Trigger warning:
This chapter describes suicide and abuse
Ten years ago, Osaka, Japan.
In a two-story house with only three bedrooms and two small bathrooms lived Hiroto Ito with his eight children. The oldest was his fourteen-year-old son Midori, an unusually tall boy for being an omega, and he looked more like a beta or even a recessive alpha. Midori had jet black hair and dark brown eyes, and when he was at school, Midori was like any other teenage boy. But when school ended for the day, he never once hung out with his friends. He always went straight home, and he never invited any friends to come along. No one had ever been to his house, and when his friends thought about it, they realised they didn't know a single thing about Midori's family or where they lived. They didn't know that Midori had seven younger siblings, that his father Hiroto was an unmarried omega who was more or less held captive in his home, or that Midori's mother was an alpha who was obsessed with Hiroto, even though she was married to someone else. They didn't know Midori had to travel all across Osaka to get to his school just because his mother didn't want the kids to go to schools near their home. And everyone in his class, even his teachers, thought Midori was a beta. He had seen what his father had been forced to endure because he was an omega, so terrified, Midori kept his second gender a secret. And he refused to pretend to be an alpha. Evil, selfish and dangerous bastards, every single one of them.
In school, Midori did great, especially in math and technology. He loved computers, and programming was his biggest interest. His dearest possession was a computer, and it was only his. None of his siblings was allowed to touch it. The money to buy it had Midori gotten from his part-time job at the local grocery store. Being only fourteen years old, Midori wasn't normally allowed to work, but he got the job because he looked older than he was.
Midori was a hard-working boy who helped his father with chores at home despite working three times a week. He also helped take care of his younger siblings, and he was a great big brother. Midori loved his family above all, and his family loved him.
The people who lived in the same neighbourhood as Midori gossiped about the Ito family. They talked about Hiroto and that he was a single parent, alone with eight children. They talked about the family never having any guests, except for that female alpha who came to visit about six times a month and never stayed longer than two hours. But even though the Ito family kept to themselves, the neighbours in the area had nothing to complain about. Hiroto was always friendly and cheerful, and his children were well behaved and never caused any problems. The Ito family were good neighbours, and people liked them.
If they had only known what was going on in that small house, they would surely have called both the police and the social services. But on the outside, the Ito's was a happy family.
The woman who was Midori's mother had black hair and almost black eyes. She was tall and slim, and she always wore fancy clothes and drove her fancy car. The woman always had a serious expression on her face, except when she looked at Hiroto. Then her eyes were filled with devotion. Unfortunately, Midori looked more like his mother than his father, and Midori hated it. He hated it so much that he avoided mirrors as much as possible.
The woman never spoke to Midori. Sometimes she talked to her other children, but never to her eldest. Midori knew she hated him, but it didn't matter. He hated her too.
Midori's siblings were at the time still too young to understand what Hiroto went through, and Midori did everything to protect them from learning the truth. The truth would only hurt them. So when Youko came to the house, Midori kept them busy. Either by playing games, going to the store or playing loud music. Often Shiro's music, because Midori's siblings loved the singer. And Midori did everything they asked because he had to keep them safe.
"If you or your brothers and sisters even as much as mention me by name, sp I will not only kill you. I will also kill Hiroto. If he is taken from me, he might as well be dead. Do you understand?"
It was the first time Youko spoke to Midori, and she wouldn't say another word to him in four years. Midori had been ten years old.
It was no wonder that Midori was afraid of Youko or that he never told anyone what she was doing. Midori was just a child, and he didn't want his father or siblings to die.
Midori adored Hiroto. His dad with the gentle eyes, the warm, comforting hugs and the deep love he had for his children. Hiroto never showed that he was sad or that every time Youko came, he was so scared that he thought he would die. Midori's father had learned to hide the pain, to pretend that he was alright. Hiroto didn't even complain after Youko left, even though his whole body hurt. When every pregnancy test showed positive, he always seemed overjoyed and cared for every one of his children. But towards the end, Midori could see that his father was struggling. And Midori started to understand. His beloved father was suffering more than he had thought. So one day, Midori decided that he would help Hiroto. He would make sure that his dad never saw Youko again. The plan was that the next time Youko came, he would knock her unconscious, and they would flee. He would take his father and siblings and start over. Somewhere far away.
