My Young Husband, The Assasin-Chapter 38: Tender care

Aira's hands fumbled anxiously to the side, trying to reach the raven-haired young man who was sound asleep beside her.

Truthfully, Aira didn't want to wake her husband, but she needed to use the bathroom at that moment. However, her legs were cramping, making it impossible for her to move.

"Renji-kun," she called out in a pained whimper. Renji's eyes snapped open, and he quickly turned on the bedside lamp. His face filled with shock and panic as he saw Aira lying on her back, writhing in pain.

"Where does it hurt, my wife?" he asked anxiously. Renji's drowsiness vanished instantly, even though it was past midnight and he had only been asleep for a few hours.

"I need to go to the bathroom, but my legs are cramping, and I can't move," Aira said, her voice trembling with pain as she struggled to get up.

Without hesitation, Renji slipped his hands under Aira's thighs and carried her to the bathroom. He pushed the door open with one hand and carefully placed her on the toilet seat.

"Thank you, darling," Aira said.

However, Renji didn't leave. Instead, he crouched in front of the toilet, intending to wait until Aira was done, as he was too worried to leave her alone.

Aira's cheeks turned as red as plums. "P-please leave, Renji-kun. I need to pee," she pleaded nervously.

"Just go ahead. I won't disturb you," Renji replied casually, unfazed.

"But I can't do it if you're sitting in front of me and staring like that," Aira groaned, embarrassed.

"Are you shy?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Of course," Aira half-scolded.

Renji sighed softly, resting his chin on his hands as he gazed intently at Aira. "I've already seen your naked body and touched every inch of it, so why be shy?" he teased.

Aira's face turned beet red as if steam were coming from her ears. "That's different. Please leave first. I'll call you when I'm done."

"No."

"I'm begging you, Renji-kun. Wait outside. I'm embarrassed," Aira pleaded, looking at him with a desperate expression.

"Alright, I'll wait outside," he relented, sighing as he left Aira alone in the bathroom.

Renji carried Aira out of the bathroom and laid her back on the bed.

"Wait here for a moment," Renji said before leaving the room and heading to the kitchen to fetch something. Renji brought a large basin filled with warm water and a small towel when he returned.

"What are you bringing that for, Renji-kun?"

"To soak your feet."

With great care, Renji helped Aira sit on the bed's edge, then crouched in front of her. He gently took her feet and placed them in the basin of warm water. His hands began to massage the soles of her feet, trying to relieve the cramping.

"What are you doing, Renji-kun?" Aira tried to stop Renji's unexpected actions.

"Just sit still, Honey," he replied warmly. Renji continued massaging Aira's feet for five minutes.

The water in the basin had cooled down and was no longer warm. Renji lifted Aira's wet feet and carefully dried them with the small towel. "Feeling better?" he asked, smiling warmly. Aira's eyes welled up with tears as she saw how kind and attentive Renji was being. Her heart felt warm and thrilled.

"Yes, the pain is gone," Aira answered, holding back her emotions.

"Do you often get cramps?" Renji helped Aira lie back down on the bed.

"Lately, my legs and stomach have been cramping frequently," Aira explained.

"Why didn't you tell me? You've been enduring this alone all this time," Renji's face looked sad.

"It's just cramps, not a serious illness. Many pregnant women experience this, so don't make that face."

Renji reached out and pulled Aira into a hug. "I'm sorry for not paying enough attention to you and our child. I've been so caught up in my affairs that I've neglected you both. Forgive me," he said regretfully.

A soft smile graced Aira's beautiful face. "There's no need to apologize. You haven't done anything wrong."

Renji released the hug and looked deeply into Aira's moon-like eyes. His hand gently caressed her plump, rosy cheeks, which Renji found incredibly beautiful and adorable. "Don't keep everything to yourself. Tell me everything, no matter what it is. I'm your husband, and even though I'm younger than you, I'll always protect you and our child."

Aira's tears flowed freely as she sobbed without restraint. "Please don't cry. I can't stand to see you like this," Renji said softly, tenderly wiping her cheeks. His dark eyes looked at her with genuine affection. "You light up the room when you smile, sweetheart." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. A sudden wave of sadness washed over Aira, bringing to mind the young couple she had spotted the day before. A bitter, heartbreaking reality hit her as she realized that her husband was still young, a high school student with a long future ahead of him.

