CHAPTER 55: HER WONDERFUL SMILE

“Ahem… ahem…testing, one two three…can you see me, Mukai-kun?”

Then, cheerful giggles followed grabbing Yamapi’s attention instantly. His eyes averted toward the screen and at that moment, Yamapi’s heart stopped upon seeing it. In front of him, Marina was on the television wearing a soft yellow chiffon dress and had the most beautiful smile that he ever saw in his life.

This is…her?

                The thought rang inside his head as his eyes remained on the screen. Horikita Maki, who sat on the sofa, was looking straight at the front. Then, something bothering her making her eyebrows quirked in a funny way. Quickly, she leaned her body forward and pushed aside some of the toys on the table. Kids toys… Yamapi swallowed hard, and before he knew it, he walked toward the television and sat on the sofa which was in front of it. His gaze never left his wife’s wonderful face that he never knew before. 

“Ne….looked at this. It is cute, right?”

 Yamapi looked at the cloth that she held with her long fingers. The baby’s cloth was red and white in colour. It was written I am Daddy’s best buddy on it. She shook it and blabbed even further as her eyes looked at the front. At that moment, Yamapi noticed something new too. Her eyes were filled with love which was something that he never saw before. Somehow, it punched hard straight to his gut making him feel hard to breathe. The woman’s voice echoed the silent room even further.

“I saw it when I came back from submitting the thesis. I can’t help but buy it. Our baby will look totally cute in it. I know that it is too early to buy it, but I can’t help it. It looks too adorable. “

She grinned wider.  Seeing it made Yamapi clenched his right-hand tighter. A notion pounded inside his mind.

Our …baby?

“You are not going to be mad, right? Well, you better be….because this baby will be the best present you ever have in your life.”

She said it proudly as she her small bump. With that movement, he averted his gaze toward the woman’s lower abdomen. His heart stopped at that moment.

Pregnant?

She was pregnant with Mukai’s baby?

                As if he could not believe it, he looked again and this time, he was confirmed. His wife used to pregnant in the past. Isn’t she barren? Yamapi fisted his hand and looked at the screen again. Although it was not big, it was evident that she was pregnant. Maki’s voice grabbed back his attention toward the screen.

“Oh!!! I have another surprise for you. A big surprise for you!!“

She made a large motion in the air, and her face showed happy she was. Seeing it made something twitching inside his heart.

“Close your eyes first! Close it!”

 Yamapi continued watching. His hands somehow turned cold, and they shook terribly. Never in his life with her last three months, had those giggles and smiles came out from her. Somehow, the fact made he felt bitter.

“Mukai, I know you are not closing your eyes right now. Don’t lie. I know how cheeky you are.”

She giggled as she pointed toward the camera. The laughter rumbled through the quiet room making Yamapi bit his lips. His eyes kept looking at the screen as he continued watching it.

“Close your eyes….okay? I hope you close your eyes right now,”

                Horikita Maki lifted her eyebrows as her eyes looked firmly on the camera as if she could see the man behind the camera. Slowly, she pulled something from her brown handbag and held it in front of her. The lovely woman was holding an ultrasound picture.  The black and white photos held highly in front of her as she continued her words.

“ Jaan!! Open your eyes and look!”

                The woman waved it happily as her eyes looked at it lovingly. Her lips never stopped smiling, and that twitched Yamapi’s heart strangely. His eyes went to the picture, and it is obvious the baby in it growing healthily. Somehow, more questions played inside his mind. However, he shoved them when the woman’s explanations hit his ears.

“The baby is entering his five months this week and guess what? The doctor told me our baby is a boy, and he is extremely healthy.”

 Her eyes looked at the scan and it softly as she continued her soft words.

“It is very lonely to see the doctor alone without you by my side, but I know that it is for the best. Well, it is just another week, and you are going to be back in Japan.”

She smiled despite there a hint of sadness in her eyes.  

“So please, be safe on your journey. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose the competition, just be safe. We are waiting for you. Me ….and the baby.”

Hearing the last words made Yamapi gritted his teeth.

She and the baby….

Of course….

Their relationship is more special than anything else.

No wonder the man never forgets about her.

Mukai and the witch share something more than anything they have.

Something special that he and Marina never have.

“You are not supposed to be here, Yamaa-san.”

Mukai Osamu’s deep voice rang inside the room. It stopped his train of thoughts making him woke up to reality. The tall man walked toward his direction. His face became hard as his gaze was fixed on Maki’s cheerful face before he turned it off. Looking back at Yamapi, who sat on his sofa, Mukai spoke again.

“I thought that we are supposed to meet in the meeting room?” His voice was hard, as hard as his face looked at that moment. Yamapi stood up and looked at the man without replying anything. Various things played inside his mind, and mostly it was about his wife.

“Plus, you are trespassing my private place which I don’t like. So, I think it is better for you to get out of this place right now.” The tall man pointed to the door behind him.

“Sorry….” That was the only word that he could utter after the sudden incident. Frankly, he didn’t mean to barge into the man’s private place. However, Yamapi heaved a deeper sigh. He lifted his chin and eyed the tall man.

“Why her?” The question popped out suddenly from his mouth making Mukai Osamu eyed him strangely as he did not understand the question.

“Why Marina, Mukai-san? Why?  Both of you parted a long time ago. Why do you have to pursue her until now?”

“You don’t understand me Yamaa-san? Even after you see this?” Mukai Osamu’s finger pointed to Maki’s face on the television. Envious crawled inside his heart. Still, he continued his words.

“It’s not like I don’t understand. It is just that between the two of you are ….”

“Impossible? Me and Maki-chan? No. It is not impossible.”Yamapi scoffed hearing the man’s words.

The tall, handsome man turned around and went to the wall. His finger flicked the light and looked at Yamapi squarely in eyes. Now, the vision was even apparent wh