, seeming to just continuously pour with no intent of stopping. "I may have to wait for the rain to lift... I forgot to bring my umbrella," I laughed pitifully, my grip on my bag tightening.
"But, Miss Chi will ge sick!" Kehaan ran up to me, hugging my legs as she looked at me with worryful eyes.
The same eyes as mine looked up at me with a sad and worried hue. The eyes that I've always tried to resist, to just tell her the truth but I just don't dare to reveal. It hurt.
I kneeled to her level, "Don't worry, I won't. I'll find a safe place to wait out the rain, it's alright. Thank you for worrying though, Kehaan." I heard Haruchiyo take a swift breath as if he were preventing himself from exploding.
"No,"
I looked up at him, seeing him shake his head before going to the familiar Mercedes opening the backdoor.
"Kehaan, can you please take Miss Chinatsu's bag with you? She'll be joining us." He stated, nodding his head to his daughter.
Of course, I allowed Kehaan to take my bag with her. I stood up from my kneeling position, walking up to him with the little toddler by my side, an umbrella shielding us from the rain.
Sanzu closed the door to the car once Kehaan got in. I turned to him, a questioning look on my face.
"Why?" I asked.
"What do you mean why? Did you expect me to just let our daughter's mother stand in the rain? The both of us can see it won't stop until way later," He reasoned his hand gripping the door handle before turning back to me.
"You won't be able to fathom how worried I'd be if I heard you'd caught a cold cause of this, Chinatsu. Don't be stubborn and just allow me, please." I can hear the saddened desperation in his voice. I looked down on the wet asphalt, my teeth biting my lips before I nodded my head.
"I..." Haruchiyo looked at me, expectant. "I'll go, I've also thought about your question earlier. It was a hard decision, but I'll tell you once we're out of the rain."
"Thank you," His voice was quiet, but I could hear a mix of hopefulness and pessimism. Despite that, I can see that it did somehow lift a weight off his shoulder. His form is less tense than it was when he arrived.
;;;;
<1:35 pm>
I hesitated. It had been such a long time since I last stepped inside his house. I was just standing there, in the doorway with Haruchiyo in front of me.
Kehaan had already gone inside with my stuff, but my body just wouldn't allow me to move in my position. It's such a long time that it feels like I'm trespassing when this place, this home, is technically also mine.
"It's alright," His hand enveloped mine, lifting it before placing a soft kiss. His eye-catching sight of the simple bracelet charm he gave me. A ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Let's go in, it's cold out here. Inside our house... Where it's filled with warmth and our daughter running around..."
The way he stated his words was soft, loving, and inclusive but I could feel a barrier in me that kept muttering otherwise.
"Alright..."
'My stomach goes sick whenever I feel a sense of comfort from this place, and it hurts me...'
I stepped inside the clean room. I looked around the place, everything was the same when I left.
My eyes caught a picture by the coffee table. I scanned the picture, it was Haru and Kehaan. Their smiles gave me a warm feeling, but as I continued to look around, the warmth slowly disappeared.
'My conscience is not allowing me to call this place my home again...'