Kyuu’s POV
We brought Hikaru back home. During the drive, he was silent. They both were. That alone made me worried.
I was unsure if everything would go smoothly. Will they get along? Was this a good decision? I really was not sure.
Then again, how was I ever sure of anything?
I sneaked a side glance at Jin and bit my lip. He seems calm. Is he? I knew I needed to be the middle person between the both of them. They both greeted each other just now. There wasn’t any aggression. Only time will tell.
The 20-minute drive ended quickly. I turned around and smiled at Hikaru who gave me a shy smile. He seemed nervous. I would be too if I was him. But so far so good. One step at a time.
“Hikaru, let’s take a bath! Jin, can you assist me?”
“Sure. I’ll fill up the tub.”
We all took a bath together and it was the first time I ever enjoyed a bath. Hikaru was squirming in the tub. “Stop it!! It tickles!!” He giggled happily as I gently played with him. Jin was not as affectionate but he was observant.
After the icebreaking bath session, I tried dressing him in some of his clothes before realizing that his clothes were too small for him. I wondered if he was treated right at the home.
It was only eight o’clock so we decided to take him on a shopping spree. His eyes lit up, full of curiosity, beaming everywhere as he checked out all the clothing stores with various fashion styles. He seemed to prefer simpler designs without any bold logos or cartoons. We lingered longer than expected when Hikaru had to pick out his colour choices. I managed to buy him a couple of outfits for his size.
We stopped by a fast food chain and had a quick dinner. Watching Jin and Hikaru wolved down their burgers and snatched each other’s fries made me crack a smile. They are so similar.
We headed home after dinner and collapsed on the sofa. Today was truly an eventful day. I smiled as Hikaru fell asleep on my lap. I exchanged a nod with Jin before tucking him into bed. He snuggled close to my pillow and slept.
Jin’s POV
I went out and got a beer from the fridge. I sat on the sofa and played some slow music. Today was a long day. I was not sure how I would place my position between Kyuu and Hikaru. But I needed the talk first.
I stopped halfway through my beer and thought about my feelings. Despite what Kyuu will decide, or what Hikaru will feel towards me; I will tell them my side. I will tell them my stance.
My stance is that I settled here.
I settled with Kyuu. And I will settle with Hikaru. It will take time but I will. This time, I will be the protector.
I heard Kyuu shut the door and handed him a can of beer. He immediately sat down and took a huge gulp. It seemed like I am not the only one that has had a long day. I chuckled and patted his head.
“You did great. Hikaru is happy.” I complimented him. Kyuu blushed red and continued his beer.
“Thanks for helping out. I was really nervous.” He stated breathlessly. We both finished our first can and reached for the next. We both exchange a look and burst into laughter.
“Okay. Before we get tipsy or drunk, is now a good time to talk? Or do you need another day?” I knew he needed time. Just not sure how long he needed.
Kyuu was silent. He slowly put down his beer and shifted towards me. His actions hesitate for a moment before reaching out to hold my hands.
“There’s no talk. There’s only one thing from me: I want you.” Kyuu stated boldly.
I blink. Oh. Okay.
I slowly squeezed his fingers and smiled. “Guess I can’t run anymore. I’m stuck with you and a kid.”
Kyuu giggled and we cheered to continue our beers. The night ended well.

Kyuu’s POV
Several days passed, and Hikaru was adapting to the environment of this house and felt content. I got used to his presence and became more excited about filling up our home.
Hikaru still maintained his distance from Jin. I knew I needed to be patient. Jin was considerate by giving small gestures like remembering his favourite food or snack. He also made sure I had enough alone time with Hikaru so he will not feel left out.
Jin often shuts himself in his room during his days off. I wondered a lot about him and grew more curious about the mystery that surrounds him.
One thing is that Jin’s room was always locked and he never lets me inside. Other than that, this house is very empty. More like, no one had been living in it before until I moved in. The walls and floors were clean without any scratches; even the paint on it was new. I began to suspect Jin’s identity. Even if I had no proof of it, I knew that my instincts were right.
There was one thing I never doubted. His love for me. I knew that.
Even though our “talk” was done, we needed another talk to understand more about each other. That talk meant unravelling our pasts.
This was a big step and needed a lot of courage. I managed to prolong that step and devoted more time to my son. After days passed, our bond grew stronger as he grew fatter in size.
He slowly accepted Jin and they often played catch together. I was surprised Hikaru has a love for baseball because Malaysia is more famous for its badminton, swimming and football.
One day as we were spending our time at home, the doorbell rang and I got up. Feeling slightly nervous as we never had any guests, I slowly turned the doorknob as I looked at our visitor. He was tall and had broad shoulders. Although he was wearing casual clothes, you could sense the aura that he was not to be taken lightly. He bowed at me and began to converse in fluent Japanese.
“Satonaka-San, I have a message for Jin-Sama. Kindly ensure that this letter will be handled to him.” I was dumbfounded as I heard his message. “May I ask who you are?” I was determined to understand more about him. “I am a servant from his mother’s house.” With the final answer, he left.
I stood there for several minutes as his last words were imprinted in my brain. “P-Papa...” Hikaru whimpered as he stood hiding behind the wall. I knew he was terrified. “Yes. Papa is fine,” I reached out and held his hand, smiling at him reassuringly. He flashed me an adorable smile and held onto me.
I stayed with Hikaru until he fell asleep as I continued to wait for Jin to return from work. I contacted the pub which we usually visit as the owner was very familiar with Jin. After filling him with the details, he was in deep thought, claiming Jin comes from a complicated family.
“Although he didn’t talk much about it, everyone could sense he was uncomfortable with his family. I heard he’s rich but there’s a lot going on in his family background.” After a quick elaboration from him, I knew of the story of Jin; vaguely. I ended the call with a lot of disturbance in my mind.
Jin had so many problems going on but I never helped or understood him better. I felt guilty from the day I moved in until his confession of the adoption of Hikaru. I signed as I took a sip of Tiger beer which I was not too fond of the taste of. It was mainly to clear the bitterness in me. After all, there is nothing I can do.
Jin returned after I dozed off. I had a slight memory of Jin tucking me into bed before closing the door. Our timings recently mismatched as we were both busy with work and Hikaru.
The next day, Hikaru was energetic as usual; pulling me to the park to play ball. We played for about 30 minutes until the sun was above our heads. The weather was dry and hot, we were sweating from head to toe. I noticed an ice cream van nearby and bought ice cream for Hikaru.
As he enjoyed it thoroughly, I felt a chill down my spine. It felt like there was someone watching me. I did not make any sudden movements to attract attention. I looked at Hikaru beside me; who was still enjoying his ice cream. I had a sudden urge to run. My instincts told me that whoever was watching did not have a good motive. Even if I had a good plan to escape, I knew I couldn’t leave Hikaru behind.
I took a stand and marched over to the biggest tree headed in front of us. If I can’t prevent it, I will have to face it. “What do you want with us? If you want to fight, let’s fight!” I took a step forward and braced myself for it.
As the park became silent, the fallen leaves were making silent movements as if something huge was going to happen. Out of the trees, a shadow slowly moved towards the sunlight. As he walked out, there were leaves crunching below his feet, making him appear even grander.
Out of the shadows came... ...him?!