But it was too late. Hiroto took his own life.
Midori had a feeling that something was wrong. The night before Hiroto ended his life, Midori went into his father's room to say goodnight. Hiroto had been sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at something in his hand, and when Midori came in, he quickly put the object under the blanket and looked up. A big smile spread across Hiroto's face, but Midori saw the devastated expression his father had. Hiroto asked Midori to sit next to him, and even though Midori was only fourteen years old, he was taller than his father, who only reached to his son's shoulders. Hiroto was thirty-seven years old but looked to be closer to fifty. He was worn out, and even though he smiled, Midori saw how tired he was.
"Thank you for making dinner. It was really good."
"No problem. But you didn't eat much. Don't you feel well?"
"I'm fine, but I don't have much of an appetite."
"Are you really sure you're okay? She was here a long time today."
Hiroto was always calm, but this was the first time Midori saw his father jerk with wide eyes. He looked frightened.
"What do you mean?"
"She was here longer than usual, and you're not even in heat."
Midori could see that Hiroto was surprised by what his son said. That he didn't know what to say.
"Dad, I don't want her to hurt you anymore."
"She isn't hurting me, Midori. She's my mate and your mother."
"She's not my mother," Midori had said with anger.
"Please, don't say that."
Midori got up and turned to his father.
"Youko is not my mother. She's a horrible person, and I wish she was dead."
Midori turned away from his dad and rushed out of the room.
"Midori!" His father desperately shouted behind him, but Midori didn't stop.
He barely made it out of the room before his eyes flooded with tears. But he kept them from falling. He didn't want his father or siblings to see or hear him cry. He had to be strong.
But Midori was still just a kid, and he didn't want to fight with his dad. So after his brothers and sisters had fallen asleep, he went to his father's room. And that was when he heard Hiroto cry for the first time. It had to be because he said he wanted Youko dead, Midori thought. And filled with guilt, Midori ran to the bathroom, and he cried. He cried because he had hurt his father.
Midori didn't sleep that night. And as soon as it was time to get out of bed, Midori went to his father's room to apologise. He knocked several times, but there was no response. Midori carefully opened the door in case Hiroto was still asleep. That was when he found his father hanging from the ceiling.
It's hard to describe what Midori felt at that moment. First shock and confusion. He couldn't process what was going on. Why did his father hang from the ceiling? He didn't remember it afterwards, but he went to his father, shook his legs gently and looked up at the bluish face. It was swollen, and his open eyes were bloodshot.
"Dad?" Midori's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
Hiroto didn't answer.
Out of the corner of his eye, Midori saw three things lying on the bed. He walked up and took the first object in his hand. A pregnancy test with two lines. Midori had seen several pregnancy tests, and he knew right away. Hiroto had been pregnant. Then he picked up the two papers. There were two letters. One to Midori and his siblings.
'My beloved children. I'm so sorry for doing this to you, and I hope you will someday think well of me. Remember that you have done nothing wrong. This isn't your fault, please, always remember that. You all have given me so much love, so much warmth and happiness. Become strong, happy and always be true to yourself.
I'm sorry, my children. Please, just remember that I love you. More than you will ever understand.'
Tears streamed down Midor's pale cheeks, and he sobbed. But he couldn't break apart. He had to be strong.
In the second letter, Hiroto wrote everything he had been through since meeting Youko. He told of how she had raped and marked him against her will, about how she hadn't let him have an abortion and the threats, the abuse and the forced isolation.
Hatred took over the grief. Midori hated her. He hated her so much that he wanted to see her suffer, just as much as Hiroto had done.
Still, with the letters in hand, Midori was about to call the police. That's when Youko came. She wasn't supposed to come, but she had a meeting in the morning, and she always felt relaxed after making love to her sweet baby.
Midori was scared to death.
