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Author's Chapter Notes:

Yukata - Informal Japanese garb (much like a simplified kimono).

Senpai - Honorific suffix for someone higher than you. 

Bunraku - Tradicional Japanese puppet show (very intricate/complicated and beautiful).

San - Honorific suffix (general).

Dogi - Aikido uniform.

Aikido & Jujitsu - Two different forms of Japanese martial arts.

Manju - Traditional Japanese sweet cake filled with sweet bean paste.

Udon-chiri - Chicken, seafood, vegetables, and udon noodles cooked in a boiling stock.

Sofu - Grandfather

Sobo - Grandmother 

Please forgive any errors in translation or identification. 

 

 




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


Please don't let my baby die

Please don't let my baby die

 

Something was squeezing the life out of her left hand but she did't care. It helped combat the pain.

 

Logic and reason tried to claw their way to the surface of consciousness but it pitched and swirled violently. They both disappeared into the darkness and she began to slip in and out of reality.

 

Her life began to play like a slideshow of shorts on youtube, slapdash and sporadic yet so vivid that she felt the joys and sorrows as if it were happening once again:

 

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yes." He pulled her right hand and she clutched her yukata close to her breast.

"I think the genders are separated Yuki."

"Leave it to me Sarua." she smiled. He never pronounced her name correctly. The combination of phonics was difficult for the Japanese.

She trailed behind him down the hall staring wide eyed at the modular spaces. This was the first time she had ever been in a capsule hotel. The modules flanked both sides of the hallway one after the other stacked two units high. He stopped in front of one and opened a door to the top unit. He climbed a few steps and crawled into the module.

"Are you sure we can both fit?" 

she peered into the six and a half foot long, three foot wide cubical for only a second before he hulled her in and closed the door behind her.

"Be careful of the TV." He pulled close the privacy curtain.

 

 

``````````  ~~~~~  ``````````

 

Yuki

 

Soft fabric swept her forehead and the smell of cherry blossoms invaded her senses.

 

She definitely felt nauseous and dizzy. If she didn't get fresh air now, she would throw-up or faint, maybe both. The embarrassment pushed her along as she stumbled toward the entrance.

"Where are you going?" a figure blocked her path.

"Outside, can you please step aside?"

"This is the men's room." Just then the floor started to rise and strong hands grabbed her and then she was moving. The next thing she felt was a tepid breeze. "You should be carful of drinking so much."

"I didn't drink anything but water." She tried to shrug off the heavy hands. "I don't know why Japanese love karaoke and I don't know why they smoke so much." She stopped struggling, "I think I might die of smoke inhalation."

Him laughing made her focus on his face. It was square, his cheekbones high and wide. 

"Your Japanese is very good."

"Thank you."

"I'm Umezawa Yukimoto."

"Sara Richards. Thank you for taking care of me." she bowed low.

"Where are you from?" He stopped her from bowing eyeing her with concern.

"The United States."

She took a deep breath of sea air and focused on his expensive looking suite with a frown.

"You are what they call, African American."

Her eyes shot back to his face and she lifted her head slightly.

"Yes."

He laughed again.

"You still look unwell. Over there they serve a very refreshing oolong tea."

 

 

``````````  ~~~~~  ``````````

 

His pale slender finger were only a tad longer than her own. Their hands were together suspended in the air wrist to wrist. They pivoted in unison from left to right until his fingers slipped between hers.

"Yuki? What is your family like?"

"Very traditional." He kissed her temple. There was silence.

"Have you ever been to the United States?"

"No." He kissed her cheek.

"Would you like to come with sometime? I will be your official interpreter and I will show you all the things I love most about it."

"Sounds nice." He shifted on top of her and pressed her into the bed. He felt warm. He dipped his head into her neck and she closed her eyes and slid her legs open so that he could lower himself between them.

He let go of her hand, grabbed her legs hooking her knees around his arms and firmly guided himself inside her.

"Yuki..."

He kissed her forehead.

