Chapter 18: Chapter 18 : Ruining An Auspicious Occasion
And what was it exactly that you found out about me?" Midori arched her brow at Akiyama.
"That you fell pregnant from an extramarital affair and were then kicked out of the Koishikawa family."
"That is correct."
Anger flashed in Akiyama's eyes.
"Despite all that, I am being forced to come here and ask for your hand in marriage. I cannot believe that my own family seeks to humiliate me so much."
The young man was so angry that he might just explode on the spot. It was the right decision to remove him from the room.
Midori let out a sigh. If she had known that Akiyama was being forced to accept her, she would have said no to this meeting.
Good-bye, 10 Life Points, uhuhuhu...
"You don't have to agree to the marriage if you don't want to," Midori decided. "We will tell our respective families that we do not see eye-to-eye. You are free to go, and so am I."
Akiyama glared at her.
"Do you think that I have a choice? My family is going to disown me if I dare to go against their wish!"
Midori passed him judgmental stares.
"Akiyama-san, you are a grown-up man. You just recently graduated from university. Find a job out there, no need to be afraid of getting disowned."
"You...!!!"
Akiyama was so angry that he looked like a steamed lobster.
"If you are so great, why don't you go out and find a job yourself? You should not be staying in the Takigawa family's residence. You are a divorcee!"
Midori rolled with her eyes.
Well, the conversation escalated into a fight rather rapidly.
She merely did not expect people to listen to their conversation.
The door of the adjacent chamber slid open, and a familiar face appeared.
Midori widened her eyes from surprise when she met her ex-husband again.
Ryouichi Koishikawa was equally surprised to see his ex-wife in the same tea house he was in.
"Mi-Midori-san," he stuttered in bewilderment. "Why are you here?"
Oh, the system was very good, Midori snarled in her mind.
The Ryouichi of the novel had the exact same face and body as the boyfriend who cheated on her in her original world.
Made it a lot easier for Midori to hate him, on behalf of herself and the original host.
Before Midori said anything in reply, a hateful voice rang out behind Ryouichi.
"Are you kidding me?"
A middle-aged woman pushed the door wider open and loomed behind Ryouichi.
"Midori-san!" She exclaimed when she caught a glimpse of the daughter-in-law she kicked out of the Koishikawa house not long ago.
"Do you have no shame? You actually went as far as stalking Ryouichi-san to this place! Do you need me to report you to the officers???"
"Ryouichi-san? Are you all from the Koishikawa family?" Akiyama could barely believe his ears. "Why, what a coincidence..."
"What coincidence are you talking about???"
Madam Koishikawa slapped her thigh hard.
"This... This shameless woman cheated on my son and got pregnant from her lover! Even after I kicked her out of the house, she continued bothering my son! And today, she is here to ruin the auspicious occasion for my..."
"Mother, please stop."
Ryouichi's face assumed a stern facial expression. "That was enough."
Madam Koishikawa quickly clamped up, but Midori's interest was piqued.
"What exactly did I ruin, Madam Koishikawa?"
When she received no answer, Midori closed the distance between them, prompting both Ryouichi and his mother to step backward.
"Midori-san!"
Ryouichi glared at Midori.
"What are you doing? Do not come closer!"
But Midori was not interested in getting close to Ryouichi at all. She was merely interested in looking at the other people who remained seated in the room.
There was a matchmaker in the room, and also Master Koishikawa, the patriarch of the Koishikawa family who was still sitting on his spot, unbothered by the ruckus outside.
The elder man pinned Midori with an unfriendly glare.
His unwillingness to speak to Midori implied that her presence there was far from being welcome.
Midori ignored him and looked at the other side of the table.
Opposite him, sat a young woman in a bright blue kimono with a floral pattern. She was sitting alone, with no guardians to accompany her on this joyous occasion.
Midori narrowed her eyes at the young woman, who quickly averted her gaze when their eyes met for a split second.
"Oh, ho. Look who's here. Hanae-san, it has been a while."
Even the name of Ryouichi's lover in the novel was the same as the name of her best friend who betrayed her.
Ryouichi furrowed his brows in confusion. His eyes darted between his ex-wife and the woman he was about to marry.
"Wait, how are the two of you acquainted?"
Madam Koishikawa was quick to assume the worst.
"What do you mean, how? This shameless woman must have stalked Hanae-san too. She is going to ruin your marriage prospects, Ryouichi-san! We need to turn to the officers!"
Midori did not bother to address Madam Koishikawa's accusation.
"Congratulations, Ryouichi-san," she said with a thin smile on her lips. "You finally manage to marry the love of your life. You must be over the moon."
Ryouichi's face turned ashen.
Madam Koishikawa shoved her son aside impatiently.
"Don't you dare run your mouth about Hanae-san! She is the kind of woman who suits our family, the daughter-in-law that we should get from the very beginning! It is a blessing that Ryouichi gets to meet such a fine woman after he is rid of you!"
"After he is rid of me? A fine woman? Are you sure, Madam Koishikawa?"
She always thought that Madam Koishikawa knew about her own son's secret lover. Turned out that she was blissfully drowning in ignorance. Midori almost burst into laughter.
"Ah, Madam Koishikawa. Good that Master Koishikawa is also here. I shall inform all of you about the exact date and time I met Hanae-san."
Midori shot Hanae a sardonic smile, while the latter kept her gaze trained to the tatami mat under her feet.
"I knew about Hanae-san because I hired a private investigator to trace my husband's secret lover. His findings led me to one of the better establishments in Kagemachi."
A loud gasp escaped all those who heard this news for the first time, including Ryouichi.
Kagemachi was the most famous section of Yoshiwara, home to the most luxurious and expensive brothels.
"Midori, you..."
The knot on Ryouichi's throat bobbed up and down nervously.
"Hanae-san here is the third most popular geisha where she lives. Ryouichi-san has been Hanae-san's patron for years. They met not long after Hanae-san had her debut. He paid for Hanae-san's education and training and all her living expenses in the okiya* for years."
"What kind of vicious slander is this!" Madam Koishikawa marched toward Midori, her hand raised above her head.
Before she could give Midori a slap, her hand was stopped in the middle of the air.
The one who stopped her was a police officer in a dark blue tunic and trousers.
"Madam, please do not resort to violence or I might have to apprehend you," he said with a solemn but stern voice.
Midori recognized the police officer before he even pushed the peaked cap that shrouded his face upward.
"Arata-Niichan," she called out in disbelief.
It was only then that Arata realized his younger sister was also there.
"Midori-san?"
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Author's note :
*Okiya = geisha house.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone