“And when does it happen?” a police officer asked both Tezuka and Maimi who were sitting opposite him. They were in a police department late that night. Tezuka had sent the culprit to a police to handle.
“Around eleven and above,” Tezuka answered. Maimi looked down all the time with Tezuka’s leather jacket wrapped around her body. The police officer jotted down the information. Then, he looked at Maimi who was trembling.
“Where are you when you call her?”
“At Tokyo’s river. I was waiting for her to finish meeting with that client,” Tezuka said. He took a side glance at Maimi.
When the police had asked them for more information, he put took a deep breath and looked at Maimi carefully. “Misses, I’m sorry if I ask you this but this is important. I’m glad if you help me then we can put that man into jail in no time. Hmm?”
Maimi looked up. She turned at Tezuka. She nodded.
“Okay,” the police began. “Did Mr. Takuya rape you?”
Tezuka was shocked by that question. Maimi’s eyes met the police’s concern eyes. Tezuka was kind of nervous, waiting for her answer. It was damn important since she was his wife and if she said she was raped, there would be big trouble.
Maimi slowly shook her head. Tezuka was relieved. The police officer let out a deep breath.
“He-he-,” Maimi started. The police officer leaned forward followed by Tezuka. “He….touches my body. Here, and here,” she explained. “He even licks my neck and hurts me.”
“Oh,” the police officer responded. “So, in overall, he did not rape you?”
Maimi nodded slightly. Tezuka sighed in relief. Thank goodness, it was a good news behind the bad news.
“You’ve done a great job, misses. And you, Tezuka-san, you helps a lot too. It would be bad if you aren’t there. So, you guys can go home. I’ll call you back later if I need you again, okay?” the police officer said.
Tezuka and Maimi got up and bowed. He held Maimi’s shoulders and brought her to his car. As both of them settled in, Tezuka drove towards their home.
After minutes of journey, they finally arrived at their apartment. Tezuka braked his car and sighed. He turned to his right to see Maimi sleeping. He felt so sorry. He could have told her to just sit at home and cancel that sudden meeting. Too bad, he was too late. But thank goodness, Maimi was not raped.
Tezuka noticed her messy hair. Probably her hair bends were left in the slut’s car. He pushed the leather jacket aside slightly to see Maimi’s ripped dress. It was badly torn. He could see her bras. Tezuka sighed again. He felt so guilty. He could not let that out.
Maimi was carried to her room. She was half asleep as she was put on her bed. Tezuka walked towards the door but stopped when Maimi called him. He spun around.
That old miss slowly took off the leather jacket and held it up.
Tezuka looked away. “Just keep it. We’re in the same house anyway.” Then, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Maimi studied the leather jacket and smelled it. She could sensed Tezuka’s fragrance. She hugged it and smiled as she remembered the scene where Tezuka came to help her. The moment that he hugged her and told her that everything was going to be okay. And when she was carried into her bedroom. After flashbacking those, she did not remember well about the bad scene just now. She was glad Tezuka still loved her.
Tezuka stopped for a while and twirled. He put a hand at the door frame. “Don’t call anyone yet. Let’s keep it a secret in the mean time. Take a rest.”
“Oh, my God!” a worker shouted, putting the newspapers on her desk. The others joined. The share company had been shocked starting early in the morning when the newspapers were distributed the next morning.
Everyone was speechless. Some of them fainted. Ayaka came to join the gathering at the desk. “What’s going on?”
The worker covered her mouth and showed her the front page. Ayaka’s heart felt like dropping as she saw three pictures lined up from up to the bottom. The pictures showed a guy was punching a man outside of a car. The last picture showed a car and everyone knew there was someone in there.
Ayaka read the title, ‘A popular manager hits a client for abusing his wife’. Ayaka gulped. She went through the content and spotted Tezuka, Mr. Takuya and Maimi’s names. She gasped, wondering about last night. Did it really happen? Why hadn’t she knows anything?
But from the bottom of her evil- sided heart told her that it was a good sign. Maimi was abused. It will be a blast in her marriage life. She hoped so that the news would bring to the peak of having her boss back.
Tezuka shrugged into his black coat. He wore his glasses and took a deep breath. Maimi was not seen out of her room yet. Tezuka wondered why so he went there. Firstly he knocked on the door. There was no sound.
He opened the door and saw Maimi was still in her bed with the comforter covering her. Tezuka neared her. “Hey, old miss. Wake up. We’re going to be late!”
Maimi moved a little. Tezuka sighed. He grabbed the comforter. Maimi opened her eyes a bit.
“No more excuses. Get up now,” Tezuka told her, throwing the cloth away. Maimi closed her eyes back.
She moaned. Tezuka noticed her face was white. He put a hand against her forehead. It was hot. Extremely hot. He let a tense breath. Probably because of yesterday, Maimi was still shocked and begins to catch fever.
