Work Text:
Ring, ring
"Kazuya, your phone is ringing," said a concerned voice.
"Don't worry about that; you should rest," replied Kazuya, who was currently preparing food for someone.
"But it's the fifth time someone called you. Shouldn't you answer it?"
"Don't worry about it and rest. You're sick, and a sick person should only rest, okay?" Kazuya smiled and tucked Mei's loose hair.
Narumiya Mei, his first love but not his betrothed. Mei and Kazuya were childhood friends, each other's first love, who promised forever with each other. However, as the saying goes, promises are meant to be broken. But that didn't change the fact that Kazuya would do anything for Mei.
Kazuya checked his phone while making sure Mei slept. "Eijun," was what appeared on the screen. He pushed the end call and turned off his phone, ensuring that no one would bother him while he cared for his beloved.
"Shouldn't you go home already, Kazuya?" Mei asked.
"Why? Don't you want me here?" Kazuya playfully replied.
"I'm not your husband, Kazuya. You should go." Kazuya's eyes darkened. That's right, Mei is not Kazuya's husband. Kazuya should not be taking care of Mei, but Mei is the one Kazuya loves, and Mei is sick, so he should prioritize Mei.
"Please go home, Kazuya. I'll be fine. Besides, you've been here the whole day."
Kazuya sighed. He couldn't deny his beloved.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Kazuya asked, stroking Mei's hair. "Yes, I will be fine."
"Call me whenever you need me, okay?" Kazuya said, and Mei nodded. With that, Kazuya headed home.
It had been two days since he left after his game on Monday, rushing to Mei's place after learning that his beloved had fainted due to fever.
Kazuya arrived at his house around 9 pm and immediately noticed how dark it was, as if there was a power outage.
"Where is everyone?" Kazuya thought. As he turned on the lights, he saw blood on the stairs and a messy living room.
"Were we robbed?"
Suddenly, a maid came out. "Sir Miyuki, you're home."
"Where is everyone?" Miyuki asked, noticing the maid's red eyes, as if she had been crying.
"Sir, Sir Eijun had a fall earlier and was rushed to the hospital." What? Miyuki couldn't seem to register what the maid said. If Eijun had fallen, shouldn't he be resting?
Oh right, Eijun, his betrothed but not beloved. It was an arranged marriage, and they met in high school, both part of the baseball team. After high school, Eijun quit baseball as he was now betrothed to Miyuki.
"Why is it messy here? If Eijun's sick, shouldn't he be resting in his room?" They didn't share a room. Miyuki hated the sight of Eijun.
"Sir," the maid sobbed, "Sir Eijun is pregnant" Miyuki felt a sharp pain in his head as if he realized something, and it felt like someone had poured cold water over him. He stood there, frozen.
Eijun, pregnant. Right, he remembered that last month Eijun had announced at their family dinner that he was four months pregnant. Miyuki had seen Eijun's big belly, had seen Eijun smile while stroking his belly, and he remembered the night they had been together. Miyuki was drunk that time, but he clearly remembered it, and he knew it was his child.
Miyuki rushed to the hospital, as the maid had suggested. He didn't know what to do. Yes, he didn't like the idea of marrying Eijun, but he still cared for him... a little.
"Where is Eijun's room?" he shouted at a nurse.
"Wait, sir... um... Room 427." Miyuki rushed to the room, where he found Eijun lying peacefully. He stepped forward and tried to hold Eijun's hand, but he was stopped.
"Where have you been, Kazuya?" an authoritative voice said, and it was his mother, Miyuki Akemi.
"Mom... what happened?" Kazuya didn't know how to answer his mom's question.
"We tried to call you from Eijun's phone, but you wouldn't answer. Tell me, Kazuya, where have you been? For two days, you didn't come back." Akemi was now angry, feeling that she had failed as a mother and in raising her son to be a good husband.
"Mom, I was at Mei's; he is sick." Akemi couldn't believe her son.
"You what? Are you kidding me, Kazuya? You left your pregnant husband alone, and now look, he is bedridden."
"I don't know, Mom, okay? I'm sorry," Kazuya turned back to his mom and faced the sleeping Eijun. Suddenly, Eijun woke up.
"Kazuya," Eijun said in his husky voice, clearly tired. He had heard everything Kazuya said and seemed lost. He had lost Kazuya to Mei, and now he had lost his child.
"Are you okay, Eijun?" Kazuya asked, and his mom in the background rolled her eyes and wanted to smack her son.
Eijun smiled at him. "Let's get a divorce, Kazuya." Kazuya was shocked at what Eijun said.
"I can't do this anymore. I know I'm wrong for wanting to marry you, and I'm sorry for that. I am nothing now, Kazuya. I lost our child. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for losing our child." Eijun’s wails echoed in the room.
Miyuki's mom was not shocked to learn that her grandchild was now gone as the doctors already told he but he still wants to punish her own son for not protecting his husband.
Miyuki was dumbfounded. He now understood the consequences of his actions, and he hated himself. He wanted to die. Would his child come back if he died?
Funny how Miyuki used the word "our," as if he cared for his husband and child now that Eijun was in the hospital bed, blaming himself for losing the child.
Akemi hugged Eijun. Eijun's family was still on their way to the hospital, as they lived in Nagano but had heard about the situation from Akemi. To no surprise, they supported their son's idea of divorce.
"Eijun... I'm sorry. I will help you in settling your divorce," Akemi said as she soothed the man's back. It was her only way to repent for her child's wrongdoing.
Kazuya wanted to object. He wanted to keep Eijun, but he knew he had a thick face for asking Eijun to stay.
"What a thick face you have," Kazuya thought. He wanted to slap himself.
"Eijun," Miyuki said, "I will sign the divorce papers. I'm sorry. Please be happy
Again, he had a thick face for asking someone to be happy when he had hurt them.
"I will, Kazuya. Take care of Mei," Eijun said, smiling beautifully. It had been almost a year of being betrothed, and this was the only time he had seen Eijun smile like that. It was ethereal, breathtaking, like a sun in the sky. Kazuya wanted to keep it.
Again, Miyuki had a thick face. Miyuki smiled bitterly. "You know, I've lost everything, Kazuya."