[ 47 ]
There were a few others outside. But due to the lack of light, it was difficult to discern what they were up to in the shadows. Hisaya paid them no attention as he stepped up to the railing so he could get the best view of the surrounding city.
It would take him some time to process everything that had been said during the event. It had turned out better than he would have imagined. He was coming away with even stronger allies. And it filled him with the same feeling that he once had in the previous world, when he was almost certain he was going to succeed with his plan.
He didn't know if it was down to relief, or the alcohol that he'd been drinking, but his head felt light. Closing his eyes, he tilted it back and tried to let the cool breeze do the hard-work of clearing his thoughts.
"You should watch out for the champagne, it's lethal."
The particularly deep voice made Hisaya jump. Especially since it was so close. He turned around to see a man actually standing not too far away, also looking out over the balcony. And even though he was in semi-close proximity, Hisaya couldn't clearly make out the mans features. But judging from afar, he liked what he could vaguely see.
The stranger had a straight back, and the undoubtedly tailor-made suit shaped his contours perfectly. He was also much taller than Hisaya was. Which wasn't a difficult accomplishment, because his build was another begrudging aspect of being an Omega. Who even came up with the original spec?
As the man didn't look at him, he could see his side-profile. A strong jawline and straight nose. Above that, the man had a pair of thick, dark eyebrows which were naturally slanted, which probably made him look more angry and intimidating than he actually was.
Feeling the stare, the man turned his head to look at Hisaya. The dimly-lit lanterns did their job, and a pair of strikingly silver eyes came into view. Though there was no sudden wave of memories, as Hisaya would have expected, there was definitely a niggling sensation in the back of his mind.
As if telling him, you know him!
It was so prominent that his temples started to thump painfully. And he must have visibly winced, because the silver-eyed man clocked onto it immediately. He reached out, grasping steadily just under Hisaya's shoulder. Obviously thinking he was going to topple over.
"I'm fine," Hisaya tried to convince the man. Whatever it was that was wrong with him, he wanted to deal with it himself. Especially given their surroundings, he didn't want to be seen as needing an alpha to come to his rescue.
"Hisaya," the man called quietly, his voice tight. "Look at me."
And he did. And since the man had gotten closer, Hisaya was able to see the features that knitted together the rest of his handsome face. He was very handsome, especially in his dark blue suit.
Though the mans choice of words could have come across as commanding, Hisaya was surprised to see the vulnerability in the eyes looking right at him. But the more Hisaya looked, the more the pain racked his head.
"You- you really don't recognise me?" The man swallowed his words in the beginning, and the rest of the sentence sounded strained.
"Sorry, it's as you said about the champagne, I've had one too many." Hisaya tried to pass it off, laughing awkwardly, only hoping now that he could escape and try to find some clarity on the mans identity.
"I'm Ryōichi Kazue" he suddenly said, and again the strange sense of familiarity flooded Hisaya. But his headache took centre-stage. And the man, Ryōichi, seemed to get over his initial shock of not being recognised to spot the pain Hisaya was in.
The alpha whipped out of his phone, and as Hisaya rubbed the corners of his eyes, he could only listen. "Yoshiaki, bring the car around, we're taking Hisaya to the hospital."
Yoshiaki? Hisaya again looked to the man who was calling all of the shots. His own thoughts weren't forming clearly, he didn't know whether to refute the man or go along with him. He recognised him, and he didn't at the same time.
But now knowing he knew his assistant, he had a fairly good idea of who this man was. The big boss. "I don't need to go to the hospital." Hisaya managed to mumble, but the other man was already leading him away from the balcony.
Thankfully there was a separate exit, which led through the gardens of the hotel, so they didn't have to trek through the hall. Ryōichi Kazue's grasp on his arm eventually slipped down so their hands were clasped together. But the mans expression was stern.
As soon as they reached the end of the spectacular gardens, which the two men had breezed past without acknowledgement, a car swiftly pulled up. Hisaya was bundled inside, and as soon as the door closed, the car shot off.
Yoshiaki and Ryōichi Kazue spoke quickly to one another, all but ignoring Hisaya who was gradually getting more and more infuriated. The two were bouncing ideas off each other, wondering if it was due to Hisaya's accident all those months ago. Ryōichi speculated that there was perhaps hidden brain damage which the doctors weren't able to pick up on.
"That would explain why he doesn't recognise me." The business tycoon thought out loud.
"I told you, I've had too much to drink!" Hisaya snapped, silencing both men who were making all decisions for him. They had stopped at a red-light, so Yoshiaki could look warily in his mirror at his bad-tempered little boss.
He knew it took a lot for Hisaya to get angry, and when he did, he showed no mercy.
"We're not going to the hospital, you're taking me home. If you can't to that, then I'd rather walk. I have a bad fucking headache, but it's just a headache." The more he raised his voice, the more black spots clouded his vision.
