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1.17% The Ocean Beneath Her Feet / Chapter 2: You Want to Sell Her Off?

Kapitel 2: You Want to Sell Her Off?

Although she was reluctant, Shouko didn't dare to reject him. She glanced nervously at the puzzled Ono before she quietly followed the man from behind. Both of them went to the lounge at the second floor.

"You want to see me, father?" Shouko kept her head low, her hands were clasping the edge of her shirt. She swore her entire body was trembling.

Father Yuasa took a seat at one of the couch. He leaned lazily against them as his eyes went up and down this unwanted daughter of his. Clear disgust flickered in his eyes when he was reminded of his mistake all years ago.

This girl was the mistake!

"Are you aware that the Yuasa family has been supporting you all these years?" When he spoke, his voice was so cold, devoid of any warmth as if he was talking to someone wasn't related to him.

"Ye... yes." Shouko nodded once. The bad feeling continued to grow in her heart. Why did this man suddenly talking about this?

"Then, you know that you should do something to return the favor?"

"Ha?"

Shouko lifted up her eyes, she was entirely confused by her father. "What... do you mean, Father?"

Father Yuasa pursed his lips. He had always hated hearing her calling him Father but to save the family's face, he couldn't be too harsh. He narrowed his eyes. He didn't like looking at this young lady because her face resembled that woman so much.

"Once you graduated, you'd be married off to Watanabe family straight away. The family is willing to make an investment in return for you marrying their crippled son. I'm just giving you a heads up."

Which meant, her opinion didn't matter.

"What? Father! You can't do this!" Her fear toward this man was suddenly gone when she was facing the decision that could change her life. Shouko clenched both of her fists, her eyes were filled with panic. "I won't marry him!"

"Why won't you marry him?"

A loud voice boomed from the entrance of the lounge. That woman, Mother Yuasa came with a haughty expression on her face. She eyed Shouko as if she was trash before she went to sit beside Father Yuasa. One of her long and slender legs crossed over the other one. A cold sneer formed on her face as she was enjoying the fear in Shouko's eyes.

"It's a thousand times better than you trying to find another man outside to get married. Even though he's crippled, he's rich. His family could afford to feed another mouth. Do you think we would be gracious enough to continue supporting you after your graduation? Dream on!"

Shouko was speechless. It turned out beside the proposal made by Old Master Kashino, another family had offered Father Yuasa another proposal too. Certainly, the family caught this opportunity to find a bride for their disabled son.

"I won't marry him," Shouko repeated in a firm voice. She stood tall, wasn't afraid to face their wrath.

The problem wasn't the crippled man but because she knew she couldn't continue her dream if she ended up getting married to his family. The arranged marriage had popped inside her mind a few times in the past since she knew someday her father would demand some sort of compensation from her for all the money he had wasted on her. But, she didn't expect it would be in this way!

"You insolent wretch! How dare you oppose us?" Mother Yuasa exploded in anger. Green veins popped under her well-maintained skin. She gritted her teeth as she spat out hurtful words from her mouth. "Such a trash! You think you have a say in this matter!"

"I..."

"Shouko wouldn't be married to him!"

Shouko was stunned, as well as Mother Yuasa. Aunt Masako strode inside the lounge with Ono in tow. Ono glanced at Shouko with helplessness in her eyes. It seemed like she went to get Aunt Masako before coming here since she knew only Aunt Masako dared to confront their parents.

Without giving Mother Yuasa a chance to refute, Aunt Masako continued reprimanding her. "I know the company is in such bad shape but not just Ono, you want to sell Shouko off too? You don't even treat her kindly yet you expect her to sacrifice her life for you?"

"Masako! Don't let me recite each expense we've wasted on her all these years! This is the right time for her to pay us!" Mother Yuasa exploded, she was like a dog barking fiercely at this moment.

Aunt Masako ignored her. She looked at her brother. Her voice was so cold when she directed her anger and dissatisfaction to her elder brother. "I would leave the company if you dare to force Shouko to marry into that family. Haven't you heard how those imbeciles treated their daughter-in-law all these years? You want Shouko to be tormented by them?"

Father Yuasa's pupils constricted in displeasure. He knew his sister too well. If she said she would do it, he could only expect to receive her resignation letter tomorrow. Besides him, Masako was an important figure with her own followers in their group. In a crucial time like this, if she resigned and the stocks continued to drop, it would just be days before they went completely bankrupt.

"You don't even think of the company?" Father Yuasa frowned, he was trying to lure his sister with the fate of their family business if things went wrong.

