"Ohno-san, do we really have our meetings in such a high-class place like this?"
"It's not just 'high-class looking'—it is high-class. A single cup of coffee here costs 3,000 yen."
"Wha—? What kind of conversation are we even having in a place like this?"
November 3rd. Chifumi-kun and I are waiting for someone in a lounge on the upper floors of a certain hotel. One corner of this place has a meeting room, making it the perfect spot for confidential discussions. Maybe because he's not used to places like this, Chifumi-kun has been restless, constantly glancing out the window.
"Just wait until everyone arrives. I got a message saying they'll be about ten minutes late."
"Huh? Who else is coming? Takeda-san? Or Hibiki-chan?"
"If it were them, we wouldn't be here. More importantly, Chifumi-kun, I heard your father's discharge got delayed?"
"Yeah. His fractures have healed, but his damaged organs aren't recovering well. They said it might take until the end of the year. And also..."
"And also?"
Chifumi-kun hesitated, looking apologetic.
"Dad's been feeling really down about something. He's lost his energy."
"About what? Spit it out."
"Well... he invited Fujiki-san out for drinks after he gets discharged."
"Oh dear, that's awkward."
"And Fujiki-san turned him down, saying she can't drink. But the thing is, Fujiki-san loves sake. She used to talk about it all the time when Dad first got hospitalized."
"So Chiki-san thought something was off."
"Right. Then Fujiki-san accidentally let it slip that she's pregnant..."
"Oh boy."
"Ever since then, Dad's been really depressed... I feel kinda guilty, you know?"
"I bet he never dreamed Fujiki-san's kid would be his grandchild. Man, I feel bad, but that's kinda funny."
"It's not funny! He keeps saying, 'As if I'd ever think that way about someone 16 years younger!' but Fujiki-san was his idol, so he's really shaken up. It's even affecting his health..."
"Relax, I'll introduce someone to Chiki-san after he's discharged. I know a ridiculously hot woman. Oh, how about Takeda-san for a quick fix?"
"Please don't! Absolutely not!!"
As our ridiculous banter continued, the meeting room door slid open.
"Chifumi-kun, long time no see."
"Ah—w-wait, Mao-san!? It's been a while. Oh, right! Congratulations on the baby!"
"Thank you. It's all thanks to you."
"N-no way, I didn't..."
Aww, his face is all red. So pure.
"The baby's a boy. Want to feel my belly?"
"Eh, is that okay?"
"Of course. You are the father."
Chifumi-kun gently caressed Mao-san's rounded belly. Normally, it'd be a heartwarming scene, but given their roles as the seed provider and recipient, I wonder if interactions like this weigh on Chifumi-kun's mind.
"Alright, let's save the emotional reunion for later. Okura-san, you should sit down—you're carrying precious cargo."
"Ah, right."
We settled around the table with our coffee. Chifumi-kun finally seemed to relax.
"Chifumi-kun, brace yourself. There are a few surprises for you today."
"It's fine, Ohno-san. Nothing much shocks me these days. I've been through a lot these past few months."
"Good. First surprise: Okura Mao-san and Nanami-chan are cousins."
"Pfft—! Cough cough!"
He just spat out his 3,000-yen coffee! So much for "nothing shocks me."
"W-wait, seriously!?"
"It's true, Chifumi-kun. I was shocked too when I first heard. I had no idea I had a cousin like her."
"But... how could you not know about your own cousin?"
"To put it simply, there are two Okura brothers in the Diet. The older one has a daughter and a son, and the younger one has a son. Mao-san is the older brother's daughter."
"Ah, okay."
I sketched a family tree on paper as I explained.
"The younger brother's son was his father's secretary and successor, but he died in a car accident about three years ago."
"Ah, so that's..."
"Right. So the plan was for his niece's husband, Koji-san, to inherit his political base, but..."
"They couldn't have children, so they went for a Genius Gene Child."
"But the younger brother had a secret child. He didn't want an outsider inheriting his base, even if it was his niece's husband. So he searched desperately and finally found them this year."
"And that's Nanami...?"
"Exactly. Though we only found out recently. Remember when I mentioned another successor candidate besides Koji-san? Back then, I never imagined it'd be Nanami-chan."
"I see... So, do we know where Nanami is now?"
"Hold on, we're not done yet. Let me finish."
As I tried to calm the agitated Chifumi-kun, the meeting room door slid open again.
"Oh, looks like everyone's here. Chifumi, long time no see."
"C-Claire-sama!"
"What's wrong, Chifumi? You're so easily startled. Is my presence that shocking?"
"Ohno-san, who's this?"
"Ah, I wanted to introduce her to Okura-san today. This is Hachisu Claire. She's a friend of mine—and a cop with a nasty glare."
"Uh, nice to meet you..."
Mao-san seemed nervous. Understandable. Claire's intimidating aura is the polar opposite of my soothing presence.
"Hachisu. Pleasure."
"Hachisu, this is Okura Mao-san. Your senior."
"Ohno-san, is Hachisu-san by any chance...?"
"Yep. She's also a recipient and pregnant. Hachisu, how many weeks along are you now?"
"14 weeks. So, four months."
"Wow... So our children will be siblings."
"Right. Okura-san's child is Genius Gene Child No. 1, and mine is No. 2. Let's get along."
Ugh, Hachisu and Mao-san are rubbing their bellies together like it's some kind of show-off... Damn it!!
"By the way, Ohno, the data you wanted is on this USB. Also..."
