Forced Marriage, True Love

43. Suspicion

"Is there something wrong, Taki-kun?" I asked the one morning at breakfast. It had been three days since we came back to Tokyo, and now we both got ready to go back to the office. Taki was staring at his phone when he placed it down after a while. "It's my mother. Now that my father is arrested, my mother had been calling me ever since, saying she is lonely." Taki said, making me look at him. "Your mother?" I asked, making him nod.

I nodded as I looked down. In all honesty, I don't know what to feel about Taki's mother, Mrs. Sakura Tachibana. "But I really don't believe her. She and my father were never that close in the first place. They only married out of convenience. They never had any feelings for each other. As far as I remember, they only spoke formally with each other, and even to me." I gasped as I looked at him.

However, I hugged him the next moment, making him look at me. "You've been through a lot huh?" Taki leaned against my chest as a smile spread across his face. "It was worth it though." He spoke. "Why?" "Because I met you." "How cringy." "How is it cringy? Isn't it romantic?"

I laughed slightly. "What do you know about romance? You never even had a crush before." "Yeah. But you never dated either, so I guess we're even." I scoffed. "Unlike you, I..." I was about to continue when I abruptly stopped, scolding myself. What the hell were you about to say Mitsuha? How can you tell your fiancé your ex-crush?

"Had a crush on Katsuhiko." Taki completed, making me stare at him. "How did you know?" I asked, feeling shocked. "I just guessed. You, Sayaka and Katsuhiko were all childhood friends from the same town, right?" I nodded, before a small smirk spread across my lips. "You're right. In fact, the day you made me your fiancée, I was planning on ditching the anniversary and going out on a date with Tessie." I said while smiling, making Taki's eyebrows twitch.

"I was actually planning on wearing that dress, shoes, jewelry and make-up on my date with him. If Hodaka-san hadn't-" Before I could complete, Taki pulled me towards him and pressed his lips onto mine, stunning me for a moment before I returned it.

Taki bit down on my lip, making me moan. His tongue slid inside my warm cavern, tasting every nook and corner of my mouth. Taki then broke the kiss, before he moved his lips down to my neck and bit down on the tender skin over there, making me moan and tilt my neck, giving him more access.

"Don't take another man's name in front of me." Taki said as he moved away, making me giggle. 'He's so cute when he's jealous.' I thought before I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, stunning him in the process. "Don't worry. The only person I want to kiss is you." I said, making him blush slightly before he leaned forward towards me and whispered in my ear. "Those words... you'd better hold onto them for the rest of your life." He said, making me blush.

***

I was sitting at my desk and tried to work on my design, although my thoughts kept going back to Sakura-san. "Mitsuha, is something wrong?" Saya-chan asked, making me look at her. "I... I've just been thinking of Sakura Tachibana-san." I said, making Saya-chan widen her eyes. "Why is that?" "Saya-chan. You saw the news of how Itsuki-san caused Shinta Takagi's death. It is understandable if Taki-kun didn't know anything about it. But Sakura-san not knowing about anything her own husband is doing is quite shocking."

"But it's possible Mitsuha." Saya-chan said, trying to convince me. "Maybe Sakura-san really doesn't know anything Itsuki-san planned." I sighed and looked down. Maybe. Maybe Sakura-san really doesn't know anything.

But then... given how well they hid the clues to Shinta Takagi's death and made the whole country believe in some random, twisted, false news... trying to protect Sakura Tachibana-san would be a piece of cake. Was that naive, innocent wife, really as innocent as she claims to be?

No matter how negligent you are to your husband since it's an arranged marriage, it can't go to the extent of ignoring a murder your husband did, right? Which sane person would let a murderer live right under their roof?

Or... could it be that Sakura-san knew the truth and was harassed by Itsuki-san to not breathe a word? Just what happened between them? It might not be possible though. This was a huge scandal. How can someone be this naive.

"Saya-chan," I spoke up, making her turn to me. "Hm?" "Do you know what Sakura Tachibana's maiden name is?" I asked. "Sakura Tachibana's maiden name? Mitsuha, did you really forget it was Hanajima?" Saya-chan said, making me gasp. Hanajima? And Tachibana? Indeed, there is something wrong with that.