Meet Once Again

Hoshino's POV.

I froze, my eyes widening. Ogata Yuusuke? Who? Who is that? W-Wait...

"You're not mistaken, are you?" I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to make sense of what I'd just heard.

"No, Shirayuki-san. Yuutaka seemed comfortable with him too," the employee replied, her words striking me like a blow. "In fact, Ogata Yuusuke-san hasn't only picked him up for lunch today. It seems he's done so before."

Her statement left me reeling. Yuutaka had never mentioned this to me. There was no way he would hide something like this from me—he'd never kept secrets before. How could someone take him without me knowing?

"Are you all right, Shirayuki-san?" the employee asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"What did he look like?" I pressed, gripping the edge of the counter to steady myself.

The employee hesitated for a moment before replying. "He's tall, wore a grey suit, and has thick black hair. Quite handsome, and he didn't seem like he's from Izu," she added with a hint of admiration that made my blood boil.

I didn't wait to hear more. Without another word, I turned and stormed out of the nursery. My mind was racing as I threw open the door, desperate for answers. But as I stepped outside, I collided with someone, the force almost knocking me off balance.

Before I could hit the ground, a firm hand grabbed my left arm, steadying me.

"Mr Shirayuki Hoshino, could you come with me?" The man's deep, commanding voice startled me. I looked up to find a tall figure in a grey suit, his piercing gaze locked on me.

"You..." I barely managed to say, but before I could react further, he pulled me firmly towards a sleek black car parked nearby. My protests were swallowed by the whirlwind of confusion and fear as he opened the door and ushered me inside without waiting for my consent.

***

Hoshino's POV.

I sat stiffly in the car, my mind spinning. The man driving wasn't a stranger—he was Azuma Katsuhide, the secretary from Ogata Corp who had handled the contract with my cake shop years ago. Why was he here now?

My heart sank as I recalled the name the nursery staff had given me. Ogata Yuusuke. The President Director of Ogata Corp. The one who had kidnapped my son.

I glared at Azuma through the rear-view mirror, my anger barely contained. "What's going on? Why did your President Director kidnap my son, huh?" I demanded.

Azuma remained silent, his gaze fixed on the road. His calm demeanour only fuelled my frustration.

"Hey! Answer me! Where's Yuutaka?" I shouted, my voice rising.

Still, there was no response. The car came to a smooth stop in front of a luxurious family restaurant. Azuma stepped out, opening the door for me without a word. I got out, my anger boiling over, and stormed inside, frantically searching for Yuutaka.

"Yuu-chan!" I called, spotting him at a table, sitting with someone.

Both heads turned towards me simultaneously. Yuutaka's eyes immediately welled up with tears as he saw me approach. He looked scared, his little frame shrinking back in his chair.

"Why didn't you wait for Mummy at daycare, darling?" I asked softly, crouching down to his level.

Yuutaka's lip quivered, and then he burst into tears, his sobs loud and heart-wrenching. My chest tightened. I pulled him into my arms, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry, honey, for scaring you. Don't cry, okay? Are you embarrassed because everyone's looking?" I murmured, trying to calm him.

He sniffled, wiping his eyes with his small hands, but his sobs continued to break through. Seeing his tear-streaked face made my own tears spill over. I couldn't help it. The thought of losing him, even for a moment, had shattered me.

"Why are you crying, Mummy? Yuu-chan's the one who did wrong. Mummy, don't cry," Yuutaka mumbled, reaching up to wipe my tears with his tiny fingers.

I kissed his forehead, whispering, "It's okay now. Let's go home." I picked him up, cradling him securely, and turned to leave.

But before I could take a step, Azuma and several men in black blocked my path.

"Where are you going, Hoshino?"

The voice sent a shiver down my spine. Deep, commanding, and painfully familiar. I froze, my grip tightening on Yuutaka.

"I'm taking my son home. Tell your secretary and your goons to get out of my way," I said coldly, refusing to turn around.

"Put Yuutaka down. He hasn't finished his meal yet," the voice said firmly.

"Dad! Daddy! Don't be angry with Mummy—it's Yuu-chan's fault!" Yuutaka cried, reaching towards the man behind me.

My body tensed. "This is Daddy, dear. Mummy is your Daddy too. Yuu-chan only has one Daddy, and that's Mummy," I said firmly, lowering his raised hand.

I turned sharply as the man approached. My breath caught in my throat. He was tall, handsome, and exuded an aura of authority.

"You kidnapped my son!" I shouted, my voice trembling with rage. "I don't even remember having a relationship with you!"

The man stepped closer, his dark eyes narrowing. "Yuutaka is my son, and you hid him from me for five years!"

