Ayato sat back, looking at his stinging hand, but the patient smile never left his lips.
"Honey... why must you be so incredibly angry?" he asked softly, keeping his eyes wide and soft as he looked at her.
"You know it breaks my heart and makes me feel deeply sad whenever you look at me like that."
"SAD MY FOOT!" Yuna snapped back instantly, her green eyes narrowing into two fierce, icy lines as she pressed her back against the wall.
"If you truly felt even a single ounce of sadness, Ayato Kamitani, you would never do these ridiculous things in the first place! You wouldn't constantly bring up those dangerous, terrifying customs just to make me angry!"
Ayato's smile finally faded, leaving his face looking tired and heavy. He let out a long, silent sigh, his gaze dropping down to the empty space on the tatami mat between them.
Behind his quiet eyes, his sharp brain was already hurriedly questioning every single life choice he had ever made. It was the absolute, inescapable curse of human psychology—the eternal, grinding clash between a Traditional Mother and a Modern Wife. Two completely immovable forces that were never, ever going to get along.
And right there, stuck dead in the absolute center of the gears like a piece of chewed-up gum, was the Husband.
'Fantastic...' Ayato thought to himself, his inner voice dripping with a savage, dry sarcasm.
'Just brilliant. It's a total confirmed impossibility to win here. If I take Mother's side and defend her ancient rituals, Yuna will make my life a living hell in our bedroom. But if I take Yuna's side and try to protect her peace, Mother will completely disown me for being a terrible, ungrateful son.'
He mentally rubbed his temples, realizing he was being ruthlessly dragged into the dirt from both sides. There was no secret escape route.
There was no magic trick to save him. He was trapped in a brutal crossfire where both opposing parties wanted to execute the mediator.
While Ayato was deeply lost in his own thoughts, Yuna noticed his sudden, heavy silence. The sharp, fiery glare in her green eyes didn't soften at all; instead, her lips curled into a mocking, sarcastic little smirk as she looked down at his defeated face.
"Ha —What is wrong with you now?" she asked, her voice dripping with dry amusement.
"Why did you suddenly become so quiet? Don't tell me you are practicing a new speech in your head just because my Courtroom didn't care about your fake tears."
Ayato snapped out of his mind and offered her a warm, gentle smile. "Oh, it is nothing at all," he said, his eyes glowing with a playful warmth.
"I was just thinking... if you and I were to stand in the exact same courtroom one day, fighting a case against each other... I would definitely lose. Your arguments are so sharp, I would be left completely speechless."
Yuna's cheeks instantly turned a soft shade of pink. She tried to keep her grumpy face, but a deep blush crawled up her neck anyway.
SMACK!
She lifted her arm and gave his shoulder a sharp, playful swat, looking away quickly.
"Stop it..." she mumbled, her voice losing almost all of its anger. "Don't say such ridiculous things."
She was still a little bit mad, but the heavy ice between them had completely melted away.
She stared at the opposite wall, completely refusing to look at his face as she tried to regain her composure. But then, she let out a small, huffing breath.
"If... if I had known.." she started, her words coming out slightly broken and not properly framed because she was still so flustered.
"If I had known about all these... these weird Kamitani family rituals and superstitions beforehand... I would have... I would have NEVER MARRIED YOU! NEVER EVER!"
"Heh."
Ayato did not look hurt at all. Instead, a proud, handsome smirk spread across his face as he watched her messy, exaggerated complaining.
"You really think you can just—" Yuna started to huff, her mouth open to fire off another angry complaint.
Before she could say another word, he leaned in closer. He reached out his hand, his fingers gently catching her chin to turn her head smoothly back toward him.
Yuna gasped softly, her green eyes widening as he pulled her face directly toward his.
Their faces were so incredibly close.
Their noses gently brushed against each other, and they could feel the warmth of each other's breath in the sticky July air. Yuna's entire face turned completely red like a Ripe Tomato. She stammered heavily, her voice shaking as she desperately tried to maintain her regular, tough composure.
"W-What... what are you... what are you looking at, Ayato?" she whispered, her heart hammering against her chest.