When Youko saw Hiroto, in an instant, she became hysterical. She screamed in wild panic as tears ran down her cheeks. She pulled at his body until he fell down and hit the floor with a thump. She desperately tried to revive him. Mouth to mouth, pound to the heart, but it was too late. Far too late. Hiroto had been dead for hours.
"Why Hiroto?" She screamed again and again.
She screamed and cried for minutes until it was like she had just realised that Midori was there. Youku turned and stared at Midori. Her eyes were burning.
"What have you done?" She hissed, the hatred in her voice made Midori shake with fear.
"I haven't done anything," he whispered.
He was scared, confused, and so sad that he fought everything he could to keep himself from starting to cry again. He didn't want to cry in front of Youko.
Youko held Hiroto's lifeless body in her arms, his head pressed against her chest and her face wet with tears. She saw the letter in Midori's hand. When he saw the deep hate in her eyes, he turned around, and with his heart in his throat, Midori rushed out of the room. He held the letter tightly in his hand. He ran towards the stairs, but that was when Youko caught up with him. She grabbed his hair so that he fell backwards and hit the floor hard. Midori lost his breath but didn't have time to react until he was kicked in the stomach. The pain exploded, and he gasped, losing his breath. She kicked him furiously in the stomach over and over again, and she would have continued if Yuta and Kyosuke hadn't rushed out of their room. The older of the two, Yuta, threw himself on top of Midori to protect him, while Kyosuke jumped on Youko's back. Trying to hinder her movements.
"Stop, Mother!"
"Mother, you're killing him."
Youko had always treated her other children better than Midori. And she actually listened to the two boys' desperate cries. Panting, she stopped kicking. She stared at Midori. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"You killed him, you disgusting piece of trash. My Hiroto. He's dead because of you. If you had never been born, he would have been happy. He would have lived."
She bent down towards Midori, put her hand around his throat and brought her lips to his ear.
"If you tell anyone what happened. I'll kill you all. Remember that, you little shit."
That was the last thing Youko ever said to Midori. She never even looked at him again. She just ordered the children to keep quiet and stay out of the way. Yuta and Kyosuke helped Midori. He almost couldn't walk cause of several broken ribs.
Midori could barely remember what happened afterwards when the ambulance staff and the police arrived. He and his siblings did what Youko had told them to do and stayed out of the way. When the ambulance drove away with Hiroto, Youko gave the children strict orders not to talk about what had happened. She left the house, and they didn't see her until Hirotos funeral. Youko took care of everything, as Midori's former employer. And that was the last time any of the children saw her.
Midori never said anything about what happened to anyone. He didn't dare. He was terrified. He knew that if Yuta and Kyosuke hadn't been there, she would have killed him. And he really thought she was capable of killing them all. Youko wasn't a human being. She was a monster.
Sunday
"Honey, wake up. You're having a nightmare."
Lucas' calm voice woke Midori. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Lucas looking down at him. He looked worried.
"What time is it?"
"Eleven. You've slept for over twelve hours."
Midori sat up. His body felt heavy, and it felt like his head was going to explode. It made him feel nauseous, like he would throw up.
"Do you want some water?"
Midori nodded and watched as Lucas left the room. He leaned forward and rested his head between his hands.
"Can you get me a painkiller?" Midori managed to ask in a loud voice.
"Sure."
Midori sat like that until Lucas came back and put his arm around Midori's shoulders.
"Here's the water and the painkiller."
Midori took the pill and swallowed it with the cold water. He rested against the now stacked pillows. Midori hated to see Lucas so worried, and he wanted to act like everything was fine. But he couldn't muster up enough energy to even pretend it was.
Lucas leaned forward and put his forehead against Midoris.
"You're warm," he said and immediately went to get a thermostat.
The display showed 38,5°.
"As a thought, you have a fever. How are you feeling?"
"I just have a headache, and I feel a little nauseous because of that. And I'm still so tired."
Lucas gently kissed Midori's forehead.
"Do you want to tell me about what happened last night?"
