CHAPTER 3

THE HOT SEAT


Hi, again! It's me with another update. Call it making up for lost time or feeling inspired, but hey… Enjoy Chapter 3. I enjoyed writing this chapter. Please leave me a review after reading!


As soon as Tokiya left for work, Fuuko spent the rest of her Friday morning packing for their trip to his grandmother's the next day and driving herself insane deciding whether to get Tokiya's grandmother anything. In times like these (when she was going half-crazy), it was always prudent to call her mother and ask for advice since life taught her repeatedly that mothers know best, or at least her mother knew best when it came to matters that had anything to do with Fuuko. Mrs. Kirisawa just conveniently replied through text that Fuuko best ask Tokiya, and it would make a better impression if the couple gave his grandmother a present, as opposed to Fuuko going out on a limb to get her one. It was followed by three more text messages on how marriage was built on making important decisions together, and capped off with, I'm really missing your dad right now. Her father passed away three years ago after battling cancer for over a decade.

On Tokiya's lunch break, he called her up and she broached the matter of his obaasan's present. He told her not to worry, the gift of her presence and her warmth was over and beyond the value of any material gift. She blushed. He asked her out to dinner and said they still had "unfinished business " (whatever that meant, she would find out tonight) to discuss, and he wanted to enjoy her company and the change in the status of their relationship. He said that he intended to make a dinner reservation at an exclusive restaurant-resort owned by one of his lawyer friends which he had always wanted to visit, but was just too busy to do so. Fuuko agreed and he said he'd pick her up around 6 p.m.

After lunch, Fuuko finally opened her phone inbox which was flooded with messages most of them from friends and frenemies who congratulated her on her engagement to Tokiya. She replied when necessary. At a quarter past 2 p.m., one of her former clients and close friends called her up, and after congratulating her on her engagement, asked if she was interested in serving as keynote speaker for a series of seminar on climate change next month (August). Fuuko said she would call her friend back and made a mental note to bring it up on her date with Tokiya that night. She took a nap. Her phone alarm woke her up at 5 p.m. Ganko had already arrived home from the local university and was watching t.v. Fuuko asked for her help in picking what to wear for dinner since it was her and Tokiya's first date in public as an engaged couple. She trusted Ganko's taste as the latter majored in fashion. Ganko scanned her sister's closet and came up with a turquoise spaghetti-strapped cocktail dress, black dinner jacket and fashionable sandals. She said Tokiya would most likely invite her sis to walk by the seashore after dinner, so Fuuko should dress in something appropriate.

At 6 around p.m., Tokiya pulled into her apartment's parking space.

Fuuko felt flattered when he took one look at her and froze, his jaw dropping slightly open.

She slipped into the passenger seat of his car (which she borrowed frequently, hence it was unofficially their car), and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Her lavender scent filled his senses.

"You're gorgeous." He said, unable to keep his eyes off her.

"So are you." She blushingly replied, her eyes fixed on his tall form. He had chosen to wear dark jeans, a white Calvin Klein polo, and his favorite black sneakers. His long silver hair was tied up in the usual ponytail.

He seemed to redden in response to her compliment. As they drove to the resort, Fuuko filled him in on her friend's job offer and asked if he thought she should accept it, which Tokiya encouraged. "I don't see why not. But the unfinished business I mentioned sort of involves synchronizing our schedules up to the wedding."

The rest of the trip was filled with light banter.

They arrived at the resort, where they were led to a private table on the balcony of the restaurant which overlooked the sea. A beautiful sunset above the calm sea greeted them. Fuuko breathed in the salty sea breeze and felt perfectly happy. Fuuko let Tokiya order for both of them. There were only four tables on the balcony and only another one was occupied by an elderly couple who Fuuko guessed was celebrating their wedding anniversary.

"I love this place." Fuuko said with a grin.

"Me too. Mostly because here, our elements, water and wind, make the perfect blend."

"Just like us!" Fuuko took on a tone that channeled his fangirls.

Tokiya rolled his eyes.

"What is the order of business – your unfinished business, sir?" Fuuko winked.

The corner of Tokiya's mouth lifted in a grin. "If you prefer business before pleasure, madam, I live to satisfy you."

Fuuko noticed that since they had been engaged (which was only yesterday) his speech had seemed to take on equivocal meaning. Or maybe it was just because her mind was tainted with the pleasures of marital bliss…

She swallowed. "Are we settled on November 13?" she tried to change the topic abruptly.

"It's perfect. I don't want a long engagement, I've waited long enough." Tokiya took her hand and kissed it.

Fuuko shook her head. "Are you going to flirt with me all evening, Tokiya?"

