My Young Husband, The Assasin-Chapter 57: Ryuji and Keiko

Ryuji's face looked listless. For the past hour, he had been staring at his phone screen as if waiting for news from someone—who knows who—but his demeanour genuinely made the pierced young man walking towards him curious and puzzled.

"Oi, Ryuji," he called out, half-shouting.

"Hm..." Ryuji replied lazily, still preoccupied with his phone.

Arashi sat beside Ryuji, a small towel still wrapped around his neck. "Waiting for news from your girlfriend?" he teased, sipping the canned drink.

"Not a girlfriend, but a future wife," Ryuji corrected, feeling confident they were destined for each other.

The eccentric-looking young man was taken aback for a moment, but the next second, he smirked. "What blind woman would want you?" he mocked as if no girl would ever want his friend, who had always had strange hobbies.

"Do you want to fight me, Arashi?" Ryuji snapped, annoyed.

"I was just asking; no need to get so angry," Arashi replied casually, unfazed by Ryuji's sharp glare.

"Your question was offensive to my feelings and self-respect," Ryuji said, full of emotion.

"Sorry about that, but who's the woman who has captured the heart of our beautiful Ryuji?" Arashi teased.

"I'm a handsome man, more beautiful than Issei," Ryuji corrected confidently.

It seemed that the people around Aira had high self-esteem—or you could say they were narcissistic—and one was Tetsuya, besides Ryuji. Fortunately, despite their different hair colours and personalities, both men were undeniably attractive.

"Suit yourself," Arashi smiled briefly before finishing the canned drink he had brought.

After soaking in the hot spring and enjoying a can of soda, it felt truly refreshing—no wonder the fridge was always stocked with various canned drinks, including beers of different brands.

Ryuji gave Arashi a meaningful look and asked, "What do you think if I approach Miss Keiko?"

Arashi was momentarily stunned, then sighed softly. "Find another woman. She's not the kind of woman you can easily approach," he advised as a friend.

"Is she that hard to approach?" Ryuji seemed deep in thought.

"It's not her personality that makes her hard to approach, but her job and status," Arashi explained, hoping Ryuji would understand.

"What do you mean?" Ryuji frowned in confusion

"Don't pretend you don't know. We all know what Keiko's job is—the one who's been tailing Aira everywhere lately like a chick following its mother," Arashi said, throwing a cold glance.

Ryuji sighed sadly, lowering his listless face. "If I could choose, I wouldn't have fallen for her. But what can I do? Like rain that can't choose where it falls on earth," he murmured, full of sadness, as if he were already heartbroken even though he hadn't started.

"I feel for you," Arashi said, patting Ryuji's shoulder.

Elsewhere, Keiko sat in her room, staring blankly at the handkerchief she had placed on the table. It contained a phone number and email address from one of the waiters at Asahi Cafe. If Tetsuya had given it to her, she might not have been so confused, but the young man's intentions and courage had left quite an impression on her.

"Should I contact him?" she wondered aloud, confused, as she could not ask anyone for advice.

For the first time, a man openly approached her and asked to get to know her. After all this time, she had always been the one chasing but always ended up disappointed and heartbroken. Is it now the time to open her heart and mind? But she had already decided not to fall in love again, not wanting to feel heartbreak.

"Why am I so confused like this?" she sighed listlessly.

.

.

.

Aira had been busy organizing and arranging baby equipment all day, assisted by Aunt Emiko, the maid, and Keiko and Saki, who had deliberately come to help prepare for Aira's upcoming delivery, even skipping work.

Renji had prepared a special room in the new house to store all the baby clothes and equipment they had bought. Aira turned the room into a walk-in closet with help from the others, but the entire design was Aira's touch. Aira hadn't expected that they would buy so many baby clothes, especially since Renji had mentioned that their child's wardrobe was still small, and he planned to buy more. But it seemed unnecessary now, as they already had more than enough.

As a wife and homemaker, Aira had to learn to control and manage Renji's extravagant habits of buying luxurious items, even when they weren't needed at home or were already owned, just in different colours.

By late afternoon, all the work was done. Now, the three young women—minus Aunt Emiko—were relaxing in the living room, sitting on a thick fur carpet that Renji had bought just a week ago, claiming that the floor felt too cold when winter came, even though the house already had a heating system.

Three cups of hot chocolate, accompanied by a plate of cookies and caramel pudding, were served by the maid.

Saki immediately grabbed a medium-sized, plain pink ceramic cup and slowly sipped. "Delicious!" she commented with a happy expression.

After a long day of work and expending a lot of energy, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate felt just right, and her lost energy seemed to return.

"Drink it, don't just stare at it," Aira offered the drink to Keiko.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"The hot chocolate made by Aunt Emiko is delicious," Aira praised, enjoying her favourite drink.

"Thank you, young lady. In that case, I'll return to the kitchen," said the maid.

"If you need help, just say so, Aunt. Don't hesitate," Aira said, feeling a bit guilty for not helping.

The maid smiled warmly. "Just sit here, Ma'am. Let me handle dinner."

