Four days had passed by and Shouko felt healthier day by day. The doctor and nurse would always come to check on her. Today was the day of her discharge. On one side, Kyoya was talking on the phone with a laptop on his lap. Shouko silently looked at him while her mind wandered around.
In these four days, he hadn't told her everything except the essential ones with the excuse that she was still sick. Their first and last heartfelt talk was the time when she announced she would brace this unfamiliar life with him.
She wondered if he knew about how her relationship was with her paternal family. Did her stepmother still come to make a fuss over everything regarding her? Or did she have to swallow down all the words due to her current status as the young madam of the Kashino family?
Now that she thought of it, no one from her family came to visit her. Did they know that she was in an accident? Did Ono know? Five years had passed, had she returned from abroad? If everything went according to plan, Ono was supposed to continue her study abroad at that time.
"Are you feeling okay?" Kyoya noticed her gaze on him. He lowered down his phone and looked back at her. "We could postpone going home if you're still unwell."
Shouko pursed her lips as another thought popped inside her mind.
She now had a home. Was it really a warm one as he had depicted to her?
"No," She shook her head. Her soft voice was laced with wonder as she spoke again, "I'm just thinking... about us."
Kyoya hung up the phone. He stood up from the couch, his long legs strode toward the bed. Shouko watched him took a seat on the edge of the bed. He was so tall. She needed to raise her chin whenever she wanted to look at him.
"Do you have anything else to ask?" Kyoya smiled faintly.
"En... I just..." Shouko fiddled with the hem of her hospital gown. She was nervous all of a sudden at the prospect of returning to a home that she didn't remember. "Do I have to know anything about our home? I really forget everything. What if I broke the house rules? Have I... be on a bad term with anyone in the house?"
Kashino family was one of the prominent families with a deeply rooted foundation in the country. It was nothing to her Yuasa family. Being a wife, although due to an arranged marriage to a man of his caliber, she was afraid of conducting herself wrong especially when she lacked in education regarding high society.
"My wife makes the rules," Kyoya answered with a straight face. A hint of a smile flickered in his dark eyes. "You could even set the rules for me."
Shouko "..."
This was another thing that she learned from her days being spent with this man around. Although he looked cold and unapproachable and only spoke with a few words, the way he answered her sometimes made her speechless.
He sounded flirty yet his face would remain expressionless. Even the corners of his lips would only turn upward slightly.
Now, how should I counter this?
"Everyone is waiting for you to come home," He said again before she had any chance to reply.
"En?"
Everyone?
He didn't elaborate further which intrigued her. Just as she wanted to ask him again, a ringtone rang in the air. Kyoya glanced at his phone. It was a familiar name. He lazily swept the screen to answer the call. Before he could greet the caller, a loud voice was booming from the other side of the line.
"You brat! You didn't even tell me that Shouko has woken up? Do you treat me like I'm dead? I will tell you, if something happened to my precious granddaughter-in-law, you'd pay the price!"
Kyoya stared at Shouko's surprised face. It was obvious that she had heard each word clearly even without him placing the call on the loudspeaker mode. Even so, he still pressed the button. The old man's voice was suddenly magnified.
"I don't care! I want to see her! Don't hide her from me, you ungrateful brat! I've been waiting at home because of your excuses! I will come tomorrow!"
"Grandpa," Kyoya was unfazed with his grandfather's tantrum. His voice was as calm as ever. "Shouko could hear you."
"What?" The old man was baffled. He immediately softened his voice, the loud yelling from earlier was nowhere to be heard again. "Shouko, my dear granddaughter-in-law, I'm sorry I couldn't visit you again. I sprained my back yesterday. But I will come to visit you tomorrow, alright?"
"Aa... it's okay, Grandpa!" At first, Shouko wasn't sure how to interact with this Grandpa Kashino since she didn't have any recollection of him yet from the way he sounded, it was obvious that both of them got along well. Her lips curled up into a soft smile. "I'd be discharged today. Please rest well first. Maybe... we would go to visit you later. Don't push yourself."