"I'd consider if it's not the Watanabes," Aunt Masako answered firmly.

Even though Kashino family was being feared by many but it was a different case with Watanabe family. The Watanabes were infamous as a cold-blooded family with shady dealings while the Kashinoes remained respectable. It wasn't something surprising to hear about violence happening within the Watanabe household.

Marrying Shouko off to such a family was like sending her to a den packed with ferocious beasts.

While in Ono's case, if she was to marry the eldest grandson of the Kashinos, her life would reach another pinnacle.

It was obvious what this couple was trying to achieve.

Sensing that she had managed to stall her brother from pressing over the matter, Masako took Shouko's hand and led her outside. Ono looked at her parents with clear disappointment in her eyes before she turned around to follow her aunt and sister.

Shouko was still in a daze when Aunt Masako brought her back to her room. The older lady mumbled a sigh. She ran her hand through her niece's hair.

"Go to sleep. Don't think about it anymore."

Shouko just nodded in silence. After saying good night, she went inside her room. Her figure appeared small and lonely.

Aunt Masako glanced at Ono who stood beside her. Both of them could just heave a sigh.

It was a sleepless night for Shouko. She kept on tossing and turning on the bed, her mind was filled with depressing thoughts.

This was not the first time she was mistreated by her father and stepmother but, the feeling was too overwhelming at this time making it hard for her to suppress her sorrow. She had been living her life under constant disappointment, sometimes it felt like it was too hard for her to breathe easily.

It was like she was heading to the deep sea, waiting for the ocean to swallow her whole.

It was already near dawn when she finally closed her eyes.

Two days passed, there was no mention of the marriage agreement with the Watanabes. Mother Yuasa was still making up a fuss whenever she saw Shouko but the latter didn't pay her any attention more than necessary.

Shouko would just quietly did her tasks and spend the rest of her time preparing to meet the editor. The appointment would be held this afternoon. Since she was afraid of being late, she purposely dressed up early. They would meet at a cafe near the publishing house.

"Do you want me to drive you there?" Ono said as she was leaning against the door frame, watching Shouko applying a coral lipstick over her plump lips.

"It's okay," Shouko grabbed her tote bag from the bed. After making sure everything was inside, she placed the handle over her shoulders. "I could go by myself. You should just stay at home."

"No, just let me drive you," Ono dangled the car keys from her pocket, she shot Shouko a mischievous smile. "I could go and grab some latte along the way."

Seeing that her sister was resolute, Shouko no longer refused It. It was indeed saving her a lot of trouble if Ono drove her to the cafe.

As Shouko was humming in delight, she didn't notice a flicker of anticipation in Ono's eyes.

Ono dropped Shouko off in front of the cafe. There were not many people around since it was a weekday. After waiting for fifteen minutes, the editor arrived. Shouko was in cloud nine because the discussion went smoothly. In no time, she had successfully closed a deal with the publishing house.

Ono said she would pick her up soon so Shouko went to wait at the bus stop nearby. She was silently listening to the music from her phone as she lazily swept her gaze at her surroundings. This road was really too empty. Not even a single soul appeared in her sight.

But, a shocking scene suddenly surprised Shouko. Her entire body instinctually moved at the sight of the incident.

"Mister? Mister? Are you okay?"

Shouko was in a panic when she saw an old man collapsed near the bus stop. The old man looked so fragile. His walking stick was thrown to one side as he laid on the ground with a painful expression on his wrinkly face.

"Mister? Do you have your medicine with you?" Shouko kept her calm. She remembered that usually when the elderly collapsed like this, there was a chance it could be cured with their medicine if they brought them.

"In... inside my bag..." The old man said weakly. His face turned paler as seconds passed by.

Shouko stared at the bag around the old man's waist. She quickly opened the zipper and rummaged inside the bag. She was dumbfounded seeing so many banknotes inside of it. Did this grandpa isn't afraid of pickpockets? Shaking her head, she grabbed the white medicine bottle from the bag.

Shouko helped the old man leaned against the pole near them. The old man obediently ate his medicine. She uncapped the bottled water that she placed inside her bag and gave them to the old man. The old man coughed twice. After he consumed medicine, he had regained his vitality.

"Are you feeling okay now, Mister?" Shouko was still worried despite seeing the old man wasn't as pale as earlier. "I'll bring you to the hospital first, alright?"

"No, it's okay, young lady," The old man smiled weakly. He waved his right hand off, rejecting Shouko's offer. "I'm alright now. You should return to your own affairs."