He was only able to keep himself awake long enough to hear a defeated acknowledgement from both of them. After that, he couldn't care less, he succumbed to the comfort of the heated-seats. He would deal with everything when he woke up.
And as if finally giving him some form of relief, as he dreamt, fragments of the old life returned. Such as snippets that involved Ryōichi, and most of them weren't pleasant. It would explain why the man kept his distance, since it was the old Hisaya who once screeched at him to never come near him, never touch him or breathe the same air as him.
And the man kept his promise.
To an extent, because even the original had no idea that Yoshiaki was someone who had been put there by Ryōichi.
The memories that filled his mind came to him out of order. Which he'd make sure to snidely thank System for later.
There were so many times when Hisaya blatantly showed his distaste for the man. And Fahren could feel the whirlwind of emotions that came with these scenes. They were overwhelming, and made no sense. But what was the same throughout, was Ryōichi Kazue's attitude. The man took every harsh word, every item that was occasionally thrown at him. He accepted all of it.
But why?
Does the name Asahi ring a bell?
Asahi?
His own memories were being thrown into the mix. And as if watching a film, he had no control over the direction. But again, again that name had been brought up. And still, he had no semblance of a clue.
"It's a boy, sir!"
The sound of a baby's wailing echoed in his mind, as if he was standing in a large, empty tunnel and the sound reverberated all around him. As it got louder his stomach clamped tightly. As he was hearing these words, there was nothing for him to see. He was staring at complete darkness. And then, looking through the old Hisaya's eyes, at a distinct memory, he could see.
A small, red, slightly-gooey baby. Which was quickly bundled up in blankets and taken away from Hisaya, who lay in the hospital bed. Fahren was perplexed, confused why the staff had seemingly ignored him, or Hisaya, but he quickly understood why.
Ryōichi Kazue stood to the side of the room, looking at the child a little shellshocked. The people around congratulated the alpha. They were all smiles as they watched the touching scene of the tiny baby in the arms of the large man. And the Alpha looked down at the newborn with damp eyes. Even though they had only just met, Hisaya could see the man loved the child through-and-through.
Ryōichi then lifted his gaze, and looked directly at the person who had given him a child, and Fahren could see that in that moment, the man didn't care about all the arguments they had had in the past, in that moment he wanted to wipe the slate clean. He willed for Hisaya to love the baby just as much as him, and they could raise it together.
But to Fahren's utter disbelief, he felt the disgust that Hisaya did at that moment. Through this tunnel-vision, he watched as Hisaya turned his head from the scene. Opting to instead look out of the window. Finding anything else interesting.
Fahren's heart wrenched. And if not for being stuck, watching these scenes, he would be screaming at Hisaya.
"I'll call him Asahi." Ryōichi spoke from the other side of the room, holding the little bundle so tenderly. After all, it made sense, as the morning sunlight streamed through the window.
But it didn't matter how bright and warm it was, it couldn't melt the block that shrouded Hisaya.
Before Fahren could question why, the scene changed. This one was a lot earlier. And he was taken aback by the blind rage that Hisaya was feeling at that moment. He was sat in an office, opposite Ryōichi and another man.
"It's my body! Why can't I get rid of it?"
"Sir, I understand why you're angry, but please hear us out before making any rash decisions."
"You understand!? How can you understand? I am fighting tooth and nail to get somewhere in this world. I'm better than all of this! And yet now, after a huge mistake of a one-night-stand, which your client stated he couldn't have children, I'm pregnant and suddenly have no say in whether I can get an abortion?"
Again, Ryōichi sat quietly. He didn't lash out, nor did he show any visible response to the harsh words. The man at his side instead spoke for him. "Mr. Reo, Mr. Kazue has medical records proving the very low chance of him being able to have children, but as you have managed to fall pregnant, this is miraculous news."
"For who?" Hisaya spat
This time, Ryōichi decided to speak. "I gave up on the idea of having children. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I never would have expected this to happen, nor would I have wished it be you, since you seem to dislike me so much. But regardless, you're carrying my child, a child I very much want to meet."
"Well I don't! I'm starting a business, and it'll do nothing to my reputation if I'm just another knocked-up Omega. I hate you Alphas, thinking you can claim everything." There was a slight growl behind his voice.
"Then how about we propose a deal?" The solicitor chimed in.
The deal that was eventually agreed to, by Hisaya, was that he would give birth and hand the baby over. His name wouldn't be on the record, nor would there be any of him in the hospital. Which brought into question what Hiromasa had mentioned about certain records. And after the baby was born, Hisaya was free to go.
He wouldn't be contacted by Ryōichi, or eventually by the child in the future. And as a settlement fee, Ryōichi handed over a pretty sum of money. Which Hisaya splurged, with no guilty-conscience. He was at the bottom of the social-ladder in the beginning, but after the funding that he received for what he referred to as a good business exchange, he was able to make his once-small business, soar.
Which, to Fahren, now made sense. He had wondered how in three short years there had been such a huge leap. Now it made sense.