"I was, but since you prefer business before pleasure, I'm saving it for our walk by the seashore after dinner." He said slyly. "Do you still want to go Argentina for our honeymoon?" Specifically, he meant Ushuaia, Argentina, the city called the End of the World since it was located at the southernmost part of South America.

"Of course."

"And after the honeymoon, I intend to bring you home." He said, bringing a glass of wine to his lips.

"Oh? And where is this home going to be?" she asked, her heart almost stopping.

"You will have to trust me."

Fuuko smiled. "You're gonna blow me away with another surprise, aren't you?"

Tokiya smiled. He knew the moment he fell in love with her that she was the one, and he had been saving furiously since that day long, long ago, to be able to give her all she would want and need, all she deserved and more. "It's my wedding gift to you. I have been saving for it."

"Okay." Fuuko wiped a tear that fell freely. "Please don't tell me that it's fully furnished, because I should at least pay for the furniture or something…."

"Alright, I won't tell you."

"Seriously?! Tokiya, that's too much."

Tokiya shook his head. "Actually, not even close. I want you to have the best. Nothing but the very best for you, Fuuko, and for our family in the future."

Fuuko couldn't hold back her tears. They flowed freely, and Tokiya took her right hand. She was half-glad that the waiter arrived with their clam chowder soup because she was completely speechless. The waiter looked scared to death of approaching them.

"Don't worry, we're not breaking up. He just told me he bought us a house." Fuuko said tearfully. She took some tissue from the napkin holder and blew her nose gingerly.

"That's great, sir." the waiter said, his eyes twinkling. He served the soup and left.

"I expect a return on investment, Fuuko." Tokiya said. "Many beautiful memories in the house, specifically in OUR bedroom," (Fuuko colored at this) "lots of laughter, and as many children as we can have."

Fuuko almost choked on her soup. "Just how many kids do you have in mind?"

"One more than Recca plans on having."

Fuuko's eyes widened. "Recca wants a dozen kids!"

Tokiya shrugged. "Then I want thirteen."

Fuuko slumped in her seat, as an image of thirteen babies and one very exhausted Fuuko played on her mind.

"Is that gonna be a problem, hon?" Tokiya asked playfully.

"Yes, sir, because you are going to have to quit your job to help me raise all of them. I may be strong, but I'm not Superwoman."

"No you're not, you're hotter." Tokiya winked and Fuuko blushed.

"But that's how it's supposed to work, hon. Parenting is partnership. We're in this together." Tokiya said.

The same waiter arrived again, serving lobster, salad, and pasta.

"You might want to read books on household budgeting because I intend to transfer my savings to our conjugal account." He continued.

"I'll do the same." she said.

They ate silently for a few minutes, basking in each other's presence and enjoying the tasty food.

"So, are you going to orient me on your grandmother? Anything I should know before I meet her in person?" Fuuko asked when they were having dessert.

"You know that her name is Taka Mikagami, and her husband, my grandfather, is Genjiro Mikagami. They have three children. My father, Tomohiro, is the oldest. He was also a lawyer by profession, and he would've been fifty years old today if he were still alive. My aunt Akira Arimoto is the second child. She's forty-seven and married to –"

"Wait a sec…" Fuuko held her forehead as she connected the dots. "The late senator Kaito Arimoto?!"

Tokiya nodded his confirmation. "Yes."

Former senator Kaito Arimoto passed away a year ago due to cardiac arrest. Their family was the second richest in Japan, mostly due to Akira's acquisition of hotels, restaurants, and malls.

Fuuko fanned her face. "Confirmed. Your family IS filthy rich. But from what I've seen on television, the Arimotos are very private." They were not engulfed in scandal as opposed to some of their political contemporaries.

Tokiya didn't know what to say, so he continued. "Aunt Akira had always been reserved. And finally, there's my uncle. General Sora Mikagami. I was never in good terms with him. He saw my father as his competition in everything – their parents' attention, honor, wealth, prestige, but especially in wielding the ensui. Ojiisan decided to entrust the ensui to my father, and my uncle was never able to forgive him for that decision. My uncle hated me for simply being the ensui's successor. Also, it is said that he was associated with Kouran Mori, as ojiisan was."

Fuuko shuddered. She sensed evil associated with his uncle. "Should I be afraid of him, assuming he will be at our wedding?"

"He's a very difficult person, but since father's death, he has kept his distance. If he turns out to be a problem, I'll deal with him." Tokiya said squarely. "Back to obaasan. After my parents and Mifuyu died, you know that I sought revenge. I left home but promised to return once I discovered who murdered my sister. That was the same time grandfather abandoned grandma and joined Uruha, and of course you know the rest of the story."

The rest of the story being that Tokiya had to battle Genjiro who passed away after Tokiya assured him that Mifuyu would have forgiven him.