"Where are you going? I could bring you there," Shouko wasn't at ease to leave this old man to fend for himself. Especially when the road was deserted by pedestrians.

The old man peered at her face, assessing her in silence. Shouko didn't notice there was a hint of contentment in his old eyes. His lips slowly curved up into a smile.

"Actually, I'm waiting for my grandson. Could you accompany me until he comes?" The old man was smiling widely when he voiced out his request yet Shouko thought nothing of it.

"Alright, Mister. Let me help you," Shouko returned his smile.

She was so relieved seeing this old man was alright. She gave the walking stick to him before she slowly helping the old man to stand. The old man was actually taller than her but due to his old age, his back wasn't as straightened as his younger days. Both of them walked to the bus stop.

"Mister..."

"Just call me Grandpa, child," The old man laughed softly. "You look younger than my grandson. Don't be so formal with me."

"Alright, Grandpa," Shouko didn't shy away with his attempt to be friendly with her.

The elders of Yuasa family had passed away before she was brought into the house so she rarely experiences elderly warmth from a kind grandfather like this old man. Every time she saw a TV drama with caring grandparents, she couldn't help but envied whoever had personal experience of it.

Both of them were chatting happily. The old man began telling her his stories during his youth. Shouko was really enjoying their time together until she didn't realize that Ono hadn't come as she had promised. She also didn't realize that a black sedan was slowly pulling out opposite them.

"Ah! My grandson has arrived!" The old man exclaimed once he saw the car.

Shouko lifted up her eyes. She slowly turned her head to look at the direction of the car. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She remembered seeing such a car at one of the parties organized by the Yuasa couple.

It appeared low-key yet it was one of the luxurious cars she had ever seen.

"You brat! Why did you just come?" The old man started nagging when the door at the backseat was opened slightly. He was clearly displeased with his grandson's late arrival.

Shouko followed his gaze toward the back of the car. A silhouette of a man dressed in a black suit slowly emerged in her eyes. His back was facing the bright sunlight. Dark shadows fell on his face.

She couldn't see his face. When she tried to, in an instant, her entire world blackened without any source of light.


AUTORENGEDANKEN
hansora hansora

It's cliche but I really wanted to write the old man's part

These two chapters are just the prologue. The next chapter is the real story! I hope you won't be too shocked!

next chapter

Kapitel 3: She Really Needs a Detailed Check-up

The soft ray of morning light penetrated through the beige-colored curtains, falling on a young lady who was laying on the white bed, motionless. Her countenance was pale.

A pair of simple white hospital pajamas clad on her body. A comfortable blanket covered her from her chest to toes. She appeared as if she wouldn't wake up, unwilling to leave her dreamland.

In the spacious ward, a tall man dressed in black stared at her with a profound gaze laced with darkness. In contrast to the light-colored room, the air around him was heavy.

He kept a distance from the hospital bed, afraid to step closer to her. His fingers clenched into fists when he focused on the bandage that wrapped her skinny right arm. There was another one around her head and on her left calf.

How much she had suffered right now? Wasn't the last time enough already?

Two knocks resounded on the door. The man impatiently swept his gaze toward the direction of the sound. A man dressed in a doctor's coat entered the ward.

"It has been five days," The man in black spat out the words coldly. Even though his voice was so low akin a whisper, it carried a sense of oppression and made the doctor shuddered in fright.

"Her vitals are fine except for a few injuries on her body. Don't worry, she would wake up soon," The doctor walked forward and stood beside the man in black. He glanced at his dark expression. A sigh escaped his lips.

"Have you got all the details of this incident?"

The man in black kept his silence. His gaze went back to the frail figure on the bed. Despite his dark gaze, a trace of anxiety and helplessness flashed in his eyes. They flashed by so fast no one could see them.

The doctor rolled his eyes. He had gotten used to being treated like a mute by this man yet it was still frustrating!

Knowing he was better off if he escaped from this ward, he quickly left.

Once the doctor left, silence once again fell in the room.

That man hesitated before he took a step forward. One by one, until he stood near the bed. His heart hurt terribly as if sharp claws were digging every single part of his heart yet he couldn't do anything about it. He pursed his thin lips into a tight line. Slowly, he rose his hand. His right palm hovered above her face.

She was so near yet it felt so far, so unreachable.

In the end, he retracted his hand.

While he was immersed in his sorrow, another knock echoed outside. This time, it was a younger man dressed in a grey suit. The man gave him a respectful bow once before he presented him with a phone.