Ayato tilted his head slightly, his smirk turning into an incredibly soft, loving expression. He leaned in just a fraction closer, his thumb gently brushing against her skin.
"Since when is it a crime for a husband to admire his own wife?" he whispered back very gently, his deep voice carrying a soft, teasing warmth. "Go ahead and sue me if you want, counselor... but you'll never win a case against how beautiful you are."
The moment the word "Wife" left his lips, Yuna's ears turned bright red. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, her hands tightening against her lap because she was blushing so hard.
Ayato chuckled softly, speaking with total confirmation and absolute confidence. "You can say whatever you want, darling, but the truth is... you could have never skipped marrying me. It was totally impossible."
Yuna opened her eyes, puffing out her cheeks in a small pout as she tried to look brave. "How... how can you be so incredibly sure about that?"
Ayato's fingers stayed gently on her chin, his voice dropping into the most romantic, sweet whisper. "Because I know my lovely Yuna..." he murmured softly.
"You had a massive crush on me since our college days, didn't you? Besides... you fell deeply in love with me, Ayato. You didn't fall in love with my family customs or beliefs."
That was the absolute breaking point. Yuna completely lost all of her defenses.
Her face exploded into a massive, burning blush, and she hid her face in her hands, completely unable to look at his confident smirk anymore.
"STOP IT! JUST STOP!" she cried out, her shoulders shaking from pure embarrassment. "Don't tease me like that!"
"Haha!"
Ayato let out a deep, hearty laugh, the happy sound filling the quiet bedroom. He reached out and gently pulled her hands away from her face, holding them tightly in his own warm grip. "I am not teasing you at all, Honey." he said, his eyes filled with absolute adoration.
"I Am Only Speaking The Actual Truth."
He let out the quiet, happy mumble to himself as if he was telling a secret to his toy, before going right back to making his spaceship fly through the air.
Yuna quickly pulled her hands away, puffing out her cheeks as she desperately tried to defend herself. "It... it was nothing like that at all! I did not have a massive crush on you! You are completely making things up, Ayato!"
Ayato only laughed harder, his shoulders shaking as he watched her flustered face.
Meanwhile, over in the quiet corner of the room, little Kento was completely busy in his own little universe. The thick baby was happily stuffing a plastic toy truck straight into his mouth, clear drool spilling down his chin.
He pulled the toy out, using his tiny, chubby hands to frantically try and break the head off a small plastic astronaut.
Hearing the chaotic laughter and shouts from his parents across the mat, Kento looked up and let out a bright, drooly smile before going right back to his destruction.
Back on the main mat, Ayato kept leaning in close, a mischievous glow in his eyes as he continued to tease her with flirty talks.
"Oh, really?" Ayato grinned, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Then I suppose you completely forgot about our Second Year in College? The time you accidentally dropped your entire notebook right in front of my desk just to get my attention? Or the time your face turned as red as an apple when I merely asked you for a pencil?"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Yuna screamed playfully, her voice cracking as she blushed harder than ever. "That... that was an absolute accident! I was just being clumsy! Don't make up such embarrassing memories!"
She kept waving her hands in the air, shouting and trying to defend her pride. But then, all of a sudden, her voice went completely quiet.
"You think you are so smooth, but a real courtroom would never accept your—your pathetic, stupid—" Yuna kept waving her hands in the air, shouting and trying to defend her pride.
But then, all of a sudden, her voice went completely quiet.
DRIP.
Before Yuna even realized what was happening, two large, fat tears pooled in her green eyes and rolled straight down her flushed cheeks.
Ayato noticed it instantly. The playful smirk vanished from his face in a single millisecond, replaced by a look of pure panic. He stopped his joking completely and rushed closer, his hands wrapping gently around her arms.
"Yuna?" Ayato asked, his voice filled with genuine worry as his heart dropped. "Wait... you are crying. Honey, what is wrong? Are you in pain somewhere? Did... did my silly jokes actually make you cry? I...I didn't mean to—"
"No... it's not that." Yuna whispered, her broken sentences coming out in small, shaky gasps as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
She stared down at her lap, looking completely confused by her own tears. "I... I don't know why. I don't know why, Ayato... but suddenly... my chest just feels so incredibly heavy."
