Chapter 9: IX - Husband
Ryo's cousins arrived just before dusk, and Sanada prepared a feast for all of them during dinner. Ryo noted that Sachi was quite happy to see a familiar face from high school, his older cousin, Sano, who now works as an editor at the country's top publishing company.
"So, how is your friend doing these days?" Sano asked Sachi at dinner.
"Sorry?" Sachi asked him, confused as to who might he be referring to.
"I'm talking about Seto," Sano clarified.
"Oh, Seto, yes," Sachi said with a smile. "I think he's doing fine."
Ryo just listened as his cousin asked Sachi a lot of things.
'Who was Seto again?' Ryo struggled to remember if he was introduced to Seto on their wedding day.
"This Seto guy, it wouldn't be Seto Hitachin from the HS Group of Companies, would he?" his cousin, Aki finally joined in the conversation.
"The very same one," Sano answered. "I believe he was the captain of the basketball team in high school, isn't that correct?" he asked Sachi.
"That's right," Sachi said.
"I had no idea that your family was connected with theirs," Aki said to Sachi.
"Well, our families used to do business with each other, that's all," Sachi said.
"The HS Group, weren't they the one who bought and now manage the business that your grandfather built before?" Aki asked Ryo.
"They are," Ryo answered flatly and seemed disinterested.
"But, I don't recall seeing or meeting him at your wedding though," Sano recalled.
"We did invite them but they could not make it. Seto had a very important meeting in New York at the time," Sachi said.
"Strange, you two seemed pretty close, and Seto always seemed to follow you everywhere you go back in high school," Sano commented. "One would easily think that you two were an item back then."
Sano quipped that he thought Seto was Sachi's boyfriend back in high school and even in college. Sachi quickly denied this saying that they were just childhood and close friends.
Sanada saw Ryo look at his wife as Sano was interrogating Sachi about her relationship with this Seto guy, she also saw how uncomfortable Sachi looked. She noticed that the conversation was getting out of hand so she cleared her throat and butted in.
"Oh, Sano, enough with this interrogation and enough with the past. Do tell us, what have you been up to these days? Have you and my brother made up or talked at least?" she knew that this topic will get his nephew to shut up.
Sachi let out a sigh of relief, after all, she did not like being the center of attention. In her mind, she was thinking that her senior has not changed at all a bit after high school and college. He was still his talkative and inquisitive self.
"Well, father still refuses to talk to his insolent son," Sano said dryly. "And just because I did not become a lawyer. That's why I am showing him that I can make it on my own despite not being a lawyer or even without his help."
"Good for you, darling, good for you. But, remember, my brother is stubborn so please do make the first move and make up with him already. He is quite sad without you, I know that for sure," Sanada said with a soft smile to his oldest nephew.
The table grew quiet after Sanada said that.
After dinner was the talk about their sleeping arrangements, both Ryo and Sachi had been dreading this, because every time they visit, they have to share the same room like any married couple. Nobody knew that back at their 'love nest', they stay in separate rooms. Sachi knew that Sanada would lose it if she finds out about their actual living arrangements, let alone the truth behind their marriage.
It was a big house so his cousins each have their own rooms, while he and Sachi will stay in his bedroom, the room which served as his bedroom when he was still living in this house.
That room remained untouched, except for the occasional cleaning, but it is still the way he left it a few years ago. The bed, although a double bed, is actually barely enough for two adults.
Ryo still remembered his and Sachi's first night there as a married couple. She was so happy seeing his room and intently looked at every picture on the wall, she probably scanned every nook and cranny in there too, and it made him conscious. After all, not only was she the only girl that he has ever brought home, she was also the only girl that has been allowed to enter his room.
Ryo remembered how much of a torture that first night was. The bed was too small for them that when they lie side by side he can feel, smell and hear her. He could feel the warmth emanating from her skin that was touching him, she smelled like the soap and shampoo she used after showering that night mixed with her own scent, and finally, he could hear her every breath.
It was the first and literally the last time they spent in bed together, all because Ryo miscalculated, he thought that he could actually make it until the next day, but her warmth, scent and the sounds she was making was enough to drive him crazy that night.
So, before he even lost it, he got up in the middle of the night, grabbed a pillow and slept on the cold, hard floor. He was not about to get defeated by his carnal desires, after all, he did tell and promised her that he will not touch her or disrespect her womanhood during their 'marriage'.
Sachi did not say anything even after finding him sleeping on the carpeted bedroom floor the next day. His body was so sore that he did a lot of stretching just before breakfast the next day. But, this resulted in a misunderstanding and caused his mother to tease them at breakfast.
"Wow, seems like someone got busy last night," Sanada said with a mischievous smile.
"Mom!" Ryo called out, face red. "We're eating."
This made his mother laugh hysterically after giving Sachi a wink, who just smiled back.
"What did I do in my past life to deserve such a shameful mother on my next?" Ryo said more to himself.
"Relax, we're all adults here anyway. Besides, I want ten grandchildren. So, you kids better work hard tonight too, okay?" Sanada said with a hearty laugh.
Ryo just glared at his shameful mother. Sachi was blushing profusely now.
"It's so good to be young, I suddenly miss your father. Now, I'll excuse myself from you lovebirds," Sanada said as she got up from her seat.
"I'm sorry," Ryo mumbled.
Sachi just shook her head gently and awkwardly took a sip of her milk.
Ryo thought it strange that he would remember this, and even stranger that this memory brought a smile to him now.
In the meantime, he was following Sachi and his mother who was talking just a few feet from him as they were making their way upstairs.
His mother and Sachi stopped right in front of his bedroom door, so he stopped, too. And then, his mother suddenly turned to face him.
"Ryo," she called in a serious voice.
"What?" Ryo asked.
"You guys have been married for quite a while now, so when will I be expecting to see my grandchildren?" Sanada asked angrily.
'Grandchildren', plural,' Ryo noted. His mother is really shameless.
"Son, you know I am not getting any younger, right? Stall this more and I won't even have the strength to carry them in the future. I want to be able to hold and play with them, I'm begging you."
Ryo can't believe that his mother is in on this again, this is the main reason why he has limited their visits here.
"Mom---," he was cut off.
"No! I don't want to hear any more of your excuses!" Sanada said like a spoiled child. She then directed her attention to Sachi now. Sanada took her daughter-in-law's hand in hers.
"Sachi dear, mother already soundproofed this room, so you two don't have to worry about a thing tonight, just do your best in---,"
Before Sanada could even finish the sentence, Ryo cut in between them, grabbed his wife's hand, opened the door to his bedroom with the other, and dragged his wife inside.
"Thank you very much for doing that and good night, Mother," Ryo said and shut the door behind his own mother. Once inside, he let out a sigh and then locked the bedroom door, lest his mother has any idea of barging inside. He was too distracted and mentally exhausted by his mother that he forgot or did not notice that he was still holding Sachi's hand and that they were still standing by the bedroom door, with their backs facing it. He put his right hand to his forehead, like someone who just had a headache, and was still holding her hand with his left hand.
Sachi was just quietly observing him and then she suddenly drew her attention to their intertwined hands. Ryo looked on his left and was surprised to see Sachi beside him and realized that he was still holding her hands. He immediately let her hands go with a jolt, that it surprised Sachi, too.
"Sorry," Ryo said.
"I'll take a bath first," was all she said and went to their bags neatly placed by the chair.
"Okay," Ryo said and he went over to the bed. Sachi then slammed the bathroom door behind her gently.
"This is all Mother's fault," Ryo mumbled under his breath.
***
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