Midori bit his lower lip and looked like he was going to cry. Lucas immediately regretted bringing up what had happened the day before. But he had to try to talk to Midori about it. Nothing would get better if they just ignored it.
"I don't know why I acted like that. I was just really stressed and scared. And I don't know why."
Midori didn't lie. He just didn't tell Lucas everything. Because how could he do that? Lucas looked at him for a long time before he said anything. Lucas' knew that there was something Midori didn't tell him, but Lucas just sighed and caressed Midori's cheek with his hand.
"I want you to tell me right away the next time you're not feeling well or you feel anxious or confused. Can you promise me that?"
"I promise."
The gaze the two shared was full of love. A love Midori valued more than anything else.
"Do you want pancakes? I was going to make some now."
Midori shook his head, but it was reluctant. He loved Lucas' pancakes, but he didn't have any appetite.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any appetite right now."
"Then I'll be making them for breakfast tomorrow instead. Do you just want to take it easy at home today?"
"If it's okay with you, I'd like to get some more sleep."
"Of course, it's okay."
Lucas kissed Midori gently on the cheek, and he smiled tenderly, but the smile never reached his eyes.
"I love you."
"I love.." Midori began to say but yawned.
"You should rest, Luv. Call if you need anything."
Midori didn't respond. He had already fallen asleep.
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, looking at his beloved. He didn't know what to do. Midori didn't feel well, that was clear. But whether it was physical or psychological, Lucas didn't know.
Lucas managed to wake Midori a few times, but Midori was too tired to stay awake for a long time. He didn't eat anything, but he drank some water, talked a bit and fell back to sleep again. And it was a worried Lucas who went to bed early in the evening. He put his arms around Midori and wished, more than anything, that everything would be fine.
Monday
It was just past seven a.m when Midori woke up with a jerk. He opened his eyes, and when he noticed that Lucas wasn't next to him, his heart began to pound like crazy in his chest. Midori was now sure that Lucas had grown tired and left him. And who could really blame him? Midori knew he was nothing but a pain.
Wrapped in the blanket, Midori walked out of the bedroom on trembling legs. He could hear sounds from the kitchen, but Midori's first feeling wasn't relief despite his worries that Lucas might have left him. His first thought was whether the sounds were real or not. Midori walked very slowly towards the kitchen, and the closer he got, the clearer he could hear the noisy sound of an electric whisk, the kitchen fan and someone humming on a song.
Was it his dad who was in the kitchen making breakfast? Hiroto always sang when he cooked, and his voice was amazing. Midori really loved his dad's soft voice. Midori remembered when he was little and how he always ran down the stairs when he knew his dad was making hottokeki, like he always did on Sundays. But Midori always stopped just outside the doorway and listened as his father sang. His voice was beautiful, and the songs were calm. He missed them.
Midori took a deep breath before peeking into the kitchen, and there stood Lucas in front of the stove, humming on an old 80's song while making pancakes. Midori sighed in relief and leaned against the door frame. Lucas was wearing black training trousers and nothing on his upper body. He wasn't as muscular as his brother, but he had more of an athletic figure from his days of doing MMA. Lucas' shoulders were broad, and his waist narrow. And Lucas was so sexy that Midori's heart hammered in his chest. He once thought that Shiro was the sexiest person in the world. Midori no longer thought so. Lucas' sexiness was out of this world.
As if Lucas had felt Midori's presence, Lucas turned around and smiled. It was a cheerful smile and also somewhat relieved. Lucas removed the frying pan from the stove and walked over to Midori with open arms.
"Good morning, darling."
Midori allowed himself to be embraced. He put his head against Lucas' shoulder and pressed himself against the firm body.
"Hi."
Midori had his eyes closed. He could feel a pleasant scent of vanilla from the pancakes and Lucas' own scent, which reminded him of bergamot.
"Is it time for your rut?" Midori asked without opening his eyes.
"Not in at least ten days. Can you already feel it?"
Midori nodded.
"Yes, I love your scent."
Lucas held Midori tighter and kissed the top of his head. They stood like that for a while, feeling safe in each other's arms.