Renji's handsome face and wealth meant that many beautiful young women from prestigious families would fall for him. If one day Renji fell in love with a young, attractive woman who was more suited to him, would Aira be discarded like trash?

The thought of karma crossed her mind, as Aira was the child of her father's affair. Would Renji one day stray from her, just as her late father had?

"R-Renji-kun..." Aira called hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"If you ever get bored of me or stop loving me, just tell me. Don't cheat behind my back," Aira said, her lips trembling and her eyes red as she held back tears.

Renji's dark eyes widened in shock at Aira's words. "Who made you think like that, honey?"

A single tear rolled down her cheek. "No one, but... I'm already old, my body is fat because of the pregnancy, and I don't come from a wealthy or prestigious family. I'm even the child of an affair, while you—" Aira couldn't finish her sentence because Renji kissed her deeply.

"Hmphh..." Aira's hands weakly hit Renji's chest. Renji kissed her roughly for almost a minute, pouring out his sadness and disappointment.

A strand of saliva connected them as Renji pulled away, but he didn't move his face far. His dark eyes stared deeply into hers, filled with pain. "Why would you think like that, my wife?" he whispered sadly.

"You're so handsome, rich, smart, and have everything in life, while I'm nobody. I'm much older than you, and one day, you'll get bored of me because I'll be old and ugly."

"Fool!" Renji pressed his forehead against Aira's. "No matter how many wrinkles you have or how much fat is on your body, to me, you're the most beautiful woman in my life. You're the only woman I'll ever love. There's no one else," Renji declared with conviction.

Aira's arms wrapped tightly around Renji's neck, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you for loving me, darling. You're the most beautiful and special thing in my life."

Renji returned Aira's embrace. "You're the same to me. You're my life and everything to me."

They held each other for a minute, pouring out their feelings.

"It's late. Let's sleep."

"I'm not sleepy anymore."

"Should I tell you a story?"

"Sure, that's better than listening to you sing," Aira giggled, earning a gentle pinch on her nose. But before five minutes had passed, soft snores could be heard from Aira.

"Really? You said you weren't sleepy," Renji whispered, gently stroking Aira's cheek.

Slowly, Renji laid Aira down and covered her up to her chest with a blanket. His hand then moved to caress the top of her head, and he planted a quick kiss there, not forgetting to give a loving kiss to their unborn child still in Aira's womb.

"Be good, my child. Don't be naughty in your mother's belly."

Now, only Renji remained awake, as his drowsiness had vanished entirely. He decided to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, hoping it might help him relax and fall asleep later.

Renji walked as quietly as possible, careful not to make any noise that might wake Aira. He gently closed the bedroom door and headed to the kitchen. The entire house was dark, as all the lights had been turned off. Renji fumbled along the wall, searching for the light switch. When he found and pressed it, the kitchen lit up, and his eyes could see the high-quality wooden storage cabinet attached to the wall.

Renji took a packet of instant hot chocolate Aira had bought some time ago at the supermarket. While Renji enjoyed coffee, Aira loved chocolate drinks and flavored milk, especially those with fruit flavors.

As he sipped his drink and nibbled on a snack, Renji's mind wandered far away, recalling an event from 10 years ago. He tried to remember the first time he met Aira.

***It was a day of heavy rain. Under the pouring rain, Renji, who was only 8 years old, sat brooding by the riverbank. Despite the heavy downpour, Renji sat there, drenched and shivering from the cold. He had no idea how long he had been sitting there in the rain.

Renji had run away from the hospital, where he was supposed to be receiving treatment, after witnessing a massacre. Fearing that Renji might be traumatized, his family decided to send him to the hospital for various treatments and exceptional care from a psychiatrist. For a month, Renji's freedom as a child was taken away, as he spent all his time in the hospital. To him, it felt pointless because he wasn't sick. He didn't need sedatives or anything like that. What he needed was attention, love, and someone to hold him when he woke up in the middle of the night from nightmares of that horrifying event.