"I went back home to comfort obaasan, but she would not see me. The grief of his passing, my grandfather's betrayal by joining the enemy ranks, the death of father, mother, and sister all took their toll on her health. She suffered from stroke twice. She shut me out. I could not help her…" the despair was evident in Tokiya's voice. Fuuko reached out to take his hand.

"To this day, I can't help her, Fuuko. She won't let me. It's painful to see her deteriorating in health and retreating further into her shell." His eyes were welling up with tears. "She's all the family I have left."

Fuuko, startled to see him unmask his sorrow, stood up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a warm embrace from behind. "Shh, it's okay, hon. It's not too late. We can try – together."

Tokiya pulled her into his lap and wrapped her in a tight embrace. The old woman from the other table dropped her fork at the display and force of their affection, while her husband merely nodded his approval.


The next day, at around 9 a.m., Tokiya and Fuuko boarded the plane to Kochi. They flew on economy class. Fuuko slept on Tokiya's shoulder the whole time, as she was still feeling the aftermath of last night. Tokiya brought Fuuko to her apartment a little past eleven in the evening, after they had a romantic walk by the sea after dinner.

As the plane touched down at Kochi airport, a private jet was waiting for them. Tokiya shook hands with the pilot whose name was Yamato, one of his grandmother's oldest employees, and introduced his fiancée to the stocky man who seemed to be in early fifties. They were lifted off the ground once again and ushered into the Mikagami estate, fifteen minutes by jet from Kochi airport.

The first thing Fuuko noticed about the estate from the air aside from the gigantic white mansion was the beautiful lake, sprawling gardens, three or four fountains, and an Olympic sized swimming pool. No surprise that the Mikagamis took to water as their element. Fuuko expected Taka Mikagami's mansion to be very old in terms of architectural design, so she was genuinely surprised and impressed that the five-story mansion had a modern flair, and she found it odd that it beckoned to her in a way that no other house could.

"Do you like it?" Tokiya asked. "I suppose Aunt Akira struck again with her renovations and installments. The swimming pool and the mansion look different. The gardens were deteriorating last time I saw them, but she has brought life and color back to them."

"She seems to have spoiled your grandmother." Fuuko said.

"Yes, she does love obaasan very much. But she struggles with her own health problems."

Fuuko raised a brow tentatively.

"She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder." Tokiya replied. "Life has not been easy for her. For any of us."

Fuuko reached over and gave her fiancé a sideway hug. "She seems to be a strong, independent woman. I'm sure she can handle it."

Tokiya remained tight-lipped after that. He had seen his aunt suffer from an episode or two when he was younger, but Fuuko was right. His aunt could practically be the poster child for "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" slogan.

As the jet prepared to land, Fuuko saw an elderly woman with white hair on sitting on a wheelchair in the porch and a woman in her late forties standing behind her. Ten pairs of maids and servants were assembled in an arch four meters behind them.

"That's obaasan." Tokiya nodded towards the woman in a wheelchair. "Behind her is Okemia, her personal assistant, and Yamato's wife."

As Tokiya and Fuuko alighted from the plane, Fuuko felt her heartbeat double in speed. Two servants took Tokiya and Fuuko's luggage. Although Fuuko knew she looked striking in a lavender Saint Laurent dress, she still felt nervous. Good thing Tokiya's right arm was wrapped around her waist as they crossed the courtyard past one of the fountains and up a flight of marble stairs that led to the porch.

Fuuko locked eyes with Taka Mikagami.

She had Tokiya's shade of cerulean eyes and the bloodcurdling stern but fierce and detached composure that was inherent in a Mikagami. She was also very beautiful and had Tokiya not revealed her age, Fuuko would've thought her to be in her seventies. Fuuko was mildly disoriented by her aura.

Tokiya embraced his grandmother. "Good morning, obaasan. This is Fuuko Kirisawa, my fiancée."

Still spellbound by the woman, Fuuko inched closer and kissed Taka on the cheek. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

"Very well. Welcome to the Mikagami estate, Fuuko Kirisawa." Taka said, her chin still lifted high in the air. "Let us continue getting acquainted over lunch."

The maids and servants bowed and returned to work. One of the servants took charge of pushing Taka's wheelchair into the dining hall. Tokiya and Fuuko trailed behind, Fuuko holding on to Tokiya's arm as they passed through the front parlor, one very large corridor, the spacious living room, and then finally the dining hall.

Taka gingerly stood from her wheelchair and with Tokiya and Okemia's assistance, transferred herself gracefully to the silver-plated chair at the head of the large, sprawling table. Tokiya proceeded to pull back the chair on Taka's left side for Fuuko, then settled into the seat across her from the table.

A maid immediately poured tea into their cups.

"How are you, Tokiya?" Taka asked as she watched her grandson put his napkin neatly on his lap.

