Chapter 143: Hidden Currents ( 143 )

Words : 1134 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Chapter 143: Hidden Currents ( 143 ) "Hah! If Haruki and Kyouko were both single, I’d have already arranged their marriage." The words hit the table like a dropped stone. Haruki froze mid-reach for his glass. Kyouko stiffened. Across from them, Hanako chuckled softly, gently nudging her husband with her hand on his arm. "Dear... don’t tease them too much." But Kitayama shrugged without remorse. "What? I’m just telling the truth." "F-Father!!" Kyouko’s voice wavered, her cheeks flushing pink. "Don’t joke about that!" Kitayama raised an eyebrow, unfazed. His tone turned slightly firmer. "What? I’m just saying what I want to say. And what’s true." He looked from his daughter to Haruki. "Your husband doesn’t care for you. If Haruki weren’t already married to my granddaughter, and if he were single..." He set down his cup with a quiet, final clink. "...I’d already have forced you to divorce that ungrateful son of a bitch." Haruki kept his posture steady, but his heart was pounding. Kyouko’s gaze dropped to her plate, lips pressed thin. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, measured. "Father... please don’t say that in front of Haruki-kun..." Inside Kyouko’s mind: You didn’t have to say that, Father... Kyouko kept her face calm, her hands delicately adjusting her napkin as her eyes lowered. But inside, her heart was trembling. Not because she disagreed. Because she completely agreed. If one day... Satomi divorces him... She glanced at her wine glass, the crimson surface still swirling from the earlier toast. Her reflection flickered faintly in the glass. Then I’ll make sure... somehow... some way... That I’ll be with him. Not in secret. Not in stolen nights or whispered promises. But as his. Fully. Openly. His partner. His wife. His everything. Even if it means walking through fire. Even if it means tearing down everything I once built. Even if the world calls me wrong. Because loving Haruki isn’t wrong. Pretending I don’t—that’s the real lie. But she also knew. Somewhere in her chest... she had always known. She noticed it. Satomi—her daughter. Despite marrying Haruki... despite sharing a home and a life with him... their marriage felt cold. Hollow. There was no warmth in Satomi’s voice when she spoke about him. No affection in the way she mentioned his name. Even now, she hadn’t called. Not once. No messages. No concern. No guilt. But sitting here now, watching Haruki speak gently with her parents, seeing how much warmth he carried in every polite word, in every careful nod— She started to wonder. Why? Why, Satomi? Why marry someone like Haruki... only to ignore him? Neglect him? How could she let a man like that slip away so easily? Did she never see it? His loyalty? His patience? The way he always tried, even when he was hurting? Kyouko gripped her wine glass a little tighter. No... It wasn’t just coldness. It was something else. Something deeper. A wall. A shadow. And for the first time... Kyouko wasn’t sure if Satomi had married Haruki for love at all. Satomi never truly cared for him. Kitayama’s eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed Kyouko’s quiet stillness. "Kyouko?" he said. Kyouko blinked, startled from her thoughts. "Ah... yes, Father?" "What are you thinking about?" There was a brief silence before Kyouko smiled—soft, graceful, and carefully measured. "Ah... it’s nothing, Father. Really." She reached for her tea as if to smooth over the moment. Kitayama studied her for a second longer, but said nothing. Hanako, seated beside him, turned her head and looked at Kyouko silently. She didn’t speak. But she watched. The way Kyouko’s lashes dipped too low. The faint flush on her cheeks. That soft smile—just a little too perfect. The kind of smile she hadn’t seen from her daughter since... since before the marriage started crumbling. Inside Hanako’s mind, something stirred. What is she thinking about...? Why the silence? The hesitation? She thought back. Satoshi hadn’t called her. Hadn’t even sent a message. And Satomi—always self-assured, always so concerned with image and status—hadn’t shown an ounce of concern for her own husband staying in Okinawa. Was that it? Was Kyouko feeling lonely again? Was she thinking about her husband’s absence? Or... ...was there something more? Hanako’s eyes narrowed slightly, the warmth still on her face, but her thoughts shifting. No... it wasn’t just distance. Her eldest daughter was hiding something. She was sure of it now. And Hanako—always the quiet one, always the observer—knew what to do next. Looks like I’ll have to ask Junichi... When the meal was finished and the table cleared, the waiter returned with the bill presented in a slim black folder. Kitayama reached for it without hesitation. But before he could take it, Haruki gently extended his hand and placed his card down first. "Ah—please allow me, Kitayama-san." Kitayama glanced at him, brows slightly raised. "Haruki-kun?" Haruki gave a polite, steady smile. "Don’t worry about it. It’s my treat tonight. After all... we’re family." There was a brief pause. Then Kitayama leaned back, arms folding loosely across his chest, a rare glint of approval flickering in his stern eyes. "Oho~ This is what I like about him, Hanako." He didn’t even try to lower his voice. "Unlike Satoshi—that ungrateful son-in-law of mine." Hanako gave a half-sigh, half-laugh, gently tapping her husband’s arm again. "Dear..." But Kitayama only shrugged, unconcerned. "I speak what I see." Kyouko lowered her gaze politely, masking her swirl of emotions behind a calm smile. Haruki’s fingers brushed the edge of the receipt, unshaken. He didn’t say anything more. But in that moment—under the glow of warm lights, with her father’s rare approval echoing above the table—Kyouko felt something deep and private blossom in her chest. Haruki wasn’t just her secret lover. He was becoming everything her father had ever hoped she’d marry. As the evening wrapped up, Hanako adjusted her shawl and turned to the two seated across from her. "We’ll be going now," she said with a gentle smile. Then her gaze settled on Kyouko. "Look after Haruki-kun, okay?" Kyouko gave a warm, reassuring smile. "Yes, Mother~ Don’t worry." But Hanako shook her head softly, the smile on her lips fading just a little. "Still... I can’t believe my granddaughter asked you to take care of her husband." "I don’t know what she’s thinking anymore. All she ever seems to care about is business and work." She sighed, softly. Kyouko looked down at her folded hands for a moment, then spoke gently. "Mother..." Nothing else needed to be said. Her tone carried enough weight. Kitayama turned to Haruki then, his eyes calm but steady. "Don’t forget to visit when you have a day off. Understood?" Haruki stood and bowed politely. "Yes, Kitayama-san. I will." Kitayama gave a single nod. "Good." "We’re going now." ( End Of Chapter )

Chapter 143: Hidden Currents ( 143 )

Comments (0)