Tsuki! - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Three months passed, and Hannah hummed as she walked through the shopping area down the street from their apartment. I still can’t believe that I am such a love-struck fool!

She had taken a page out of Toshihiro’s book, and had kept the things she bought to a bare minimum; their apartment really didn’t have room for a lot of things, and she spent time keeping it clean every day.

“I’m almost a housewife!” She told herself. She still didn’t know much Japanese, but she was getting pretty good with common phrases. Though she kept that a secret from Toshihiro, since she loved their private little language of kisses and hand signs.

Housewife, hmm? Hannah put her hands on her cheeks, and blushed at how happy that thought made her. Then one day, I could be a mother, and…

Mother…

        Oh my god, I’m pregnant! How could I have not noticed that I haven’t had my period since I started living with Hero?!

Hannah was familiar enough by now to know where to go to buy what she needed, and soon, she was home, peeing on a stick. The instructions were in Japanese, but according to the picture, there would be a plus or a minus sign, so it’s not like she needed to read the instructions.

The minutes passed so very slowly, and Hannah chewed on her nails nervously.

It’s a frickin’ plus sign! She didn’t know what to do. I was never on birth control because girls can’t get me pregnant, and I didn’t even think about using a condom. I wonder if Hero assumed I was on birth control, or did he not think either?

Oh god, oh god, oh god!

        Hannah numbly went about preparing a snack for when Toshihiro came home with his friends. She had figured out that they must be college students when they finally got around to studying the day after she met his friends.

She stared off into space for who knows how long, and finally decided to do some yoga. She had fallen into a blissful routine, kiss Toshihiro goodbye, clean, exercise- including her kickboxing practice- and then shopping for whatever food she needed. Then, she would come home (when had this place become home?), and check her email on her laptop.

Her cell phone was always set to silent, and she had changed the message on her first day here to inform her father when (if) he called, that she was still mad at him, and that she had no intention of returning.

The funny thing was that she couldn’t even remember what they argued about, and she wasn’t really mad at him anymore. Her friends had all left repeated messages wondering why she was mad at her father, and why she wouldn’t return their calls.

She had returned most of their calls after about a week, so her friends all knew what was happening to her, plus they exchanged emails. They were astonished that she was living with a guy she didn’t even know, and that she was with a guy!

She smiled, and decided to change the message on her phone. “Daddy, I’m not mad at you anymore. In fact, I’m really happy. So don’t worry about me. Love you, Hannah.”

Pregnant!

Hannah took a deep breath. How can I possibly tell Hero?

The clock chimed and Hannah grinned. Hero will be back any minute!

She put the snack on the table, and stood waiting by the door, which opened.

“I’m home!” Toshihiro informed her. Hannah inexplicably burst out crying, and buried her face in his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Toshihiro demanded in concern as his friends made themselves comfortable around the table.

“I really love you!” Hannah confessed, and gasped. She really did! When the hell had that happened?

Toshihiro had no idea what she said, but he rubbed her back soothingly, and kissed her. Hannah pulled away from him, held his face, and looked at him seriously.

“I. Love. You.” She told him again.

He shook his head slowly to indicate he didn’t understand. Hannah shook her head, and hugged him.

Yuki sighed deeply. “She said she loves you, you idiot! Even you should know that, it’s a pretty common phrase.” She referred to how plenty of TV shows and songs on the radio used the English phrase.

“Oh, right.” Toshihiro blushed. “I guess I’ve just never heard it said with an American accent before.”

The five college students ate the snack Hannah had prepared, and she took the plate to the sink. Well, that was her plan anyway, but as she passed the window, the view outside made her drop the plate. It was sturdy enough that it didn’t shatter, but it made an awful noise.

“Are you ok?” Toshihiro rushed to help her. “That’s strange, there’s a big limousine in front of the building.”

His friends crowded the window to see, and watched a wealthy businessman in an immaculate suit step out of the back of the limo. His driver held the door open for him and a shorter Japanese man, who stepped out of the car after him.

Hannah flung the door open, and raced to greet them. “Daddy!” She flung herself into his arms.

He hugged her tightly. “I’ve come to take you home.”

“What?! No!” She pulled out of his embrace, and stepped back. “I’m not going; I’m happy here!”

“You cannot be serious! This place is tiny, and I’m told that the actual apartments are positively miniscule! You had a bigger hotel room!” Her father pointed out.

“I don’t care about that, I’m not leaving!” Hannah stamped her foot stubbornly, crossed her arms, and turned her back on him.

“You’re wearing a dress!” Her father stated in surprise.

“So, what does that have to do with anything?”

“You never wear dresses,” he replied.