"I'm doing very well, obaasan. How are you recovering?"

"My therapist and I have been working on walking. She said that with my progress I can exchange the wheelchair for a cane in two weeks." She glanced at Fuuko. "How are you, Fuuko?"

Fuuko smiled. "I feel great and very impressed by the beauty of your home, ma'am."

Taka nodded thoughtfully, and Tokiya saw a glint of joy in his grandma's eyes. "This estate belonged to my husband's grandfather. It has been recently improved by my daughter, Akira."

"She has done an impressive job. I can't imagine anything more beautiful than it." Fuuko said sincerely.

Taka smiled coquettishly. "Tell me about yourself, Fuuko." She prompted.

A servant came in with a tray of appetizers, all kinds of cold cuts, cheese, and fruit.

"Well, ma'am, I double majored in meteorology and physics at Tokyo University. Right now I'm doing freelance work as a breather from four years with the national meteorological agency of our country which happens to be conveniently located back home."

Taka took a bite of grape as if hearing other people's accomplishments was an everyday occurrence that bored her. "You met my Tokiya at Tokyo University?"

"Our relationship started there, madam, but we went to the same high school together." Fuuko answered.

"Really? And what did you think of Tokiya the first time you saw him? Arrogant? Cold? Rich? Intelligent? Handsome?"

Tokiya felt a lump in his throat. His grandmother could be ruthless. Fuuko was the only woman he had introduced to her and he expected that Taka would be tough when she placed his fiancée on the hot seat, but witnessing how it played out in reality was enough to make him break into cold sweat.

Fuuko shrugged adorably. "All of the above, madam."

"I thought my grandson incapable of falling in love." Taka commented.

"Come on, obaasan. Don't start." Tokiya reached for the tray of appetizers and helped himself.

"Same here, but he had a major crush on Yanagi Sakoshita when I first met him."

Tokiya promptly choked on the piece of ham he was swallowing. He had already forgotten that part.

"Who is this Yanagi?"

"My best friend." Fuuko answered. "Tokiya says she looks exactly like Mifuyu."

"Interesting. Tell me more." His grandmother did not bother to veil the interest in her voice.

"Tokiya? Would you like to say something?" Fuuko remembered what her mother said about couples sharing their joys and pains, ups and downs. She was in the hot seat, might as well share the space with him.

"Sure. She's happily married to Recca Hanabishi and they have a two year old son named Eita."

"Recca? I only know of one person named Recca. Oka and Kagerou's son from the stories."

"That Recca. Unfortunately, the one and only." Tokiya confirmed.

Taka's hands trembled. There was so much more to this wedding and this girl than she had ever imagined. She was slightly ashamed that she had wrote Fuuko off to be one of those notorious gold diggers who did not really love her grandson. For once in her life, she was glad she was mistaken.

"Recca is a friend of yours, Tokiya?"

"Recca was foremost Fuuko's rival in high school and I didn't like him at first." Tokiya responded.

"Now they're best friends." Fuuko said happily.

Tokiya raised a brow at her.

"Or not. He's in denial, ma'am. But ever since we moved back home after university, they were inseparable."

"Tokiya, you are now best friends with the son of Hokage's most famous leader?" Taka turned to her grandson for validation.

Tokiya winced. "Well, I wouldn't use those terms."

"Excuse me, this is a little too much to take in. I need to drink." On cue, Okemai assisted her with her cup of tea. "You see, Fuuko, I am still recovering from my second stroke. I usually feel tired after long conversations, but not this one. I would like to know more."

Tokiya liked how lunch was going. He was able to relax a little. The servants served soup. Taka led them to say grace and then Tokiya motioned to dismiss the servants.

"There is something I need to tell you confidentially, obaasan. Brace yourself."

"Yes, go ahead." Taka replied calmly, but Tokiya sensed uneasiness underneath her tone. "You are not going to tell me that you two are expecting, are you?"

Tokiya burst out laughing and Fuuko joined in. Fuuko cast Tokiya a pointed glance as if saying, YOU answer your grandma's question.

Tokiya cleared his throat. "Obaasan, you, my parents, and Mifuyu have raised me well. You know I'm not like that."

Taka let out a breath she did not know she was holding. "I am glad to hear that. Now, what did you want to tell me?"

Tokiya held his grandmother's gaze. "The fuujin chose Fuuko for its master before the madogous were destroyed."

Taka pressed a hand to her chest to appease her weak heart. The fuujin? Impossible! She looked at Fuuko with newfound admiration. This was no ordinary woman that her Tokiya would marry.

"Is that right?" She asked Fuuko.

"Yes, ma'am." Fuuko said respectfully.

Taka waved a hand dismissively. "None of that. From now on, you must call me obaasan. You two should be married immediately."