"How are you feeling?"
"Actually, I feel great."
Lucas put his forehead to Midori's.
"You don't have a fever. How's the headache?"
"Gone, and I'm not tired anymore."
Lucas smiled, and it was an honest, happy smile.
"Do you want pancakes, my Luv?"
"Woho! Pancakes!"
Lucas took Midori's hand and led him to the kitchen table.
"Orange juice or water?"
"Water, please," Midori answered and sat down on a chair.
On the table were lemon juice, sugar, strawberry jam, chocolate spread and a plate with a tower of pancakes. The sight of the food made Midori's mouth water, and only now did he feel his stomach rumble with hunger. He hadn't eaten anything the day before, and now it felt like he was starving. Midori quickly stuffed two pancakes in his mouth and spread the chocolate on the third while Lucas looked at him with relief.
They took their time eating, and when they were done, they cleaned the table. Lucas kept humming old 80's songs, and Midori listened to him with a smile on his face.
"You never thought about starting to sing professionally?"
Lucas had just put the last knife in the dishwasher and stared wide-eyed at Midori.
"What?"
"You have a great singing voice."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No, I'm serious. I love it when you sing."
Midori didn't understand how Lucas could be so surprised by what he said. He couldn't be the first person to point out how well Lucas could sing. But Lucas laughed and ruffled Midori's hair.
"It's probably just you who thinks that, darling. But thank you."
Lucas and Midori smiled at each other. One, then two minutes passed, but neither looked away from each other or moved an inch. Their eyes were locked, and their smile had vanished. Without saying anything, they came together in a kiss. Midori threw his arms around Lucas' shoulders while Lucas held Midori's waist and lifted him up. They kissed each other intensely, and with each passing second, their bodies got hotter.
"The bedroom?" Lucas mumbled.
His tongue was still inside Midori's mouth, who nodded eagerly and pressed his body tightly against Lucas. They felt each other's erections through their clothes, and their kiss became even more intense. They went to the bedroom, and carefully Lucas laid Midori on the bed and looked at him. He was panting, and his eyes were feverish. Midori knew Lucas wanted this bad.
"Is this okay?" Lucas asked, sounding almost desperate.
Midori's gaze wandered below Lucas' waist and the very visible erection and then up again to Lucas's face. Midori was so turned on that he could barely keep still, and his cock throbbed. He hadn't been this horny without being in the heat for a long time. Midori could not stay calm, grabbed Lucas' waist and jerked so Lucas fell on top of him and he desperately cried:
"Please just fuck me!"
Lucas was at first startled, but it didn't last long. He ripped off his trousers, then Midori's, and he thrust his cock into Midori's hole. It was so hot and wet that Lucas had to stay completely still so he wouldn't come right away. But it was hard. Midori lay beneath him, whining in euphoria while his whole body shook from the intense orgasm he had as soon as Lucas was completely inside him. The orgasm made Midori's inside pulsate and squeezed Lucas cock. Lucas closed his eyes so he couldn't see Midori, and he tried to shut out the sound of pleasure. Midori was so beautiful, and Lucas could come just by looking at him.
As soon as he calmed down a bit, Lucas slowly moved his hips. But he soon realized that he couldn't keep from coming. So Lucas opened his eyes, and beneath him, he found his beloved still riding on the waves from the intense orgasm. Midori looked at him, but his eyes were foggy and his breaths heavy.
"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna come."
Midori reached up and caressed Lucas' cheek.
"Go for it."
Midori's trembling voice made Lucas completely lose his cool. He grabbed Midori's hip and pushed his cock so hard that Midori cried straight out. It only took four thrusts before Lucas came, and it was so intense that he collapsed on the bed next to Midori. Lucas trembled and breathed fast as if he had sprinted. Next to him was Midori, quivering just as much. His stomach was covered with semen, his eyes glossy, and his hair a perfect mess. And he looked so sexy Lucas wanted to go for another round. And so he did. He pushed Midori to the side, lifted Midori's leg and with one thrust, he entered Midori again, making Midori cry out.
"Fuck!"