Hachisu kept glancing at Mao-san with a "Is this okay?" look.
"Don't worry. She's on our side. No secrets here."
"...Alright. About that villa in Hayama—just as you predicted, the Diet member has significantly tightened security. There's a dedicated guard now, and they're even checking the villa's communication logs. I don't get why they're hiding this much, but what's going on? Ohno, if you're still surveilling the insemination room, you should pull your people out. If they catch on, it'll be trouble."
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up, Hachisu. Actually, we stopped direct surveillance yesterday."
"Uh, Ohno-san, what are you talking about? Can you fill me in?"
Chifumi-kun, cut off mid-conversation, couldn't hold back and jumped in.
"You asked earlier if we'd found Nanami-chan's whereabouts, right? That Hayama villa Hachisu mentioned is it."
"Wha—!? So you've known where Nanami was all along!?"
"Well, yeah. Sorry for keeping it quiet, but as you heard, Nanami-chan's under tight guard by her father. We can't just waltz in. They're even monitoring her phone calls. It's excessive."
"Why... why would Nanami's father do this? What did she even do?"
"We'd like to know too, but we haven't figured it out yet. However..."
I signaled Mao-san to take over. She'd be better at explaining this part.
"Chifumi-kun, actually... I met Nanami-chan yesterday."
"Eh!? W-wait, seriously!?"
"The Hayama villa is a place I used to visit as a child. I asked my uncle if I could go there to clear my head."
"Is Nanami... is she okay? Was she doing alright?"
"I'm afraid she wasn't. The first time I met her was in early August, and she looked even worse now..."
"...Ugh... damn it..."
Mao-san glanced at me, asking if she should continue. It's fine—I'll take it from here.
"Time for today's biggest surprise, Chifumi-kun. Nanami-chan is 20 weeks pregnant, and both she and the baby are healthy."
"Wha—!? No way, seriously!? You're kidding!!"
Chifumi-kun's face was priceless. Yeah, I'd be shocked too.
"Chifumi-kun, it's true. I saw her belly myself yesterday and even touched it. She's struggling with severe morning sickness, but..."
"I... I see... So Nanami's... pregnant..."
"20 weeks means conception was late June to early July. Ring any bells?"
"Then... the baby in Nanami's belly is mine...?"
"Who else's would it be? But man, I never expected you'd father a Genius Gene Child before becoming an official seed provider. Mao-san was floored too. Maybe you just click with the Okura family."
Finally processing everything, Chifumi-kun composed himself and looked at Mao-san seriously.
"So... is Nanami really okay? You said she looked worn out..."
"From what I heard yesterday, she hasn't been to a hospital, but an OB-GYN visits regularly for checkups, so her health's not a concern. The pregnancy's progressing smoothly."
"That's a relief. But... Nanami puts on a tough front, but she's actually pretty fragile. I'm so worried... Ohno-san, is there any way I can see her?"
His voice was laced with desperation. I get it. This must be agonizing.
"Like I said, it's tough right now. But Mao-san, did you give her that?"
"Yes. I slipped it to Nanami-chan secretly. Just like you said, I told her, 'It's a gift from Jim.' She looked shocked but happy when she took it. By the way, what's 'Jim'?"
"Oh, that's my nickname. But only my classmates know it, so Nanami must've realized. Wait, Ohno-san, what did you give her under my name?"
"A satellite phone. Unlike regular phones, it's harder to trace calls. It's an old model, so no internet, though."
Chifumi-kun's face lit up instantly.
"Thank you, Ohno-san! Even if it's just hearing her voice, that's enough for now. Can I call her right away?"
"Whoa, no. We can't call first. We don't know Nanami-chan's situation. If her guards confiscate it, we're back to square one. We have to wait for her call. It should be soon—just hang on a little longer..."
I checked my watch. The scheduled time was almost here.
"But before that, I'll let you talk to Nanami-chan, but there are things you can't say, got it?"
"...Ah, right. Of course."
"Keep that in mind and choose your words carefully. Just encourage her. Tell her we'll come for her after New Year's. And make sure she knows she can trust me. Say, 'The incredibly beautiful, kind, and brilliant Ohno Yui is 100% trustworthy,' okay?"
"Uh... do you have to say 'incredibly' three times...?"
"Ohno, what are you doing, feeding lies to Tatemiya Nanami through Chifumi? Your face is, at best, above average. The rest is a lost cause. How can you tell people to trust you with that?"
"Excuse me!?"
"Oho, wanna fight? Picking on a pregnant woman? I'll arrest you!"
"Both of you, stop it! You're making Chifumi-kun uncomfortable!"
"It's fine, Mao-san. These two are always like this when they meet. Just ignore them."
Chifumi-kun's deadpan remark defused the tension. He's grown so much.
"Ahem. That was... undignified. But anyway, if Tatemiya Nanami is also pregnant with Chifumi's child, that makes four Genius Gene Children now."
"Actually... Chifumi-kun, surprise! Hakuhou Hana-chan is pregnant too~♪. That makes five of your kids now♡."
"Eh!? W-wait, what!?"
"Congratulations, Chifumi-kun. Our children's siblings keep growing."
"Congrats, Chifumi."
"Th-thank you. Hana-san's pregnancy is great news, but Ohno-san, was this the right time to announce it?"
As Chifumi-kun fumbled awkwardly, my phone suddenly vibrated—it's here. Nanami-chan's call.