"The old master called. He has known about it. He would be on the flight shortly," the man reported briefly with a series of short sentences.

The man in black narrowed his eyes. The black screen of the phone met his gaze.

"Handle him."

The younger man nodded. "Yes, Young Master."

He swept a gaze toward the young lady once before he walked out of the room. He kept his sigh inside yet from his face, one knew not to approach her carelessly at this moment. At the last second, he turned his head slightly, his eyes bore on her again.

She has just lost her most precious treasure a few months back. Why did she have to suffer again?

The man was still standing tall and looked at the bed. No one could tell what was whirring inside his mind.

Another two days passed.

Night had fallen when two nursed entered the ward for their night round. They checked the condition of the young lady, their movements were noiseless and skillful. One of them looked at the lady, her motherly face tinged with sadness.

"I wonder when would she wake up?" The nurse said in a low voice to her colleague. "Such a young lady, she looked so frail right now."

"She would. I believe it," Her friend replied. "Moreover, that man is so attentive toward her. I've even seen a kind-looking old man came to visit her this afternoon. They're all waiting for her to regain consciousness."

The first nurse nodded. She leaned over to tidy the blanket when suddenly her eyes caught a movement under it. Her eyes widened in surprise before she quickly lifted up the blanket.

Her fingers were twitching! Their movement became more active as she looked at it. Suddenly, her friend's exclamation caught her attention.

"Why?"

"Miss! You're awake?" Her friend didn't answer her yet she was speaking toward the young lady's direction. Her face was filled with joy. She looked at the first nurse and said happily, "Call the doctor!"

It was at that moment the first nurse realized that the young lady had opened her eyes. She immediately pressed the call button near her. In no time, a hurried sound of footsteps approaching the ward before the male doctor came inside in a haste.

"Doctor! She's awake!"

The man was stunned for a moment before he quickly regained his composure. He began giving out instructions to the nurses.

"Call Mr. Kashino. Be prepared to do the examinations."

"Yes, doctor!" The nurses quickly obeyed his words. One of them went to call the patient's family while the other helped the doctor.

"Sister-in-law, could you hear me?" The doctor said in a gentle voice, he was afraid of startling the recently awaken young lady.

The young lady's brows furrowed. She closed her eyes once, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit her. Her head felt heavy and she was tempted to sleep again. Yet, the aching of her limbs prevented her to do so. She just let the doctor checked on her without saying anything. The nurse helped her to lean her body against the headboard.

The doctor had just finished examining her when a man in a black suit entered the ward in a hurry. Her eyes caught his worried gaze. He walked so fast, he was already standing beside her bed before she could really register his presence.

"Shouko?"

She frowned once she heard her name being called out by this man.

"How is she?" The man turned his attention to the doctor. In an instance, the urgency in his voice when he called her name was replaced with impatience when he faced the doctor.

"She's good but to be safe, I suggest doing a detailed check-up."

"En." The man nodded.

Seeing them spoke in front of her, she couldn't help but want to interrupt them. She tried raising her hand but a sudden pain stabbed her, making her yelped. The man in the black suit quickly focused on her again.

"Where does it hurt?"

She raised her chin, her eyes directly meeting his dark orbs. She was left speechless seeing the intense worry in his eyes. She opened her mouth, her voice softly echoed in the ward.

"I'm sorry but... who are you?"

Once her words fell, since she was in a close distance to him, she could see clearly how his pupils dilated in shock and his thin lips parted. His facial expression stiffened as he stared at her incredulously.

The doctor pursed his lips. "She really needs a detailed check-up."

The man in black nodded once he snapped out of his daze. His gaze became heavier. He looked at the young lady's confused face with complicated feelings sprouting in his heart.

It was already late at night when the examination was done. The man and the doctor stood outside the ward. The young lady had already slept. She had just regained her consciousness but her body was still weak. After being administered with drugs, she fell back into a deep sleep.

In the dimly lit hallway, the doctor spoke first.

"It's retrograde amnesia. She forgot her recent memories."

The man looked down at his feet. His face was shrouded in shadows. "Would she recover?"

"It's possible. Especially if we could trigger her mind to resurface the forgotten memories. We..." The more he spoke, the more he felt it wasn't right. He knew what might happen if they tried triggering her mind. In the end, he stopped talking. He glanced at the man. "Do you wish Shouko to not remember?"

His question was answered with silence. The man in the black suit didn't speak. He glanced at the closed doors of the ward. Once again, he felt so helpless.

He still needed time to think.

Morning came.