Lucas leaned over Midori and kissed him so hard Midori could barely breathe. He then grabbed Midori's cock and pumped it, and it only took a few minutes until Midori came. Lucas didn't stop or even slow down, making Midori almost lose consciousness. It was so intense, but it was also so good.
"Kenji," Lucas moaned as he came.
Afterwards, Midori and Lucas embraced each other. They breathed heavily and were both exhausted. But satisfied.
"Think, I was a virgin before I met you. I never thought sex would be this great."
Lucas stared in surprise at Midori. He had always taken it for granted that Midori had been experienced. The things he could do. Amazing, wonderful things. Things that made Lucas lose control.
"I love you so much," Midori said, his voice was full of warmth and so soft. Lucas pulled him close and held him tight.
"I love you too."
They could have spent the whole day in bed, but Lucas, to his great annoyance, had to go to work. Lucas had an important meeting with a singer that the company really wanted to sign, so it just wasn't possible for him to work from home. Lucas had to be at the office.
While Lucas was getting dressed after the shower, his phone rang. He looked at the display, and Midori immediately saw that Lucas felt uneasy. Lucas glanced at Midori.
"It's Isaac."
"Answer before he hangs up," Midori said.
Lucas sighed but still answered. The conversation didn't last long but long enough for Lucas to go through several different facial expressions. After saying goodbye and ending the conversation, Lucas turned around and looked at Midori. He was tense.
"Isaac wants to tell Lucy I'm her dad. Today."
"Without giving you any time to prepare yourself? That's just wrong."
"Well, it's typical of Isaac to do so. He waits until the last second just because he's so afraid of conflicts!"
Lucas looked at Midori.
"What do you think I should do?"
Midori first didn't know what to say. He knew Lucas was anxious, and a part of him wanted Lucas to just tell Isaac that he didn't want to have anything to do with him at all. But even a bigger part of him thought of the little girl, of what a pity it would be for her to not have such a wonderful father as Lucas. Because Midori knew that Lucas would be an amazing dad. So Midori walked up to Lucas, caressed his cheek, and smiled tenderly.
"I think you should go and tell her."
"But I don't want to leave you alone for so long."
"Don't worry about me. I feel fine now, so I was planning on doing some school assignments while you were gone."
Lucas didn't want to leave him. Midori could see that, but Lucas finally smiled and took Midori in his arms.
"I don't know what I would do without you."
His tender words made Midori beam, and he held on to Lucas.
"I feel the same."
They stood like that for a while until Lucas very reluctantly let go of Midori. Lucas got ready while Midori watched, and when Lucas was done, Midori followed him to the door. Lucas took Midori's face in his hands and kissed him. His lips lingered on Midori's for a long time.
"I'll call as soon as I'm on my way home," Lucas promised as he broke the kiss and then he left.
Midori was now all alone. With his phone in his hand, he went to the sofa, wrapped himself in a blanket, and lay down on his side. Determined that he wouldn't move until Lucas got home.
So much had happened, and the things that happened two days earlier now felt like a horrible nightmare. Had all that really happened? Those voices that screamed at him, what he had seen in the mirror? He must have imagined it. But still, it'd felt so real. And he had never been as tired as he'd been the day before. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay awake. Midori had never needed much sleep. Four hours had always been enough sleep for him.
The fatigue was now gone, and Midori felt great. Lucas occupied his thoughts. He did so much for him. It was as if being close to Lucas healed him, removed all his worries, and gave him more happiness than Midori thought possible. When he was with Lucas, he didn't think about all the bad things that had happened in his life or the things he had done. And inside him was even a part of Lucas. Midori hadn't given much thought to life in him. At first, he had only seen it as a way to stay in the family until it was time for Shiro to choose him. And later, when he no longer thought about Shiro, Midori only associated the pregnancy with being sick.
But now, he no longer felt any nausea, and he regretted everything he had thought about the baby inside him. He regretted it so much it hurt. Midori put his hand on his stomach and closed his eyes. Inside, there was a life that he and Lucas had created together. A life they were responsible for. Midori knew that his father had been forced to go through hell, but Hiroto had been an amazing father despite all that. He had given his all for his children, and Midori wanted to be as good a father as he was. He wanted to be a family with Lucas and raise their child together.