The memories seemed to be endless. He was plagued with it all, and by the end, he was mentally exhausted. To a degree, he could understand Hisaya's reaction, after all he was only nineteen when he got pregnant. In a world where he was already viewed as some inferior being. And it wasn't like he had had a solid role-model in his life.
But the guilt which the old Hisaya clearly didn't feel, was something that landed heavily on Fahren. Especially since the sound of Asahi's crying kept echoing in his mind. The scene of the little bundle being taken from him, over to Ryōichi, who looked star-struck. And then that expression. That hopeful gaze, a man willing to forgive, and who wished to be forgiven.
But unlike Fahren, who would have leapt out of the bed, Hisaya had much more self-control, and it was clear the man, who had experienced the many hardships of being an Omega, had no intention of becoming a father.
Which outlined the many differences between the old and the new Hisaya.
Ω
Gradually, Hisaya woke up. He was at least relieved to see that he was in his apartment, and not a hospital. But his large bed felt even larger as he lay there, alone.
Like anyone, when he first woke up, he was still drowsy, his mind recovering from what he'd processed as a bad dream, but as soon as his eyes opened he felt the reality of it all. The old memories of the body he possessed, the test that was becoming increasingly difficult, maybe more-so mentally.
Hisaya had a child. I have a child, he corrected himself and again a flourish of nerves filled his gut. But before he could panic, have his mind go in all sorts of directions, his bedroom door opened and Noriaki Fumi walked in.
When the other Omega spotted that he was awake, Noriaki's expression brightened immediately. He was holding a tray, so he put it down quickly before sitting on the edge of the bed, closest to Hisaya. "I was coming to wake you up. You need to eat something." Noriaki spoke softly.
And the food looked tempting, but Hisaya instead shuffled closer to his friend, and without getting up, wrapped his arms around the young mans narrow waist. He put his head on Noriaki's lap, hiding his face in the others stomach as the tears started to fall.
"Hisaya?" Noriaki sounded concerned, but as he heard the gentle whimpers, and how fiercely the man wanted to hide them, he could only support his friend. He patiently ran his fingers through Hisaya's soft blond hair. He repeated this action over and over, happily doing so.
"I don't know what to do." Hisaya whispered when he came up for air.
Noriaki manoeuvred so they lay side by side, facing each other. He brushed Hisaya's hair once more, so it didn't stick to the dampness around his eyes. "To do about what?" Noriaki wondered, his light coloured eyes watching Hisaya with so much support.
"I've tried to keep this to myself, because I never thought it was that big of an issue, but i've had some memory loss."
"And you kept it to yourself?" Noriaki demanded, the volume still relatively quiet as the two spoke.
Hisaya nodded, "Only because they've been gradually returning, the memories I mean." He stressed and his friend could only sigh.
"Then I suggest you tell people, like Yoshiaki Kenta for example."
"Oh, I can bet he already suspects it. Especially given how much I've changed."
Noriaki's brows pinched together ever so slightly. "Then, why are you crying?"
Hisaya became stubborn, he didn't want to explain, he instead inched closer and hid his face in Noriaki's chest. The other omega rolled his eyes at his friends clear attempt to avoid the topic. But it didn't matter how cute he was being.
"You're not escaping."
Hisaya tilted his head just slightly to the side, and reluctantly spoke. "I've remembered what I used to be like, and other things I shouldn't have forgotten. Something that was evidently pushed to the back of my mind before the accident. And I feel bad about it, really really bad."
Noriaki hummed, mulling it over. He didn't give a response immediately, but eventually, he started stroking Hisaya's hair again. "Yep, there's no denying you have changed. And yes, you were a bit of a tool in the past. But you're like a different person now, Hisaya, so don't feel guilty for what's already happened, just make amends. You're smart and stubborn enough to do anything you put your mind to." He finished off with pecking a little kiss on his friends forehead.
Hisaya looked at Noriaki, a genuine love for his dear friend was clear. He made it sound so simple, which is what he needed. If he fret over everything in this world, and in others to come, nothing would get done.
For whatever reason, Ryōichi Kazue didn't hate him. For whatever reason, the man had kept tabs on him, and was seemingly determined to keep him out of harms way. So perhaps that meant that he was still up for giving Hisaya a chance.
And although Fahren wasn't present when Hisaya gave birth to Asahi. He had all the memories, all the emotions. Which was another thing he had to kill System for. But irregardless of the semantics, Asahi was now his baby too.
And even if he may not be accepted by the now-three year old, he still hoped he'd get the chance to be the parent that Hisaya never had. And one his own parents, in his original life, would approve of.
[ TBC ]
[ A/N: Asahi means 'Morning' or 'Sunlight' ]
[ Finally, the 'small, red, slightly-gooey baby' has been introduced! ]
[ Chapters 48 & 49 are already up on my Patreon if you're eager to read more about 'gooey baby'. ] Just head to my page, and the link's in my bio <3 !