Tezuka’s cellphone rang. He picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello, sir,” Ayaka said. “It’s a bad news.”
“What is it?”
“You should come here immediately,” she told him.
Tezuka looked at Maimi who was still sleeping with her eyes shut tightly, holding the pain. Tezuka sighed. “I’m on my way.”
Tezuka was extremely shocked by the newspapers. He gripped it and threw it away. Ayaka was startled.
“Who did this?!” he shouted. Ayaka bowed down. “I don’t know, sir.”
Tezuka put his hands on his hips. He walked back and forth in his office room. He was figuring out who was there during the punching time. Who else could be there? That place was abandoned and even a passerby would not go there to reach the other road. So, it was a mystery and he did not even know it would be a hot issue for the whole Japan to see.
“What really happened last night?” Ayaka gave him a shock and lame question. She really wanted to know.
Tezuka sauntered away. He back-combed his hair and sighed. “You don’t wanna know. The newspapers told you,” he said roughly. Ayaka looked down at her feet. She was annoyed and distracted. She wanted to know the real tragedy and she was upset that her own boss did not call her for help instead, she got knew to that incident last few minutes.
She knew exactly that she was only a PA and she could not interfere her boss’s problems and affair. She was districted to do that but her love for him seemed to bloom even more since he got married.
Tezuka took his phone and dialed for the newspapers. They did not know the person since he insisted on censoring his name and identity. Tezuka let out a tense sigh as he hung up. He decided to call the police. As he did that, the police agreed to investigate the news and catch the culprit.
Ayaka tightened her grasps of her files. She swallowed and bowed. “Please excuse me, sir.”
Tezuka did not even respond as he was busy looking and his cellphone, something to do with texting. Ayaka walked of the room and breathed out. A bunch of workers were still reading the news over and over again. The place was congested with whispering and talking. It seemed like it would never end.
“What?!!!!!!” Grandma Megu screamed as she read the front page of the newspapers. She was having breakfast with the Fujimotos. “It can’t be!”
Mrs. Fujimoto knew that she was going to burst out like that and tended to throw that newspapers away before the old woman found out about that but the stupid, clueless chauffeur got it back and gave it her.
“This is insane!”the old woman shouted. Megumi the maid heard that and she was sad too. Mr. Fujimoto took a reluctant sip at his espresso while his wife was trying to comfort the old woman.
“Mom-“
“Call Tezuka and Maimi now!” Grandma Megu ordered.
“Please, wait!” Mrs. Fujimoto said. She grabbed that newspapers and lent it to Megumi, asking her to chase it away permanently. Then, she faced back at her mother. “Mom, take it easy. They’re probably busy now. Or maybe the news isn’t real. This has got to do with the obsessed reporters out there.”
Mr. Fujimoto just kept silent. He was so shocked of himself and wondering about the truth. If it was true, they would call the family in the first place. So, if nothing was done, maybe it was a fake. He hoped so.
“You want to let it go just like that?” Grandma Megu told her, eyes firing. Mrs. Fujimoto hesitated, playing with her cup.
“I want you to call them and ask them to come here now!”
“Mrs. Kazui! Mrs. Kazui!” Peppei called out while running towards the main gate. As she entered, she waved the newspapers in her hand and hopped onto the open balcony where Mrs. Kazui was sitting.
“What is it?” she asked, taking down the knife off the fruits. She was going to make homemade cocktail since the ingredients that Tezuka had bought for her last week were still piling up in the fridge.
Peppei sat down and swallowed. She wiped off her sweat and held the newspapers in front of Mrs. Kazui. The old lady took it. Her eyes widened at the minute she read the title and the observing the pictures. She even saw the name of Tezuka and Maimi written.
Mrs. Kazui put a hand on her chest. “Is it true, dear? There’s must be something wrong.”
“I was thinking the same thing. But if it’s true, why haven’t they called us last night?” Peppei said. Mrs. Kazui nodded slightly. Peppei was right and she could not let that news be true. If it was, the whole neighbourhood will spam her family.
“Does everyone know about this?”
Peppei shot a wry look. “ Of course, Mrs. Kazui! It is on the newspapers and the whole Japan knows about this since it’s at the front page and it is a big issue today onwards.”
Mrs. Kazui sighed. Poor Maimi.
“Want me to call them?” Peppei offered, rummaging through her pocket jeans to take out her cellphone. Mrs. Kazui shook her head.
“Let them have some space to figure these things out,” she said.
Maimi stretched her arms wide open and yawned. She could feel her whole body was aching. With her numb legs, she forced to drag herself off the bed even though she was so sick that morning. A fever to be more précised. She was upset that Tezuka just left without looking or treat her.
It was already passed ten in the morning. The sunlight shone through the vertical blinds of the windows and it scattered beautifully on her comforter. She managed to stand up. She yanked her weak body to the living to see as tidy as it could be likewise since Tezuka was a metrosexual guy. Kind of.
