Chapter 101: The Song She Keeps Inside ( 101 )

Words : 1094 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Chapter 101: The Song She Keeps Inside ( 101 ) "Hah!" Kitayama suddenly brightened, eyes lighting up as he looked toward the hallway. "There’s my city girl!" Kyouko stepped into the room gracefully, dressed in a soft-colored kimono that shimmered under the warm light. Her hair was neatly tied up, framing her gentle face. She gave a small bow to the room, serene and elegant as always. "Now come here," Kitayama grinned, slapping the cushion beside Haruki. "Sit down and pour Haruki a drink!" "Yes, Father," Kyouko said softly, her voice calm, her smile modest. She moved quietly to Haruki’s side and knelt, sitting with practiced grace. As she reached for the sake bottle, Haruki glanced at her, his breath catching for a moment. Beautiful. Too beautiful. She poured carefully into his cup, and when their hands brushed, she whispered without turning: "...Sorry for the wait." Haruki, still holding the cup, whispered back: "I’ve been waiting just for this." "So, Haruki?" Kitayama slurred slightly, sake cup in hand, eyes half-lidded with drink and pride. "What do you think of her, huh?" Haruki blinked, caught mid-sip. "B-beautiful, right?" Kitayama grinned wide, pointing shamelessly at Kyouko. "Father!!" Kyouko gasped, flustered, her cheeks blooming red. "All my daughters," Kitayama continued proudly, waving his hand in a sweeping gesture, "inherited their looks from their mother. Baby faces, soft skin, good bones—look at her!" He gestured toward Hanako, who just sighed with a helpless smile. Kenji simply grinned into his cup. Keiko quietly shook her head, muttering, "Here we go again..." Kitayama ignored them, his mood shifting slightly as his smile faded. "Hah... Satoshi should feel lucky. To have my daughter as his wife," he grumbled, shaking his head. "And yet... he couldn’t even be bothered to come here. To visit me! His father-in-law!!" "But whatever!!" Kitayama huffed, waving his hand dramatically. "At least I got to see my granddaughter’s husband!" He turned sharply to Kyouko. "Kyouko!! You should’ve told me he was working here in Okinawa!!" Kyouko blinked, startled. "Even I didn’t know about that, Father... Besides, only Satomi should know where her husband is outstationed, right?" "Hah?" Kitayama scoffed, leaning in. "You’re his mother-in-law! You should know too!" "Ehh~" Kyouko let out a playful groan, pouting like a scolded daughter. "How would I know if Satomi didn’t tell me either?" Kitayama grunted, then pointed at Haruki. "And you! Next time, send word when you come here! You’re family now, you hear?" "Yes, sir." Haruki bowed his head with an awkward smile. Hanako laughed softly, placing a hand on her husband’s arm. "Alright, alright, dear. Stop bullying the poor boy." Kitayama grumbled, "I’m not bullying. I’m welcoming him." Kyouko looked down, smiling faintly. "Kyouko!! Play the piano again," Kenji said, nudging her shoulder with a grin. "Ehh~ It’s been so long," Kyouko murmured, her hands instinctively tucking into her sleeves. "You should!" Kitayama chimed in, his voice already loose with drink. "That piano over there, I still remember you begging for it when you were a little girl." He pointed toward the upright piano near the living room corner, worn but polished. "It was too expensive back then... but I saved up for months to get it. You played it every day." Keiko leaned in, her smile gentle. "Nee-san... play. And sing a little, like you used to." "Nooo~" Kyouko half-laughed, shaking her head shyly. Kitayama suddenly shouted, raising his cup like a warlord from a family drama. His face was red, voice booming, clearly well past his drinking limit but still full of life. "You hear me, girl? As your father—I demand a performance!!" The room burst into laughter. Kyouko sighed dramatically, then stood with mock reluctance. "Alright, alright... I’ll try." Haruki smiled quietly. And deep down? He couldn’t wait to hear her play. Kyouko rose quietly, her kimono trailing softly against the tatami as she made her way to the piano in the corner of the room. The lively chatter dimmed almost instantly. She sat gracefully, her back straight, fingers gently lifting the fallboard. The room fell into silence, save for the faint creak of the bench and the sound of her delicate fingers testing the keys. She closed her eyes briefly. Kyouko began to play—slow, tender notes flowing like a confession. And then, in a soft, aching voice, she sang: _ ( Song Available On Youtube : A Love I Shouldn’t Feel | Kyouko Secret Song ) I watch you leave through sleepy light, Your shadow fading out of sight. The quiet hum of morning still, Can’t drown this ache I always feel. You smiled like nothing’s ever wrong. But I’ve loved you all along. You’re not the one I swore to love, But stars don’t follow rules above. Your hand, your voice, the way you care, Make silence easier to bear. I know it’s wrong, yet still I fall Because with you, I feel it all. This is a love I shouldn’t feel, But every breath you take is real. In every glance, in every sigh, I find the truth we try to hide. Though I wear this wedding ring, My heart has chosen only you. A love I shouldn’t feel... But I feel it all for you. You bring me gifts I shouldn’t take, And smiles I wear that might just break. The dress you bought, I hid away. A secret I can’t wear by day. But still I hold it in the night, And dream of dancing in your light. We’re walking lines we shouldn’t cross, Each moment gained, a deeper loss. But when you whisper just my name, I’m not afraid, I feel no shame. Your touch is wrong, yet somehow true What can I do but fall for you? This is a love I shouldn’t feel, But in your arms, the world stands still. The lies we tell, the truths we keep, Are written in the nights we sleep. Though this life may call it sin, I can’t undo what I’ve been through. A love I shouldn’t feel... But I feel it all for you. So if the day should come to part, You’ll still be here inside my heart. No matter where the road will bend, You were my sin I won’t defend. A love I shouldn’t feel... But I’ll always feel for you. __ When the final note lingered and faded into silence, the room stayed still. No one spoke. Even Kitayama, half-drunk and proud, simply stared, not understanding the full meaning, but feeling the weight in her voice. And Haruki... Haruki’s chest tightened. Because he knew. Every word... Was for him. ( End Of Chapter )

Chapter 101: The Song She Keeps Inside ( 101 )

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