And here he was, having escaped from the hospital and the watchful eyes of his guards. The cold that wrapped around him didn't faze him in the slightest. All he wanted was to sit quietly, lost in thoughts of his mother, whom he deeply missed. People walking by on the street seemed oblivious to his presence—until a teenage girl with long hair, dressed in a high school uniform, came up to him, holding a red umbrella. Out of all the people, only Aira came to offer help. Renji still vividly remembered Aira's beautiful face and her gentle smile.

"What are you doing here, little one?" she asked with concern. The sweet girl with long hair, dressed in her high school uniform, crouched down and shielded Renji's soaked body with her umbrella.

"Do you want me to take you home?" she asked, but the little boy remained silent and stared at her. Renji was captivated and fell in love with Aira at first sight. Not only was she beautiful, but her heart was also kind.

"Are you fighting with your mom?" she asked again, trying to understand why the little boy was there.

"My mom is gone," he whispered, his face downcast and sad.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad," she said regretfully.

"It's not your fault," he replied softly.

She gently patted the top of his head. "I don't have parents either. But I'm sure your family is worried and looking for you. Let me take you home," she said, extending her hand.

Once again, Renji was mesmerized. It was the first time someone had shown him such care, even though they were strangers.

"I don't want to go home," he refused.

"Little one, you have to go home. If something is bothering you, just talk about it. Don't run away like this."

Renji's heart softened, and he listened to the kind girl. However, his body was weak after sitting in the rain for so long.

Understanding Renji's condition, the girl crouched down and turned her back to him. "Climb onto my back. I'll carry you home."

Shyly, Renji wrapped his arms around her neck. But after just a few steps, Renji fainted, unconscious and feverish.

When he woke up, Renji was back in the hospital, and the girl was nowhere to be found. He felt deeply saddened because he didn't know her name or how to thank her.

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Renji received treatment at the hospital for a few days. After recovering, Kaito took him abroad to continue his education until he graduated from middle school.***

More than ten years later, Renji finally reunited with the beautiful girl from that day at the wedding reception of one of his business associates. Even though so much time had passed, Renji still remembered her face clearly—her long hair and her mesmerizing moon-like eyes.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Renji deliberately took advantage of the situation to bind her to him forever. It was then that he learned her name: Aira Hoshino.

If in the past Renji couldn't do anything to search for Aira and have her because he was still very young, with nothing and no power to fight against his Grandfather, now Renji has stood on his own two feet, able to build a decent life for Aira and protect her from anything.

There are only two women in Renji's life who mean so much to him: his late mother and Aira, his wife, who will be the only woman in Renji's life.

Renji would give anything for Aira's happiness, never allowing anyone to hurt her, especially to insult her. Renji would repay that person's actions a thousand times until they beg for death.

Renji's hands are stained with the blood of innocent people, all for money, power, and pleasure because seeing the fearful expression of each victim brings Renji satisfaction and joy. Inside Renji, there is a cruel, cold-hearted monster that he keeps tightly suppressed so that it doesn't wake from its long sleep and take over him like before because now Renji just wants to live peacefully with his small family, even though there are still dirty jobs that Renji must do to strengthen his business network to fight and destroy Kaito Ishikawa, his Grandfather.

Half an hour passed as Renji sat, lost in thought, in the kitchen, enjoying a chocolate drink and some snacks, including potato chips and a piece of sweet bread. Drowsiness began to take over, possibly because his stomach was now complete.

After washing the glass he used, he put it back into the cupboard, turned off the kitchen light, and walked toward the bedroom to rest. Luckily, Aira did not wake up and was still asleep on her side.

Slowly, Renji climbed onto the bed, lying beside Aira, then turned his body to face her, "Good night, my wife," he said before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The morning sun would rise in a few hours, lighting up the city of Tokyo at the start of autumn this year.

The leaves on the trees along the streets were already turning yellow, and many had fallen, blown by the wind, signaling that spring had passed. Just a while ago, the city had been beautiful, adorned with the pink flowers of the Maki trees, but now it no longer had the beauty of those spring flowers; they were replaced.

The joy of spring was gone, and now it was time to welcome autumn, followed by winter when white snow would blanket the entire city.

For Renji, no matter the season, as long as Aira was by his side, it would always feel like spring because her smile and presence made his days so beautiful and colorful.

And to keep that smile, Renji was willing to do anything, even if it meant making the life of the pink-haired girl, the Kenzaki family's daughter-in-law, suffer for daring to hurt Aira.

...