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"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ma'am. Besides, it's my job anyway." Quietly, Saki glanced at Keiko, who was sitting next to Aira.

"Miss Keiko," Saki called hesitantly.

"Yes, Miss? What is it?" Keiko replied, confused as to why Saki suddenly wanted to talk to her.

A faint smile appeared on Saki's sweet face. "Can I ask you something?"

"About what?" Keiko frowned in confusion.

Saki leaned slightly toward Keiko. "I heard from Arashi that Ryuji gave you his phone number and email address yesterday," she said, filled with curiosity and excitement.

"Is that true, Keiko?" Aira asked enthusiastically, her face lighting up with joy.

"Y-yes, it's true, Ma'am," Keiko replied awkwardly.

"Have you contacted Ryuji yet?" Saki continued to ask, as she was very curious.

"Well, I..." Keiko hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Aira's hand grasped Keiko's, which felt cold—a sign of nervousness. "Just say what's confusing you. Don't be afraid."

"Yes, that's right. Just tell us, Miss Keiko," Saki chimed in enthusiastically.

"Thank you, but to be honest, I feel hesitant and afraid to get close to the man you mentioned earlier, Fujimoto-san," Keiko said, her eyes glancing toward Saki.

"Just give it a try. I guarantee Ryuji is a good man, and it's rare for him to give his number to a woman," Aira said, indirectly implying that Keiko was someone special and important to Ryuji.

"That's true. What Aira said is right," Saki agreed.

"Oh!" Keiko exclaimed flatly, though inside, she was screaming with joy.

"Come on, don't react so coldly like that. You should be happy because you managed to make a man with god-level narcissism, who always thinks he's the most handsome and beautiful creature in the universe, fall for you," Saki said with admiration.

Keiko's face lit up with a pink blush, a mix of embarrassment and happiness. "R-really?" she asked.

"Yes, because you could say Keiko is the first woman Ryuji has approached so specifically," Aira replied confidently, having known Ryuji for a long time.

Keiko's smile widened, her heart fluttering with joy. Aira and Saki were adamant about encouraging Keiko to contact Ryuji, as they were sure he had been waiting for her call since yesterday.

Though initially hesitant and afraid, Keiko finally felt confident and brave enough to reach out, thanks to Aira and Saki's encouragement.

Now Keiko understood why the two women with such different personalities had managed to win the hearts of the young Ishikawa gentlemen. Besides being beautiful, they had kind and gentle souls. Even Saki, whom Keiko initially thought was a bit arrogant, turned out to be completely different—she was kind, friendly, and always spoke openly, unlike Aira, who sometimes held back out of fear of hurting others.

The call was put on speaker so everyone could hear. Keiko's heart was pounding, her nerves overwhelming, but joy filled her heart. Almost a minute passed, and Ryuji hadn't picked up, filling all three of them with anxiety, especially Keiko.

Finally, the call was answered.

"H-hello," Keiko greeted nervously.

(Miss Keiko!!) Ryuji's voice sounded shocked but delighted from the other end. Aira and Saki both grinned widely upon hearing Ryuji's excited voice.

"Yes, it's me," Keiko replied shyly.

(You finally called. Thank goodness my wait wasn't in vain.) Ryuji said with relief.

Aira and Saki giggled, covering their mouths so their laughter wouldn't be heard. It was unexpected to hear Ryuji speak like that—love really had the power to change people.

(Oh, by the way, Miss Keiko, didn't you come to Asahi Cafe today) Ryuji asked, his tone sounding a bit down.

"No, I had something else to do," Keiko answered honestly.

Ryuji's voice sounded disappointed. (Oh, I see. I was waiting for you and hoping to see you.)

"You were waiting for me?" Keiko asked in disbelief.

(Yes, is that not allowed?) Ryuji countered.

"No, it just feels strange to hear that after all this time, I've been the one waiting and chasing others," Keiko said sadly, reflecting on her failed romantic pursuits.

(How about now I'm waiting and chasing you, Miss Keiko?) Ryuji said, indirectly revealing his feelings.

"Are you sure about those words?" Keiko asked seriously, afraid of being played.

(Of course. A man shouldn't take back his words.) Ryuji replied with conviction, determined to be with Keiko.

Keiko smiled again, her eyes sparkling with happiness this time. "Then chase and wait for me, Ryuji-san," she replied, accepting Ryuji's intentions.

Keiko's face turned red, a wide smile gracing her features. Saki and Aira were equally thrilled, with Saki even screaming hysterically in joy, congratulating Keiko and wishing them happiness.

Meanwhile, at Asahi Cafe, specifically in the back kitchen. Ryuji jumped high like a kangaroo, excitedly shouting as if he had won the lottery.

"I did it!!" he shouted happily.

Ryuji folded his hands before his chest, tilting his face upward. "Thanks, God, for answering all my nightly prayers," he said emotionally, his eyes glistening with tears.

Meanwhile, those who saw Ryuji's strange behaviour could only shake their heads in confusion, thinking that perhaps something had gotten into his head and made him look odd.

...