 

 

``````````  ~~~~~  ``````````

 

She felt uncomfortable. 

"President, are you sure you are okay? Maybe you should go home." Her assistant had been hovering all day. 

"I'm fine, I think the baby is pressing on something."

"Then it can't be helped. I will leave first then."

Sara had so much work to do. The baby was due in two weeks and there were orders to be filled and bookkeeping to be updated. She wanted things to run smoothly while out on maternity leave. 

The uncomfortableness turned into a dull ache and she decided to take the paperwork home with her. As she walked to the train her heart rate started to speed up. The pain began to attack the organs surrounding her stomach and bladder. The ride wasn't long, if only she could make it to her home. She bit down on her lip and tried to regulate her breathing.

Step after step drained her energy and increased the pain.

Something was wrong with the baby. She fought to remain conscious as she walked down the hall to her apartment, she could see the neighbor's door just ahead, but it was too late. She desperately clung to the wall.

"Help me. Yuki."

She slid down the wall and into darkness.

 

Help me Yuki

Save our baby

Yuki, Please

 

 

``````````  ~~~~~  ``````````

 

"She always looks at me disapprovingly Sarua." They were looking after an elderly neighbor and her husband as the walked away.

"Shinohara-senpai is always very quiet. She doesn't say much even when I put forth effort. I don't think I've ever heard her husband speak. That is the way they are."

"Do you know much about her?" He grabbed her hand and they walked towards her apartment.

"They are regulars at the local temple and there is always heavenly smells coming from her kitchen."

She thought a moment as she opened the door and they entered and took off their shoes.

"I think they had one son, but he died."

"That is probably why she is sour." He walked past her and into the kitchen towing their bags of ingredients. She liked how he made himself comfortable in her apartment, as if it were his own.

"You shower first. I will get started on my version of an Osaka delicacy. Udon-chiri." He began emptying the bags.

"Don't burn down the building."

"Ha, ha."

 

 

``````````  ~~~~~  ``````````

 

They eased down onto his bed with her straddling his lap. His hands slid up her back and into her hair as they kissed. She pushed her body against his and they fell back. 

"Sarua, you are very active this evening." He pulled her head to his again and just as their lips touched, the door chime began to ring. They looked at each other confused.

"Expecting someone?"

"No." His head fell back on the bed in thought.

The chime erupted again. This time the visitor didn't stop. His eyes widened. 

"My mother."

"Oh God."

She hopped off him and stood. She had not met his family yet and this was not the way she wanted to be introduced. She ran around the room stuffing her things in her overnight bag and headed for the door.

"No." He pulled her in the opposite direction and put her on the balcony. He put his finger to him mouth and closed the curtain. "I'll get rid of them quickly." Then pecked her cheek.

She imagined him walking to the door calmly. She heard it open.

"Mother, father..."

"Why did you not show up at the National Bunraku Theater? Everyone expected to see you. Especially the ___ family." It was a woman's voice. She spoke with a steel frailness that made Sara shiver.

"I forgot, I am sorry." Yuki sounded so formal.

"You have been forgetting many things as of late son." A man's voice followed. It sounded wise.

"I am sorry father."

"Apologizing? We do not wish your apologies." His mother angrily retorted. "We know what you have been doing Yukimoto. We were not worried at first. Where you take your pleasure and from whom is none of our concern. However, lately you have become careless. You have begun to neglect the ____ families daughter. Have you forgotten you are engaged to her?"

There was a long pause, "No."

Sara was too stunned to focus on the rest of the conversation. She had no idea he was engaged. She was also embarrassed. His mother spoke of her as if she were some common trollop. More things were said about his obligations to the family and the financial benefits of the coming nuptials. In the end, they all but demanded Yuki to stop seeing her.

Though this was painful, his answer hurt more.

"Yes, immediately." She heard rustling and the front door close.

She came from behind the curtain and saw him standing shirtless in Adidas track pants. He was so beautiful, his skin like porcelain. He look statuesque with his head bowed in shame.

She walked up to him, he didn't look at her. Instead, he turned his head away. She hoisted her overnight bag over her head and walked to the door. She forgot she had nothing on but a long shirt. She opened the door and walked out without looking back.

He did nothing to stop her and he never contacted her again.

 

 