When she woke up, she was met with a pair of dark eyes. She was baffled. Why did this man remain here? He's even wearing his clothes from last night. Didn't he go home?

"You..."

Shouko groaned in pain as soon as she tried to sit up. Her lower abdomen felt like it was clawed with a giant spear. Her face turned pale, she bit her lips to in an attempt to accept the pain.

He immediately went to help her. He adjusted the control of the bed using a remote before he placed a small pillow behind her back. She held her breath, didn't dare to make a sound.

"Drink first."

The man brought a glass of water to her cracked lips. She accepted it gratefully despite feeling embarrassed. This man was so close to her and his action when he was helping her earlier showed that he was no stranger to her. Despite his cold face, his movements were gentle.

"I'll ask someone to bring in breakfast for you," He said quietly once she was done drinking the water. He wanted to turn around yet she quickly called out to him.

"Wait!"

The man looked back at her. His eyes were deep with no light in them. Such a look could make someone cowered in fear yet she pushed herself to be brave. She had a lot of things to ask.

"I asked you last night..." She was struggling to form words as her mind was jumbled with them. "You haven't answered me. En... who are you? Do we know each other?"

Even in her current state, her mind was still working fine. She had heard the doctor's diagnosis last night. She was amnesiac. She lost a portion of her memories and it might include the existence of this man whom she might be familiar with.

The man stared at her. Without answering her, his long hand reached inside his suit jacket. He brought out two small red books from the inside pocket. He was still wordless as he showed the red booklets to her.

Her eyes widened once she got a close look at the booklets. Her mouth gaped open.

"These are... these..." She was stuttering, her eyes went from the red booklets to the man's expressionless face.

"Our wedding certificates," He answered curtly.

Seeing her looked so surprised with her eyes innocently stared at him, he opened one of the booklets and brought it close to her. She blinked twice as she saw the photo inside.

A smiling young lady and a cold face young man were standing close in the photo. They appeared awkward with a sense of unfamiliarity between them. There was no love and affection in their eyes.

"You..."

Her eyes went to the information on the booklet.

Husband: Kashino Kyoya

Wife: Yuasa Shouko

Date of marriage: 19th August 20XX

Her signature was there, beside the exquisite signature of a man.

"You... we are..."

"Shouko," The man calmly called her name. The coldness of his eyes dispelled slightly as the next words came out of his mouth. "I am your husband."

"What?" Shouko swore this could be the biggest joke for her yet the red booklets were clear evidence. They felt warm under her touch. She couldn't refute it.

"I... I don't... Wait!" Shouko suddenly thought of something. She desperately looked at him. "What date is today?"

19th August 20XX? Wasn't it a week after her graduation? If she had been married by then, did it mean a lot of time had passed by?

"Today is the 27th of August. The year is 20XX."

"What?"

Five years had passed? Now... she was 26 years old?

While she was deep in her thoughts, Kyoya too was lost in his own. By seeing how she reacted after seeing their marriage certificate, it was clear her memory of his was wiped out from her mind.

Every single one of them.

Is this their second chance?

Shouko had a lot to ask yet Kyoya told her to be patient. She was still recovering and it was bad to stimulate her. She could only comply when the doctor advised her against the idea too. It seemed like the doctor was Kyoya's friend named Shou. After eating breakfast and having her medicine, Kyoya watched her fell asleep before he stepped out of the ward.

He had made the decision.

Kyoya brought out a phone from the pocket of his pants. He called a landline. After it rang twice, the voice of an old man entered his ears.

"Young Master, how is Young Madam?" It was the butler of his house, Soga Toshio.

"She's fine. Clear all of the items. Don't leave a trace."

"What?" The butler was stunned. He couldn't believe what he had heard. "Are you serious? Young Madam would be sad."

"Do it." Without giving an explanation, he hung up the phone.

Kyoya glanced at the ward. Dark clouds swirled in his eyes. He clenched his fists. All these years, only she could make him feel so helpless like this.

I'm sorry, Shouko. It might be better this way.

He looked down, as he closed his eyes a face appeared in his mind.

Side theater:

Shou: Ha! Now your wife doesn't remember you! It's easy peasy for others to flirt with her.

Kyoya: I have our wedding certificates with me.

Shou: You bring those with you?

Kyoya: As a shield.


AUTORENGEDANKEN
hansora hansora

I know I've written about amnesia in Spring Blooms When I'm With You but I couldn't resist writing this! Unlike Spring Blooms When I'm With You, this one is shorter. It might be less than 100 or 150 chapters.

I hope you'd enjoy this book too! ;)

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