Strawberry Fields Forever After (Takumi's Dead! A Nana FanFiction)

Chapter 2

The hum of the plane was almost soothing as Hachi leaned back in her seat, watching the clouds pass by through the small window. Satsuki, curled up beside her, had fallen asleep soon after takeoff, her tiny hands gripping her favorite stuffed toy. Hachi hadn't told her about Takumi yet. She couldn't. Not here. Not now.

The air felt heavy with unspoken truths, and though the soft leather of the first-class seat was meant to offer comfort, it did little to ease the weight pressing on her chest. Across the aisle, Yasu sat quietly, his presence a constant, his calmness grounding her like an anchor to reality. He didn't have to say anything; his very being was a reminder that she wasn't alone in this.

Her mind drifted back to the moment she got the call. That call.

Relief came in waves but was quickly replaced by another crashing thought: she had to leave, now. She had to get to Ren. And then came the panic of how—what to do first—Satsuki, the flights, everything blurring in her overwhelmed mind.

And then the phone rang again.

Yasu.

Of course it would be Yasu. Reliable, steady Yasu, already on top of everything before she could even think straight.

"I'm coming to pick you up," he had said, his voice a quiet balm amidst the chaos unraveling inside her. It was the same calmness that had always grounded her, that had held their group together through the years. He didn't need to ask if she was alright, didn't need to press her with details. He just knew.

And that was the moment she realized—she wasn't alone in this. Not really.

She had Yasu. She had Nobu. She had Shin.

The memory of that realization gave her some measure of comfort now, seated on the plane, with Yasu just a few feet away. She glanced over at him. His eyes were closed, head resting back against the seat, but she knew he was still keeping an ear open for her, for Satsuki. Even when silent, he was always present. Always there.

The plane jolted slightly with turbulence, and Hachi pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the slow, steady thrum of her heart as if reminding herself to breathe. Everything was changing, and she wasn't sure what awaited her in London—how Ren would take the news, how she would take it—but for now, for this moment, all she could do was hold on to the few certainties she had left.

Her children. Yasu. Nobu. Shin.

She wasn't alone.

—

The air in London was crisp and biting as Hachi stepped out of the car, Yasu close behind her. The city's damp chill clung to her skin, a stark contrast to the chaos of emotions boiling beneath the surface. They had made it to Takumi's flat without being swarmed at the airport, a small mercy Yasu had arranged in his usual quiet, efficient manner. But she knew it wouldn't last. The news of Takumi's death had already erupted across the nation and at home in Japan, every detail of the accident splashed across tabloids and news channels. The media storm was just beginning.

Takumi had been with someone when he died. A young, up-and-coming singer, barely out of her teens, too young to be with a man his age. The rumors were relentless. Tabloids labeled him a predator, a creep. The fans were split—some still fiercely loyal, others abandoning their idol as the sordid details of his private life came to light. The scandal would ruin his reputation; Trapnest's PR team would scramble to salvage whatever they could. But Hachi couldn't bring herself to care. Not anymore.

She stood in front of the door, Yasu at her side, his quiet presence comforting her as always. He hadn't left her side since the moment she got the call. Now, as they stood on the threshold of the life Takumi had built in London, Hachi felt a pang of dread.

The door opened before she could use her key, and a line of staff greeted her, their expressions solemn. They were lined up, as if welcoming royalty, and Hachi smiled warmly, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you, but there's no need for all this," she said softly, the warmth of her voice belying the exhaustion she felt. "I'm just Nana. Please, you don't have to be so formal."

They nodded politely, but their rigid postures barely eased. Hachi never did get used to the way Takumi lived—the endless staff, the lavish flat, the constant flow of money. In Tokyo, she lived simply, modestly, working as an interior decorator. She'd never wanted the glitz, the fame that came with Takumi. Now, it felt more suffocating than ever.

Satsuki stirred in Yasu's arms, still asleep, her tiny fists clinging to his coat. One of the staff members approached, bowing slightly before speaking. "Shall I put her to bed, Mrs. Ichinose?"

Hachi nodded, grateful. "Thank you."

Yasu handed Satsuki over gently, and the staff member disappeared down the hall with her. Hachi watched for a moment, her heart twisting. She hadn't told Satsuki yet. She couldn't imagine how to even begin. Takumi was gone, and their world would never be the same.

But her mind kept circling back to Ren. Little Ren, still recovering from his illness, waiting for news about his father. She braced herself, steeling her nerves as she moved through the opulent flat that never felt like home to her. The air inside was thick with an unsettling quiet, as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for her next move.

She finally reached Ren's room, her hand trembling as she turned the knob. The soft glow of a bedside lamp illuminated his small figure, his face pale but peaceful in sleep. His fever had broken, the staff had assured her he was stable. But the sight of him, so fragile in that massive bed, made her heart clench.

Hachi walked slowly to his side, slipping into the bed beside him, careful not to wake him. She curled her body around his tiny frame, feeling the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest. His warmth seeped into her, but it didn't dispel the cold emptiness gnawing at her insides. She held him tighter, her cheek resting on his soft hair, the weight of the truth pressing down on her.

How was she going to tell him?

Her thoughts were scattered, a whirlwind of sorrow, anger, and relief she barely wanted to acknowledge. Takumi was gone, and with him, the pain of their broken marriage. But he was still Ren's father. He was still the man she had chosen, for better or worse, to build this life with. And now, she had to break her son's heart with the truth.

Ren stirred slightly, his small hand finding hers in the darkness, his fingers curling around her thumb instinctively. A lump rose in her throat as she fought the urge to cry.

"Mommy..." he murmured in his sleep, his voice soft, dreamlike.

Hachi kissed his forehead, her tears finally slipping down her cheeks. She held him closer, feeling the weight of her own grief sink deeper into her bones.

"I'm here, Ren. I'm right here," she whispered, though she knew it was a promise she couldn't keep forever. One day, soon, she would have to shatter the world he knew. But for now, she would hold him, protect him from the storm that was already closing in on them.

Soon, the world would come knocking. The paparazzi would swarm. The tabloids would dig deeper. Takumi's scandal would spiral.

But tonight, it was just her and Ren.