“Well, I do now,” Hannah informed him, still not looking at him.

“Get in the car, Hannah,” her father ordered.

“No!”

Her father grabbed her arm in an attempt to force her into the car, and she dug her heels into the ground.

“Don’t make me hurt you, daddy,” she warned.

“Get in the car; our jet leaves in an hour.”

“I’m not going!!!” Hannah screamed.

By this time, Toshihiro had run up to Hannah’s side. “Leave her alone!”

Of course, Hannah’s father hadn’t bothered to learn Japanese either; that was what the other man was for, and he translated for Hannah’s father.

“This is a private matter between my daughter and myself.”

The translator did his job.

“I love Hana, and I won’t let you take her from me!”

Hannah gasped once the translator finished. She shook off her father’s grasp.

“Oh Hero!” She hugged him happily.

Her father looked at them thoughtfully, but replied. “And how do you plan to stop me? I need only call the police, and have you arrested on kidnapping charges. Plus, our permit expires in two days; what then? Would you make my daughter a criminal; living here illegally?”

The translator relayed this to Toshihiro, but before he could answer, Hannah burst out, “So, renew the damn permit! I love Hero, and I am not going to leave him!”

“You can’t seriously intend to play house in such a tiny apartment forever. What happens when you can’t renew the permit? What if I decide to cancel your card to my bank account? Will life with this young man really be so fun when you can no longer afford to live here? I’ve done some checking on him, and he is literally so poor, I don’t know how he managed to buy food, and pay his rent before you came to live with him?” Hannah’s father said, and the translator tactfully omitted some of the information.

“I don’t care, and if you are going to cut me off, at least have the decency to give me enough to live off of for a while until I can learn the language and get a job,” Hannah insisted.

“You are serious! I ask again, what about when the permit runs out, and can’t be renewed?”

Hannah paused to give this some thought, and the translator finished translating.

“I’ll marry her! She will be a citizen of Japan then!” Toshihiro stated.

Hannah stared at Toshihiro in awe, and she began to cry again. “Yes, yes! I’ll marry him!”

The couple stared at each other in love-struck awe, and slowly leaned in to kiss.

Hannah’s father rolled his eyes, and sighed. “But Hannah, what about you taking over the business?” He signaled the translator not to translate that question.

Hannah gave her father a look of serious contemplation. “I’m not so sure I want to take over the business, especially now that…”

“Marriage doesn’t always work out the way we would hope it to,” he pointed out.

“So, what? You’re saying I shouldn’t even try? Sorry, but I really want this,” Hannah informed him.

“More than… I thought you wanted to take over the business one day.” He gestured again to stop the translator. The translator hadn’t actually translated anything since the last signal, and figured he had better not, until he was told to.

“Daddy I… I don’t think that running your business is conducive to raising a family. You were always jetting all over the world, and it was hard until I was old enough to come with you, and even then, it was hard… I… I think I would much rather live in a place like this, and raise happy babies,” Hannah said.

“You’re not even married yet, there’s no need to think about children-“

“Actually, there is,” Hannah stated.

“You-… what?! You’re… you didn’t protect yourself? Hannah!” Her father was flustered to say the least.

“I don’t know why neither of us remembered to wear protection, but we didn’t. Maybe this was fate’s way of saying ‘Hey! You’re meant to be together!’ I certainly believe we are,” Hannah replied.

“Pregnant, Hannah?”

“Yes daddy.” Hannah still held Toshihiro’s hand.

Hannah’s father sighed. “I expect to be invited to the wedding, and I expect you to visit me often. At least once every three months.”

“I’ll try,” Hannah promised.

Her father turned to Toshihiro, and gestured for the translator to do his job. “Congratulations on your upcoming marriage to my daughter. You had better continue to make her happy, or I will make you sorry!”

“Daddy!” Hannah chided, and her father pulled her into a hug.

“I’m going to miss you, and don’t worry, I’ll have your permit renewed.”

Hannah returned his hug. “Thank you, daddy.”

“You look good,” Daddy complimented, and Hannah smiled.

Her father turned to get into the limo, stopped, faced Toshihiro, and said. “You had better take good care of that child my daughter is carrying.”

Toshihiro turned white. “Ch-ch-ch-ild,” he stuttered, and fainted.

The translator held up his hands. “I only said what you said!”

“Hero! Hero!” Hannah bent over her lover, and checked him for serious damage. To her relief, he came to quickly, in time to see Hannah’s father chuckle, and get into the car.

“Child?” Toshihiro asked, but without the translator, Hannah couldn’t understand, so he placed his hand over her lower abdomen.

Hannah nodded. Toshihiro fainted again.

Go To Chapter 6