``````````  ~~~~~  ``````````

 

"Sarua-san, Sarua-san."

Sara blinked her tear filled eyes and a face began to materialize above her.

"Yuki?"

The apparition became real and a woman's weathered face looked softly down at her.

"Shinohara-senpai?"

The woman nodded. Sara turned her head and saw her husband sitting near. A slender piece of white paper dangled from a string below his hands and his lips moved in a silent chant. She noticed they were in a vehicle.

"My baby."

Shinohara gently put her hand on Sara's forehead and nodded.

Her eyes closed and she slipped into peaceful unconsciousness.

 

<<<<>>>>

 

Sara tied the belt of the boy's dogi and gave it a yank. Around them parents spoke encouragingly with their kids arranging and rearranging their Aikido uniforms.

"Mommy after this can we go for Tsuriganemanju and green tea?"

"Shouda you shouldn't use English unless its something others shouldn't here." Sara gave her son a knowing look and kissed his cheek.

"They shouldn't hear it. Then they will want to come and I want to go with sobo and sofu Shinohara and you." He kissed her back.

Sara smiled and was about to answer when the Director came through clapping his hands.

"Please everyone, may I have your attention. I am very honored to inform you that our benefactor is here to speak to the children before they go back on stage. Please welcome Umezawa-senpai and his wife." He bowed very low as did the other parents. Sara's heart stopped beating all together and a tug on her blouse from Shouda made her remember her manners.

 

"You all have preformed very well this evening. Your Jujitsu exhibition was excellent. I am happy to see such love for the traditions of Japan amongst our young ones. Thank you also to the families that support and foster that love. I am happy to be a humble servant." He bowed low and all the parents reciprocated in kind. He then began to talk with individual students. Yuki enjoyed being with the young children, especially since he and his wife were yet unable to have any. His wife was bitter about it. Even now as he glanced at her he could tell her smile was fake.

They had both been to many doctors and all the prognoses were the same, she was sterile. It had been quite a blow to both families. As an only son, Yuki would be the last of his father's house. The parents rarely met and there was much animosity between them.

"Yuki-san, Yuki-san!"

He looked down at his favorite student. His dark square face shined up at him. He had to be of mixed heritage. Yuki had often contemplated it. He was a beautiful little boy and his intrepid nature had captured his heart from the beginning.

 

At the sound of Yuki's voice a sadness filled Sara's heart. It had been eight years since she walked out of his apartment. They had not once spoken since then. He had no idea she carried his son. 

"Mommy!" Shouda came with Yuki in tow laughing, probably at his boldness. Shouda was not a shy boy. Sara gathered all her strength to bridle her emotions and waited for Yuki to look up at her. When their eyes met, his smile dropped, his eyes widened and he looked down at Shouda. She looked down at their son as well.

"Shouda, what bad manners you have."

He let go of Yuki's hand and bowed.

"Excuse me," then turned to his mother, "but mom I wanted you to meet Yuki-san. He worked with me many times during Jujitsu class. He helped me perfect my stance." Shouda demonstrated.

"That was very kind of you to take an interest in Shouda." She bowed to him and his wife with a smile.

"Your son you say?" His wife stepped up and patted Shouda's head. "My husband often talks about him." Another mother won over Her attention and she stepped away from the three of them.

"Mom, do you think we could invite Yuki-san for manju and tea?" His animation made Sara smile.

"I am sure Umezawa-senpai has other important things to do." She looked back up at Yuki whose face she could not read. The Director began to round up the children. Sara bent down and exchanged kisses and a hug with Shouda. He turned to Yuki and bowed before running to wait for their entrance onto stage. The parents followed.

 

Yuki held Sara's gaze and walked up to her. There was no anger in his eyes, instead, they were pleading. There were so many things racing around in his head. The first time he met Shouda, laughing with Shouda, catching him after a flip had gone wrong, a hug Shouda gave him...

"Just answer me this. Is he mine?"

"Yes."






Chapter End Notes:

Thank you for reading.

Please excuse errors.

Should I do more? 







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.