Chapter 24

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Even though you didn't exactly say yes to Kenma, you found yourself grabbing a coffee with him after driving Suki to school. And as you sat in the car, you watched as the familiar road and buildings from earlier started to get unfamiliar to you.



"Are we not going back?" you asked, looking at Kenma who shook his head but didn't tear his eyes from the road.



"We're going somewhere."



The somewhere he was talking about turned to be a memorial park near a temple where Kenma bought flowers. You silently followed him towards the graveyard until he stopped in front of a grave where a familiar name was etched.



"Kozume Kana," you muttered slowly, reading the name written on it before you looked at Kenma who bent down to put the flowers and took an incense stick.



He lit it up as smoke came out from the end before sticking it down and Kenma closed his eyes, putting his hands together as he offered his prayers. Soon after he was done, you did the same thing he did and closed your eyes.



You really don't know what to say to someone you haven't personally met before. Until you thought of the little six year old girl who longed for a mother's affection. In that moment you finally realized what to say.



Kana-san, we might not have been able to meet in this life, but know that I will always look after Suki-chan...



Your prayer was short, since you don't have a lot of things to tell her. Looking after and taking care of the child she left was the only thing you told her. And when you opened your eyes and stood up, you realized that Kenma was looking at you.



"What did you tell her?"



"I told her that I'll look after Suki-chan."



It was barely noticeable, but you saw the side of his lips turning up in a smile, however slight it was. As the two of you stood there, the breeze lulled you into tranquillity. The silence was light and comfortable and it lingers around like a blanket made of feathers.



In the middle of the stillness, you heard Kenma moved and you turned your head to glance at him as he took a step closer to the grave.



"You can rest serenely now, nee-san."



It's been a while since Kenma last said those words, it's been so long since he last called her that. But the word still feels as familiar to him as if it was the most natural thing to say.



"Let's go back," he said after a while and you turned around first.




When Kenma averted his gaze, a lone tear managed to fall from his eye but he wiped it as fast as it fell until you stopped and turned around when you didn't feel Kenma following behind. He saw you stopped and he started to walk up to you, waiting for him until he's right beside you.



And as you two walked slowly, Kenma broke the silence.



"I don't know how to tell her," he started. "Should I just tell Suki that her mother's dead?"



"No," you said. "I mean, it's true that you should tell her soon, because she has the right to know. But telling her something like that might be too shocking for her."



"Then," Kenma trailed off and stopped. "Help me? Can you help me tell her?"



"Of course," you said, smiling. "It's part of my contract with you, to help you with everything that concerns Suki."



The contract, Kenma had actually forgotten all about it. But before he can say anything about it, you started to walk again.



"Let's go," you called and Kenma followed until he caught up to you.



While walking down the stairs, you looked around the scenery that nature offers. The memorial is located near a temple surrounded by forest, so it's truly a soothing place.



"You know, when Suki asked when I last cried, I said I last cried six years ago."



Kenma recalled it and he found himself talking about it while you two walk slowly.



"It was when Suki was born and it was also the time when Kana died."



It was such an irony, of how life and death are on each side of the same coin. That day, when a life came into this world, death took another life from this world. Together with the newborn's wails, Kenma cried silently in the empty hospital corridors.



"I had a whole future planned out. I wanted to earn lots of money so I started trading and buying stocks. I wanted us to have an easy life, me, our mom, Kana and her daughter."



But things don't always go as how you planned them to be.



"And then suddenly I had to raise a kid, suddenly I became a dad. My mom couldn't take care of herself and she isn't getting any younger so I took Suki in. And just like that, I became a dad."



He was thrust into a world that he didn't know about. He had to learn everything from scratch, his mother was there to help him most of the time, but there were times when he had to do it himself.



He had to learn how to feed her, how to put her to sleep, how to make her to stop crying, all the while making sure that he earns money for their future. His studies were put into a halt, but that barely mattered then, when he was already earning hundreds of thousands of yen.



Kenma had to learn all those things and even now he's still learning, that's why there were times when he was like that with Suki.



"You did a great job, Kenma."



Suddenly, Kenma stopped. There was a certain feeling that made its way to his chest. He didn't know that it was all he needed up until now.



For someone to tell him he did a great job.



"You deserve to be Suki's dad more than anyone else." You stopped as well, a few steps ahead of him before you turned around and gave Kenma a smile. "That's why I like you."



Kenma processed those words, but you already turned around and headed to his car, opening the door as you stepped inside.



Kenma looked ahead before he shook his head and walked up to the vehicle, when he got in he noticed how you turned your head to the window, unable to meet his gaze. And Kenma thought then, how cute.



He started the ignition and drove back to his place. The silence was neither awkward nor comfortable. Fortunately there was less traffic on the way back and you two arrived at his place faster. And when you two finally got to his unit, Kenma spoke.



"Ah, right, I said we were going to talk about it," he said, and you turned around. "But you already told me about it."



Your eyebrows furrowed until realization set your face red and you quickly turned around but before you can walk ahead, Kenma had grabbed your wrist.



"You said you like me, Y/n." he walked up in front of you but you kept your head lowered until he grabbed your chin and made you look up at him. "Can you say it again?"



"Why? You already heard it the first time."



"I just want to hear you say it again."



You unconsciously bit your lower lip before you averted your gaze to the side and mumbled the words. "I like you,"



Not a second after you said that, you felt something on top of your lips and you realized Kenma had pecked your lips with a kiss that barely lasted a second.



"Say it again?"



You closed your eyes tightly before you said those three words again, this time louder.



"I like you!"



And this time, you didn't receive just a peck, Kenma had sealed your lips with his and you took a step back, your back hit the wall lightly as you found yourself kissing him back. Eyes shut close and hands going to his locks of hair before he leaned back and looked at your flush face.



"I'm not Suki's real father, and you're not her birth mother," Kenma started, his forehead almost touching yours. "But let's be Suki's parents. Forget about the contract, live here with us."



You almost couldn't hear his words because your heart had started to beat so fast that you can hear it in your ears.



"You're so good with kids, so help me raise Suki."



You nodded quietly, face still flushed and warm. You nodded because that's all you can do right now that your heart is beating so loud. You nodded and pulled him closer, kissing him again.



A few hours afterwards, the school had dismissed earlier. The kids were not allowed outside the school grounds until their parents come to pick them up.



While Suki was waiting, sitting on the swing in the park, she looked down the ground. Until someone came and stood in front of her. Yet Suki didn't look up so the person bent down and tilted their head to get a better look at Suki.



"Are you waiting for your parents?" he asked but Suki didn't say anything and she refused to look at the man who chuckled lightly. "I came to pick my son but I couldn't see him around. I was going to ask if you know him."



He sighed inaudibly before he stood up when he knew the little girl wouldn't say anything. "Did your daddy tell you not to talk to strangers?"



Suki shook her head and she finally looked up at him and the man saw a pair of familiar golden eyes that oddly reminded him of someone before the little girl finally spoke.



"Suki doesn't have a daddy."




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