Maimi’s stomach growled. Her eyes locked at kitchen counter. There was no food. She sighed. Dragging herself towards the fridge, she slowly opened the door and popped her head inside to browse. There were plenty of food and snacks. She spotted a cup of strawberry yogurt. A smile was curve on her face as she took it.
The door was closed automatically. Maimi sat slowly by the dining table and started eating the yogurt. She sighed with relief as the cool liquid flew through her throat and she felt like her ached body didn’t seem to bother.
Just then, the house phone rang. Maimi urged of getting up with the yogurt in her left hand. She went to the living room and picked the phone. “Hello?”
“Hello,” a deep, sexy voice of a guy moved her heart. She knew it was her beloved husband.
“Nezumi-chan,” she said in a weak voice. Her voice cracked.
“Hey, old miss. Are you up?” Tezuka asked.
Maimi nodded slightly. “Hmm.”
“I thought you’re sick.”
Maimi closed her mouth. She smirked a bit. “Just by hearing your voice has made me feel better.”
Tezuka scuffed. “Hey,” he began. But this time his sounded serious. “Grandma Megu is holding a gathering about yesterday.”
Maimi gasped. “You told her?”
“It’s already in the news. The whole Japan is reading.”
Suddenly, Maimi’s heart seemed to burst out. She was becoming traumatized back as she heard that. She was hoping everything was going to be fine if both if them keep it a secret. But it was too late. By the way, she curious to know where does the newspapers got the source?”
“Hey, old miss!” Tezuka’s voice shocked her off from dreaming. Maimi’s sudden tears flowed down her cheeks. She gripped her yogurt.
“I don’t wanna go,” she said, sobbing. “I’m scared.”
There was a silence then. Maybe Tezuka was thinking of that too. The main victim was Maimi. Tezuka sighed. “I’m afraid you can’t. Grandma Megu is seeking about this and maybe she can help you. It’s just that I don’t wanna cancel this meeting. She will be hurt.”
Maimi was surprised by his words. “Then, I shouldn’t be hurt?”
That sarcastic question shot Tezuka’s heart. He knew he was wrong. Maimi was the one that should be hurt. But cancelling Grandma Megu’s will somehow hurt her too. Tezuka felt bad again.
“Come on, old miss,” he said, breaking the silence.
“Don’t call me old miss!!!!” Maimi shouted and hung up.
Tezuka tried to open the main door of his house as he arrived home later but it was locked. He wondered that the old miss must be sulking right now. Locking the door was a lame trick ever. He took out a ring of keys and unlocked the door.
He popped his head inside to search for the old miss in the living room. It was clear that she was not there. Tezuka entered and shrugged his shoes off his feet and went to the living room. He looked at the kitchen. No sign of that old miss’s masterpiece of homemade breakfast.
Tezuka put down his briefcase next to the couch. He glanced at Maimi’s door room. He stepped forward and knocked on the door. She didn’t respond. He opened it and saw the old miss was covering herself under the comforter. Her tiny feet were out of the covering.
Tezuka put his hands on his hips. “Hey, old miss. Wake up!”
Again, there was no respond. “Hey, old miss!”
Maimi did not remove a single. Tezuka grabbed her comforter.
Maimi gasped. She was still in her pajamas. Tezuka grunted and threw away the comforter. “Get up. We’re still going to meet my grandma. Get up and change.”
“I don’t want!” Maimi said. She covered her face with the pillow. Tezuka rolled his eyes. He took the pillow up and threw it away. He even took some of the teddy bears and chase those onto the floor. Maimi groaned.
She got up and hit him. Tezuka grabbed her arm. She quickly took away her arm. Her body shivered. Tezuka sighed. He knew she was still traumatized by yesterday incident and he admitted that it was his fault.
Maimi spun around, pouting. Her bun was a mess but somehow she looked so cute. Tezuka could not take his eyes off her clumsy, stupid old miss attitude at that moment. He neared her and patted on her slender shoulders but she skipped away from him immediately with a terrifying look.
Tezuka’s eyes widened. He was clueless. It was big news. Everyone had known about that thing and the worst was that as the company’s owner, he could not let this thing to be spread all over the building. The workers would lose respect for him and his family. He never knew this thing could happen especially it happened on his own wife. She must be too upset.
Maimi kept shaking her head, refusing to go. Her eyes were flooded with tears but she tried to hold. She looked up at Tezuka and by that face, he could tell she really couldn’t go.
Maimi picked up the teddy bears and squeezed them. She wiped her tears. Tezuka batted his eyes tightly. He ran his hand through his hair, thinking on what to do. Probably he could let go of her this time but what was he going to tell his grandmother about the meeting?
“I wanna stay over at my mom’s,” she finally spoke. Tezuka tilted. He sighed. That was a great idea for the time being. He should have just cancelled the meeting with his family to discuss about the news.