Kyouko slowly descended the stairs, her steps poised and unshaken.
In her arms, she held only the dress—
the one precious thing she had come back for.
A dress far more valuable than anything she had ever received in her twenty-year marriage.
She reached the front door and pressed the gate button on the wall.
Kyouko slipped her heels back on, one foot at a time.
Her movements graceful. Calm.
She didn’t glance around.
With her chin held high, Kyouko walked out of the house—
the same house she had once served in like a ghost.
The gate slid closed behind her.
She didn’t regret it.
After enduring it all for over two decades...
After being ignored, silenced, used, and forgotten...
After meeting Haruki—
After crossing the line she once thought unforgivable—
Letting him touch her.
Ravish her until she could no longer pretend to be just "Mother-in-law."
After giving her body, her time, her love to him—
There was no regret left.
Only one thing remained—
Kyouko walked, slowly, through the neighborhood streets.
Unbothered. Unhurried.
When she reached the bus station, she sat down quietly on the bench.
The sun filtered through the trees.
The breeze kissed her cheek.
She closed her eyes for a moment and smiled faintly.
As she sat on the bench, waiting for the next bus,
Kyouko placed a gentle hand on her belly.
The sunlight warmed her skin.
Her fingers rested there quietly, as if trying to feel something beneath the surface—
"I really want to check the pregnancy test..." she whispered softly.
Her eyes drifted upward toward the sky, a faint smile forming.
"But I promised Haruki..."
Her voice barely audible,
as though speaking only to herself, or to him.
"We were going to check it together."
She exhaled through her nose, her smile growing just a touch more.
Her hand gently caressed the flat of her stomach once more.
Only the thought of his arms around her again, the way he kissed her neck that morning.
Because soon, when he opened his eyes—
He wouldn’t just see her.
He would see their future.
Inside the bus, the gentle rhythm of the wheels rolling along the road lulled the world into silence.
Kyouko sat by the window, her hands resting lightly on her lap, the box with Haruki’s gift beside her.
She gazed outside as the familiar scenery passed by—the same streets she once used to walk through in silence, hidden in the shadow of a forgotten marriage.
Now, her eyes shone gently.
Finally free from marriage.
From being someone’s forgotten wife.
She leaned her head lightly against the glass.
I’ll no longer be Harusawa Kyouko.
Her reflection stared back at her—calm, beautiful, and no longer burdened.
Her smile deepened, soft and full of warmth.
I’m coming back to you.
She closed her eyes briefly, whispering inside her heart.
You’ll open your eyes.
Not just as your lover.
But as the woman who chose you.
Meanwhile, at the hospital...
The steady rhythm of the heart monitor echoed softly in the room, as it had for weeks.
One of Haruki’s fingers moved.
A slight shift in the sheets.
His hand slowly curled.
A faint, quiet breath escaped his lips.
His eyelids fluttered.
Brow furrowing gently.
His eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first—
staring up at the plain ceiling above him.
He tried to move and sat up slightly, only to feel a deep weakness wash through his body.
His arms trembled just from lifting himself.
Then the door clicked open.
A nurse entered, carrying a clipboard—and froze mid-step.
"Nakagawa-san!?" she gasped. "You’re awake?"
Haruki blinked slowly, confused.
She immediately turned, rushing back toward the hallway.
"Doctor! Doctor! Room 324! He’s awake!"
Haruki sat there, dazed.
The doctor arrived moments later, followed by two more nurses.
"Nakagawa-san," the doctor greeted calmly, adjusting his coat. "How are you feeling? Dizzy? Pain anywhere?"
Haruki nodded weakly. "A bit... sore. Lightheaded."
"Expected. You’ve been unconscious for quite some time. Let me check you over first."
The doctor began a full examination—light in the eyes, reflexes, monitoring the equipment, reading the chart.
Everything was slow, measured.
After a while, Haruki blinked up at him and asked softly,
"How did I end up here...?"
The doctor looked at him thoughtfully. "You were in an accident. Multiple fractures, internal bleeding... we had to stabilize you immediately. It was critical for several days."
Haruki tried to process it, his brows tightening.
Then one of the nurses, smiling brightly, leaned in.
"But you’re really lucky, Nakagawa-san."
"You had someone by your side the whole time."
Haruki turned to her, puzzled.
The nurse nodded cheerfully. "Yes. Beautiful and graceful. She stayed by your side every day. Slept here. Refused to leave even once."
She tilted her head. "You’re really lucky to have a girl like that."
Haruki’s lips parted slightly.
Graceful...? Beautiful...?
But that wasn’t the image that came to his mind.
A soft voice. A gentle hand. A woman who smiled through pain and whispered his name when no one else could hear.
He turned his head slightly, eyes toward the door.
Haruki looked at the nurse, eyes a little more focused now.
"Where is... my wife?"
The nurse smiled softly. "Ah, she said she was going home for a short while."
She adjusted the IV drip gently.
"But don’t worry. She’s always here."
"When she steps out, she’s never gone long."
Her tone grew admiring.
"Always on time. Always right back before evening."
"She sleeps here almost every night. Takes care of you herself."
Haruki’s eyes drifted down to the bed.
His hand brushed against the blanket softly.
Satomi never did that.
She wouldn’t care enough to sit by his side every night.
Wouldn’t hold his hand.
Wouldn’t sleep in a chair just to stay near.
It’s always been her.
And a quiet smile curved on his lips.