Shouko was looking at the phone so she didn't notice the way Kyoya's eyes twinkled when he heard her saying they would visit Grandpa instead. It sounded natural as if she didn't lose her memory.
They. Both of them.
"Aiya, you're so kind, Shouko. That's why Grandpa loves you so much. My grandson has a lot to learn from you," Grandpa Kashino was shamelessly throwing Kyoya under the bus while showing his adoration toward his granddaughter-in-law. "No worries, no worries. Your Grandpa is still strong and healthy! I will bring you lots of gifts for you tomorrow! I bought a lot when I was in Hawaii last week."
"A healthy man won't sprain his back," Kyoya refuted his grandfather's claim. Just as the old man yelled "You!", he had hung up the call.
Shouko watched him in awe. She didn't remember any of them but she wasn't feeling uncomfortable seeing they bickered with each other. It lifted her mood, even.
Perhaps, it was because she had witnessed this kind of scene a lot of times in these five years?
"You're smiling again."
"Ha?" Shouko blinked once. She retracted her gaze from the phone to his face. "What did you say?"
"You're smiling," Kyoya repeated his words. "The last time you smile was when I brought you to take a stroll a few days ago."
Shouko blinked again. She touched her cheeks and felt her lips curling upward. He was speaking the truth. It wasn't like she hadn't smiled during her time in the hospital but it was just a half-hearted and polite smile. Right now, she was smiling from her heart.
Shouko muttered out the same question from the other day. "You like to see me smiling?"
The corners of his lips turned upward. Warmth and tenderness spread on his face. "Very much."
Once again Shouko blushed due to his words.
Kyoya silently bored his gaze onto her face. She was still pale, her ability to move around was limited to the injury of her left calf. Her arm was sprained so she couldn't lift heavy things with her right arm. Only the bandage around her head had been omitted from her body.
He loved seeing her smiling with bliss. It had been a long time since the last time she smiled like this.
At noon, Shouko was baffled to meet a small group of burly bodyguards who came to help her getting discharged. All of them treated her with respect. They asked for her well-being which she answered perfunctorily due to her awkwardness.
"Bring the wheelchair here," Kyoya instructed one of them. He placed his laptop inside a bag and handed it to a man.
Shouko wanted to refuse yet she knew she wasn't in the position to do so. She couldn't walk properly yet so it was better to be wheeled out instead of hopping on one leg. Once, she suggested using the crutches but after a few failed attempts, Kyoya confiscated them from her.
This instant husband of hers could be quite overbearing.
A black car was waiting for them outside. Shouko propped up using her uninjured arm, trying to stand up to get into the car when suddenly a pair of strong arms lifted her up with ease. Kyoya carried her steadily, rendering Shouko speechless.
"Restrain yourself from walking too much," He said flatly as he glanced at her blushed cheeks.
"En..." Shouko bit her lower lip. She was still unfamiliar with him so even when he treated her nicely like this, she had yet to get used to it.
The interior of the car was spacious and comfortable. She didn't dare to think how much this one car cost. Shouko fiddled with the seat belt, her movement was clumsy as she was trying to keep the pain of her lower abdomen in check. The pain hadn't subsided even after almost a week had passed.
"Let me help."
Once again, this instant husband of hers stretched out his long hand to pull the seat belt over her front and clicked it inside the socket. Their closed distance made her blushed again. Especially when one side of his lips brushed past her right cheek. If she just tilted her head up, their lips could meet.
Kyoya thoughtfully put a soft and small pillow in front of her stomach in between the belt, allowing the pressure on her lower abdomen to loosen rather than being stuck tight to the seat belt. His gaze was heavy as he glanced at her tummy, an inexplicable feeling taunted his heart.
With a sullen mood painted on his face, he averted his gaze.
Shouko didn't speak in their entire car ride. Actually, she still had questions but Kyoya was busy listening to his subordinates talking through the video conference on his laptop. Apparently, they were busy with some sort of thing she couldn't understand.
In the end, Shouko threw her gaze outside the car window. The early autumn sky was so clear today so a lot of people were walking at the side of the main roads, heading to their destination.
Since five years had passed, Shouko could see the difference between technology and the fashion trends of the current year. Especially the technology one that was rapidly rising year by year.
