Midori's mouth fell open in amazement, and Minato misinterpreted it quickly as reluctance.
"Do you not want to?" he asked, his tone betraying his hurt feelings.
"I do!" Midori quickly said while grabbing Minato's hands. "I am just surprised. I didn't expect to meet her so soon! Take me to meet her now!"
Minato's stiff facial expression slowly gave into a smile.
"Alright," he said. "You will be the first one from the family to meet her."
Midori was beyond excited. She almost skipped on her way to Minato's car.
"Tell me everything about her," she said as soon as she was seated in the passenger seat. "I want to know everything. Start from the beginning. What is her name? Where did you meet her? How did you two fall in love?"
Minato laughed as he started the car.
"Women. So many questions," he said with a chuckle as he started the car. "Truthfully, you met her. Just not as my woman but my colleague."
Midori's mouth fell open again. She had only met one of Minato's colleagues on her visit to the hospital.
"Stafford-Sensei is your girlfriend???" she exclaimed in disbelief.
Minato turned to look at her and grinned. "Surprised?"
"Yes! I mean, no! You two make a beautiful couple! I just didn't expect you to be dating the physician who attended to me!"
Minato grinned.
"How can I leave my dearest little sister to just any doctor?" He quipped. "Of course, I had to entrust you in Susan's good hands."
"Awww..." Midori's heart melted upon hearing Minato's caring words. "Onii-chan, you are so good to me."
Chuckling, Minato gripped the steering wheel and pressed the gas pedal. The car lurched forward, leaving the sprawling Takigawa estate behind.
"I met her when I was studying in the States," Minato explained. Her father, a highly respected physician, had paved the way for her to be among the fortunate few women allowed to study medicine alongside male students. This was an extraordinary privilege, reserved for the most exceptional individuals."
"She was on the cusp of becoming one of the few women to serve as a medical practitioner at the hospital, but her dreams were tragically shattered by her father's untimely demise."
The weight of the world seemed to press down on Minato, forcing out a sigh that mirrored the storm raging inside him.
"I owed her father a lot. Just as her life was drifting into an uncertain future, I completed my studies and had to go back home. I couldn't leave her behind, so I took her with me to Japan."
Nightfall draped their surrounding area in an eerie quiet, broken only by the solitary hum of their car's engine as it sped past darkened houses and shadowy trees.
"Over time, the friendship changed into mutual attraction, and mutual attraction morphed into love."
As Minato's words washed over her, Midori bit her lip, a pang of regret piercing her heart. This bishounen big brother, one of the better specimens of men in the novel, was already taken, snatched away far sooner than she'd ever anticipated. The cruel author of "Dreams of Ancient Capital" teased the readers with a delicious morsel, only to rip it away before it entered their mouths, leaving them with nothing but longing.
After two hours, the car pulled up in front of Minato's private residence.
A veil of dusk obscured the details of Minato's home, shrouding it in the shadows of the night. All Midori could discern was its silhouette – a small, traditional Japanese house enclosed by a low fence of weathered brown wood.
Inside, however, warmth and comfort radiated from the open doorway. The living space was reminiscent of Grandpa Takigawa's, exuding a similar sense of familiarity and peace.
"Welcome, Midori-chan," Minato said with a smile when they crossed the threshold and stepped into the small but welcoming foyer.
"Please make yourself at home. I am going to get Susan. She is just next door."
"Oh. Sure."
Midori settled onto a floor cushion, waiting patiently. Despite being a single man's abode, the house was surprisingly clean and orderly. Not a single object dared to be out of place. Tall shelves adorned the living room, showcasing a collection of travel souvenirs and framed certificates – testaments to Minato's adventures abroad.
Black-and-white photographs adorned the walls. Each one captured a moment in time, a shared memory with all of Minato's siblings except Midori, who had left before his return to Japan. The images were silent whispers of laughter and joy, frozen in time and forever etched in frames.
As she drifted from one photograph to another, the rhythmic sound of approaching footsteps and an accompanying meow announced the other two people's arrival.
A smile, like a beacon in the gathering dusk, illuminated Minato's face as he walked into the living room, his hand intertwined with Susan Stafford's in a gesture of intimacy.
The beautiful blonde, despite her undeniable allure, walked with a stiffness that betrayed her anxious heart. In her arms, she carried a fluffy grey cat with eyes like shimmering sapphires, adding a touch of amusement to the scene with its playful gaze.
Minato pressed a kiss against the side of Susan's head before he winked at Midori, "Midori-chan, allow me to introduce my future wife to you -- Susan Stafford. She is holding her first child and my adopted child in her arms. His name is Toki-kun."
Midori burst into laughter.
Susan was all red in the face. Her luscious lips opened and closed several times as she glared at Minato for making fun of her.
"I am kidding," Minato took Toki from Susan's arm and held him up in Midori's direction. "Look, doesn't he look a lot like me?"
His words earned him a smack on the arm.
"Minato-san, stop poking fun at me already!" Susan pouted.
Ever since Midori returned, she had grown accustomed to the smile that seemed to be perpetually etched on Minato's face.
But today, it was accompanied by a laughter that was infectious, genuine, and almost childlike in its exuberance. It hardly took a genius to figure out that he was hopelessly smitten with Susan, and she, in turn, was clearly over the moon with him.
Midori closed the distance between them and beamed at Susan.
"Stafford-Sensei... Ah, no. Susan, nice to meet you again. I am Midori, Minato-niichan's youngest sister."