Unforeseen Crossroads

"Rapist? Then you spent your night with a rapist, Miss Suzuki?" Hiroto said with a sneer, just as a slap landed on his face, shutting his mouth.

"Do you even have any idea what happened that day? No, you don't. You don't know anything, which is why you are accusing me of something I never did. Do you know what happened that day? I was drugged by my stepsister Akane," Fumiko said.

"Akane?" Hiroto muttered.

"If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even want to breathe the same air as you, Hiroto Anzai. I forgot you were my classmate in university, and now that you have revealed who you are, I can say you were always trash back then too. You think women can be bought. You think you can pay them and do what you want. But I am not like you. If it weren't for that terrible night, I wouldn't have to be entangled with you at all," Fumiko said slowly, though her anger kept building.

"You were drugged?" Hiroto asked again.

"Yes, I was drugged. So what? You didn't care. You said I clung to you to have you? If it were the real me, I wouldn't even bother to look at you, let alone breathe the same air, have you in my arms, or have any relationship with you. So get this stupid idea out of your mind, Mr. Hiroto Anzai," Fumiko said.

"Then how did your son—I mean Hiro—come to me if you didn't abandon him?" Hiroto asked.

"Abandon? If I were to abandon him, how do I still have Akie with me? If that were the case, I would have abandoned Akie too. But he is with me, living well in a nice atmosphere. I wonder how you make Hiro live in that cold environment when his dad knows nothing but money," Fumiko said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I will take my son with me," Hiroto said, walking toward the room, but Fumiko stopped him.

"I will not let you take both of them with you. They are mine. I gave birth to them, not you," Fumiko said.

"I have raised Hiro, and I will raise Akie too. They are mine. If it weren't for you, taking them wouldn't have been necessary," Hiroto said.

"I said I will not let you take him," Fumiko said, standing in front of him.

"Do you think you would have been able to give birth to him if it weren't for me?" Hiroto said, trying to get closer to her.

"Do you think you would have them if I hadn't chosen to give birth?" Fumiko said, pushing him aside.

"Why are you so annoying, woman? You should be happy if I take them. You can live freely with anyone, and your living costs would lessen too," Hiroto said.

"You might be having difficulties raising them, but I am not," Fumiko said, entering the room where Hiro and Akie were playing.

"Now, you two will be living with me," Fumiko declared.

"No, I will not let it be like this," Hiroto stopped her.

"No, they clearly want to be with me," Fumiko said, looking at them. Hiro and Akie ran toward Fumiko, hugging her tightly. But as Hiroto felt empty, Akie walked near him, holding his legs tightly.

"I want to be with Uncle as well," Akie said slowly.

"Or should I call you Dad like Hiro?" Akie asked.

"Yes, yes, I am your dad. You can call me Dad just like Hiro," Hiroto said, picking him up.

"But Aunt Chiyo said we need to do something to know if you are our mom and dad or not. Is this no longer necessary?" Akie asked.

"You idiot, do you think it would be necessary when Mom takes me as a son too? Wouldn't she know who I am just by looking at me? Or do you need more proof?" Hiro said, teasing Akie.

"Now, you are talking a lot. You think you are the older one, right? No, you are not. I am the older brother. I was born before you. So you should call me brother, not by my name, you idiot," Akie said.

"You kids stay here. I have something to discuss with your dad," Fumiko said, walking outside the room.

"What do you want to discuss, Miss Fumiko? Or did you change your mind?" Hiroto said, getting on her nerves once again.

"Listen, Hiroto Anzai, I have no more strength to argue with you any longer. But if you are that eager, I can say no, I have not changed my mind, nor am I able to keep what I said, so we need to come up with a different solution for this," Fumiko said.

"Different solution? What kind of solution do you want?" Hiroto asked.

"Didn't you hear what they said? They said they want to be with both of us. And we can't implement that. The entire world has yet to know the secret of Hiroto Anzai, and I have come to know the secret is nothing but your son, which you have kept hidden for years now," Fumiko said.

"So you finally got the news about this for your company?" Hiroto said, smirking.

"Of course I did, but I can't disclose this now. If I did, my son would be in the harmful spotlight. I don't care what happens to you, nor do I want to care about this. But I want my son to be in a safe environment. I want no harm to come to him," Fumiko said.

"Then why don't you marry me? Then both kids will be together with their mom and dad," Hiroto said.

"Have you finally lost it? The great Hiroto Anzai, who doesn't like women, is offering a marriage proposal to no one but a woman?" Fumiko asked.

"Yes, I am because I know there is no other option. And don't think I am dying to marry you. It is just an idea to implement the plans for the kids, nothing else," Hiroto said.