Ayato's eyes widened with a quiet, aching worry, his thumbs gently wiping away a fresh tear from her cheek. "I am sorry." he murmured softly, his heart twisting at the sight of her tears. "Hey, look at me... I didn't mean to upset you like this. I promise I'm done teasing you about college. I'm right here, Honey."
He looked deeply into her watery eyes, trying to find a logical explanation to comfort her. "Does... does your eye itch? Maybe a piece of dust got caught inside from the floor fan?"
"Hic... chuckle..."
Yuna let out a tiny, wet laugh, shaking her head weakly as she looked up at him. "No... it doesn't itch at all. No, Ayato... it is definitely not because of that."
Slowly, her watery green eyes drifted across the mat, her gaze dropping onto her innocent child who was still playing and laughing completely content in his own world.
Seeing how happy and small Kento looked, something inside her heart just completely snapped.
'My beautiful, precious boy...'
A loud, painful sob burst from her throat, and she suddenly started to cry out loud.
"Ugh... hic... sob... snif... uuuhuhuu..."
Her shoulders shook violently as the tears poured down her face, her hands clutching tightly at her cotton dress. It wasn't just a quiet weep; it was a deep, heavy cry full of a mother's sudden, overwhelming panic.
Ayato completely panicked, his own heart hammering against his ribs as he scrambled even closer to her, his hands wrapping tightly around her trembling frame.
"Yuna! Honey, please... what is it?" Ayato pleaded, his voice cracking with pure desperation as he tried to calm her down.
"What is wrong? Does it hurt somewhere? Are you sick? Please tell me... do you feel like seeing a doctor right now? Let's go to the hospital, okay?!"
But Yuna only kept crying, her head shaking quickly in disagreement as she buried her face against his chest.
"Mnn-fh... hic... muffled sob... uuh-nnh..."
She tried to speak, but the immense pain in her heart made her voice break completely.
"A-Ayato... hic... no..."
Her words were not proper; they were completely broken, stuttered, and separated by heavy, gasping breaths.
"N-No... no doctor..." she choked out, her voice trembling as she squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers gripping Ayato's shirt like a lifeline. "It's... it's just... K-Kento... my baby..."
She pulled back just a little bit, looking toward the corner where their little boy was sitting.
The complete worry in her eyes was so deep, showing the absolute depth of a mother's protective soul.
"I... I can't bear it, Ayato..." she sobbed, her sentences breaking apart as she gasped for air. "That... that ritual... those dangerous things... h-he is so little... so innocent... I will never... I will never let anything happen to him... never..."
Fresh tears flooded her eyes, blinding her as she shook her head over and over again. Her voice rose into a desperate, emotional plea that came straight from the bottom of her heart.
"I don't care about traditions... I don't care about customs..." Yuna cried out, her voice cracking with raw emotion.
"If... if something bad ever tries to touch my son... I will... I will give my entire life to protect him... I would gladly die right now if it means keeping him safe... but I will never, ever let anyone hurt my baby boy..."
She collapsed back against Ayato's shoulder, weeping loudly as all her hidden fears and worries finally poured out into the room.
"Ngh-hh... gulp... shaky gasp... p-phhh... sniff..."
Ayato was completely shocked at first, blinking his eyes in total confusion. "Eh?" he muttered, his mind spinning from her sudden, intense words.
'Wait... what the—?'
But the very next second, his face relaxed and a soft, relieved smile broke across his lips.
'Thank God...' Ayato thought to himself, letting out a massive mental sigh of relief.
'Thank God she isn't hurt. It's nothing truly dangerous, and she isn't in actual physical pain. Thank goodness...'
Yuna was still crying loudly, the frantic tears spilling down her cheeks as she trembled violently. "I—I won't... I won't let them... they c-cannot just take my—"
Before she could even finish her sentence, Ayato suddenly reached out. He caught her small, shaking hands gently in his own, wrapped his strong arms completely around her rigid back, and pulled her into a tight, warm hug.