She was heading to someplace unknown to her. Despite the worry that filled her heart, she chose to remain optimistic about it.
Her life couldn't be worse, was that right? She had endured much in her maiden home from her childhood to her youth. Seeing how good Kyoya treated him, she believed her life had turned better.
While Shouko was lost in her thoughts, a pair of eyes were watching her from her side.
He wondered, what was she thinking?
He was afraid she would be reminded of that matter. Her heart had been broken terribly, he thought he could no longer see her lively smile yet this accident had claimed her memories worth five years, making her forget everything.
The tips of his fingers trembled. Kyoya closed his eyes, he wanted to believe that this was their chance to get over it. It was alright for him to bear the painful memory. He hoped she could continue living happily.
If not, he was afraid he would keep her lock-up in his world, break her wings and never let her go.
Kyoya shuddered at the thought. How could he think of that?
She's not a doll... She's not a lifeless doll.
He repeated the words inside his head, pushing his dark thought away from his mind.
The car entered an intersection and soon they were greeted with wide roads with rows of tall trees planted at either side. It was a long path, Shouko thought it would be difficult if one had to walk here to the main road. Then, a huge carved gate entered her line of sight. Two bodyguards gave a respectful bow to the car of their master. Inside the gate, a beautiful mansion laid in front of her.
"We're home," Kyoya announced briefly.
He didn't wait for the car door to be opened from the outside. He stepped on the ground, rounded the car and went to the other side. He opened the door and saw Shouko who was still looking at the white mansion with wide eyes.
"Let's go inside."
Kyoya unbuckled her seat belt and reached out to carry her again. Shouko instinctively placed her uninjured arm on one of his shoulders, she stared at him.
"En... My wheelchair?"
She remembered seeing the bodyguard placing her wheelchair inside the black van that followed her from behind.
"I can carry you," Kyoya said in a low voice. He immediately headed toward the front doors of the mansion. Two rows of helpers were standing upright at each side of the doors.
"Welcome home, Young Master and Young Madam," An old man in a butler suit bowed his head. A polite smile spread on his face as he looked at Shouko. "We're happy to see you're back and healthy, Young Madam."
Shouko was at a loss of words. Especially when she saw the genuine smiles on their faces. They were all unfamiliar with her yet at this moment, their gesture seeped warmth in her heart. She couldn't help but feel a bit teary.
Kyoya glanced at his wife's face. He appeared satisfied with their attitude. Maybe he should double their salary for this month.
"Bring tea and snacks upstairs," Kyoya left an instruction to the butler before he carried Shouko upstairs.
"Understood, Young Master."
Once both of them disappeared from their sight, the butler turned around and looked at each of his subordinates' faces with a sullen expression.
"Remember Young Master's words. No one shall speak of that matter. Understood?"
"Yes." They answered in unison.
"Well, I could understand why Young Master forbids us speaking of that," A maid said in a low voice. "This house felt so cold after it happened. We hope Young Madam could be happy again."
"Yes, we promise to seal our lips."
"We'll take care of it."
The butler nodded once. He was glad the hearts of the people working here were unified. It was all thanks to their Young Madam. Ever since she graced this mansion with her presence, this place no longer felt bitter and desolate.
Upstairs, Kyoya brought Shouko inside the master bedroom. Shouko was stupefied seeing the big bed in the room. She had forgotten one thing!
Would she have to sleep with him on the same bed tonight?
A layer of sweat formed on her forehead as she was crying inside.
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A/N:
A head's up.
Kyoya is much colder than Ren and it's related to his childhood. At one point, you could view him as a yandere but he has changed over the years of their marriage.
But, with the pressure of Shouko losing her memories, you might see a few instances where his dark personality being expressed here and there. Of course when his wife isn't around. Only outsiders could see them.
At times, he would even at a loss of how he should interact with his wife.
At one point, he is warm but at another, he could be the most ruthless man. It could be confusing.
Don't worry, this book wouldn't become a tragedy 😉 And I'm sorry for rambling here, I just couldn't resist it since I've started liking him more and more.