This is what Midori thought of as he was lying on the couch. Sometimes he looked on his phone at different websites that sold baby items such as prams, cribs and clothes. And other times, he just sat and looked out of the large window and down over the river. Midori hadn't felt this relaxed for a very long time.
When the phone rang, it was Lucas. He said that the meeting had gone really well, and they had now signed the most promising new artist in a very long time. Lucas was now on his way to Isaac and Lucy. But not even that worried Midori. He trusted Lucas completely. He knew that Lucas would never go back to Isaac. Sure, there were several reasons why Lucas could leave Midori, but getting together with someone else wasn't one of them.
Lucas said he would call again when he was on his way home, and he promised to buy Midori's favourite pizza. Midori had laughed when Lucas said that. Lucas knew exactly what made Midori happy, and the sloppy pizza from the neighbourhood restaurant was one of those things.
After the conversation, Midori opened his laptop and started doing some school assignments. Midori had started school only to be able to stay in London, and he already knew everything the school taught, so the tasks were almost ridiculously easy for him. He completed three in a very short time, and when he had just finished, the phone rang again. Midori raised his eyebrow. It couldn't be Lucas because he was still with Isaac. And Midori knew no one else who could call him. He hadn't spoken to his siblings in three years, and he had no friends. It was an unknown number, and Midori contemplated whether he should answer or not. But curiosity took over.
"Hello?"
"Is this Kenji Harada?"
"Yes."
Midori hated talking on the phone. It was always so uncomfortable.
"I'm calling from the hospital. Your test results have come back from the lab, so we want to book a new appointment where we will talk about the results."
"Please, can you tell me, is everything alright with the baby?"
Midori started to get nervous. He had gone to the doctor just because Lucas was worried, and Midori hadn't thought about it since. But not now. What if something had happened to their baby?
"Yes, there is nothing to worry about. All tests and our examination show that the fetus is growing as it should and is perfectly healthy."
"So why do you have to take more tests?"
"The results of some of the blood tests show numbers we need to investigate further."
"Is it serious?" Midori's voice was cold. Empty.
"I can't answer that at the moment. It is therefore of great importance that we make a new appointment as soon as possible."
Midori didn't say anything.
"Mr Harada?"
Midori jerked at the man's loud voice. For a moment, it was as if he had forgotten how to talk.
"Yes, sorry."
Midori and the doctor booked a new appointment three days ahead and ended the call. And Midori was soo relieved. His baby was fine! Of course, it was scary that he needed to go back to the doctor, but as long as nothing happened to the baby, it didn't matter. He held his hands on his stomach and closed his eyes. The hands rose and sank with each breath. It was soothing, and Midori thought of the baby. He remembered the dream he had a while ago, about a child with dark hair and blue eyes playing with Lucas. Midori wanted to experience this. He wanted this to be his future.
Midori liked children, he always had. He had seven younger siblings, and they had always been together. Not just because he had to, but because he wanted to. Why hadn't he spoken to them in so many years? Midori could no longer remember why. He missed them. He missed Yuta, who was two years younger than him and Kyousuke, who was just ten months younger than Yuta. Midori missed the identical twins Asuka and Komi and the second twins Emiko and Ryoichi. And sweet little Hina. Midori missed the youngest most of all. How could he have broken all ties with them? His own family. The family he was responsible for.
A long sigh escaped from Midori's lips, and he opened his eyes. He looked to his left.
"I've been an idiot. Isn't that right, Dad?"
A few meters from the sofa, Hiroto Ito hung from the ceiling. Around his neck was a snare and his face was swollen and pale blue. And he stared at his son with big bloodshot eyes that couldn't see.
Midori sighed again, leaned his head backwards and closed his eyes.
"I know you're not real, but I'm so sorry, Dad. I really am."
And Midori fell asleep to the sound of his father's soothing, beautiful song.