He pressed her close, burying her face deep into his chest. As he held her, his hand softly patted and ran through her long, messy hair to stop her from shaking.
"Shh... calm down." Ayato murmured, his voice dropping into the deep, steady tone of a protective husband and a loving father.
He let out a very soft, low chuckle against her crown. "Haha... you really scared me half to death, Yuna. I thought it was a major emergency. Here I was thinking my precious wife was in some kind of absolute danger, but it turns out to be such a small matter."
THWACK!
Even inside his tight embrace, Yuna's anger flared right through her weeping. She pulled a fist back and smacked his shoulder with a sharp, heavy hit, screaming directly against his shirt. "How can you call it a small matter?! HAHA my foot! It is about our son's safety! It... it is about Kento!"
Ayato didn't move from the blow. He only tightened his arms around her, running his fingers gently through her hair to soothe her.
"Listen to me, Honey," he whispered softly, trying to calm her racing heart. "When I... when I was just a young boy, the exact same ritual happened to me too. I still remember that day perfectly."
Yuna sniffled loudly, her chest heaving as she let out a small, broken hiccup against his chest. "Y-You... you...?"
"Yes," Ayato nodded gently, his chin resting against the top of her head. "My mother was crying and worried out of her mind, just like you are right now. And I was completely terrified myself, thinking that it might be the absolute last seconds of my life. But look at me, Yuna."
He pulled back just a tiny bit, using his fingers to gently lift her chin so she had to look into his eyes.
"I am sitting right here in front of you, completely perfect and fine. Nothing bad happened to me at all. And since nothing happened to me, I promise you that absolutely nothing will happen to Kento either."
He offered her an incredibly warm, reassuring smile. "After all, he is my son. He carries my own blood. So nothing will ever touch him, and he will be perfectly fine."
Hearing his steady, comforting words, Yuna's heart finally settled, but the pure wave of relief made her break down all over again.
"Waaaah..." she suddenly sobbed out loud, completely losing her composure. She threw her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him with all the strength left in her body.
She buried her face right back into the crook of his neck, muffling her loud, messy cries as the fresh tears completely soaked through his shirt.
"A-Ayato... h-he must... he must be perfectly fine... p-promise me... you have to p-promise me..."
"I promise, darling," Ayato whispered back, his own eyes turning soft and warm as he held his weeping wife as close as he possibly could. "I promise you."
But promises are fragile things, easily swallowed by the silent marching of the years.
The warm July heat of that bedroom slowly cooled, the bright laughter faded, and the gentle sun of a father's hope sank into the earth, giving way to a darkness that no human promise could ever hold back.
Five years bled away like ink in water, until the day finally came.
And the world was made of shadows and old, ancient stone.
Deep underground, the heavy air smelled of burning oil lamps and damp rock. The thick silence of the basement was completely shattered by two continuous sounds of weeping—the heavy, muffled sobs of a woman, and the terrified, high-pitched crying of a child.
In the center of the dark floor, inside the carved lines of the ritual circle, Kento Kamitani stood completely alone.
He was only five years old. His tiny body was shaking violently like a leaf in a storm, his big green eyes wide with pure, innocent panic.
He looked toward the shadows, his short legs trembling as he tried to reach his tiny, soft hands forward toward his mother.
"M-Mommy...?" Kento whimpered, his voice completely broken, stuttered, and separated by small, shaky gasps.
"Mommy... wh-why... why are you standing over there...? Why are you... hic... not coming to me...?"
----
✦ 🔮 A GLIMPSE INTO THE NEXT CHAPTER 🔮 ✦
"What awaits beyond this page...?" 🌙
(灬･◡･灬)♡
"Step back into the dark, children of the Abyss."
"Mmmph! N-Ngh... Let go!"
---
🌙 The stars may fade, and memories may sleep...
But the Spiral continues to turn.
Until we meet again beneath the same forgotten sky.
(╬☉д⊙)⊰⊹ฺ
— SakuraShinomiya