"Your son? Are you insane? I gave birth to him! He's my child!" I screamed, my anger reaching its breaking point.

The man grabbed my wrist, his grip tight enough to make me wince. "Have you forgotten the face of the man you slept with five years ago?"

Fragments of memories from that night in Nichoume resurfaced. The silver earring, the hypnotic voice... it all came rushing back. My face flushed red as I stared at him, the truth sinking in.

"You..."

A sly smile spread across his face. "So you remember now. You were very... memorable that night. Makes me want to relive it," he murmured, his lips brushing against my fingers.

"You're insane!" I snapped, pulling my hand away with all my strength. "What makes you so sure Yuutaka is your son? You're not the only man I slept with back then!"

He chuckled darkly, unfazed. "You're lying, Hoshino. I've investigated you thoroughly. You've never been with anyone else."

My chest tightened. This man had been watching me, tracking me for five years.

"I have proof," he said, handing Azuma a file. "Yuutaka's DNA matches mine. And let's not forget—you named him after me. I didn't realise you cared so much," he added smugly.

The words were barely out of his mouth before my hand flew across his face, the sound of the slap echoing in the now-silent restaurant.

"Don't call me by my first name. I hate it," I hissed, my voice shaking with fury. "Yuutaka has no father. He's my son, and you have no place in our lives. If you ever come near him again, I'll take him out of the country, and you'll never see us again."

The man's eyes widened in shock, but I didn't wait for his response. Pulling Yuutaka close, I turned and headed for the door. Azuma stepped aside without a word, and I hailed a taxi, my heart pounding as I gave the driver my address.

As the car sped away, I held Yuutaka tightly, vowing to protect him from anything—and anyone—that tried to take him from me.

Yuusuke's POV.

When Hoshino stormed out of the restaurant, clutching Yuutaka protectively in his arms, a quiet laugh escaped my lips. The faint sting on my cheek from his slap only added to the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. No one—not even my parents—had ever dared to lay a hand on me. People usually feared my power, my position, my money. But Hoshino? He had no hesitation. His fiery defiance, the fury in his eyes, and the raw emotion in his voice set him apart from anyone I'd ever met.

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a deep breath. There was so much I wanted to say to him, so much I wanted to explain, but I knew it wouldn't have mattered. Hoshino was stubborn—frustratingly so—and I couldn't deny that it intrigued me. His reaction, his resilience, and the way he shielded Yuutaka, as if I were the villain in this story, only made me more determined.

I was angry, of course. How could I not be? Hoshino had hidden Yuutaka from me for five years. Five long years. I had missed so much—his first steps, his first words, the little moments that make fatherhood special. And all because Hoshino had decided to vanish without a trace.

I hadn't always been this desperate to find him. Five years ago, when I woke up in that hotel room and found him gone, I thought little of it. People came and went from my life all the time; I was used to it. But something about Hoshino lingered in my mind. Maybe it was the vulnerability he'd shown that night, or the way he seemed so completely unaware of how captivating he was. He wasn't like the people who usually surrounded me—people who only saw me as a ticket to wealth or influence. Hoshino didn't care about any of that. He was different.

When Azuma told me Hoshino was pregnant, my world shifted. At first, I didn't believe it. A man? Pregnant? It sounded absurd. But the doctor's reports confirmed it, and the reality of the situation hit me like a freight train. This wasn't just about Hoshino anymore. There was a child—a child I had helped create. My child.

I didn't know what to feel. Shock, disbelief, fear... but above all, a strange, unexplainable excitement. I wanted to be part of their lives, to protect them. So I did what I thought was right: I supported Hoshino's business, agreeing to expand his cake shop as part of Ogata Corp's ventures. It was partly a business decision, but mostly, it was an excuse to stay close to him, to ensure he and the baby were taken care of.

But Hoshino had other plans. He disappeared. One moment he was there, presenting his ideas with that quiet determination of his, and the next, he was gone without a word. He lied, claiming he was going to Paris for training. I trusted him—or maybe I just wanted to believe him. Either way, he vanished, leaving behind no trace of where he'd gone.

Azuma searched everywhere, even in Paris, but came up empty-handed. Hoshino had cut ties with everyone, even his closest friends. He changed his phone number and never returned to Tokyo. My frustration grew with every dead end. I had a child out there, and I was powerless to do anything about it.

Months turned into years, and I still couldn't let it go. My obsession with finding Hoshino and Yuutaka only deepened. When I revisited his biography, a detail stood out: Hoshino wasn't from Tokyo. He was from the Izu Islands. It was a long shot, but I decided to visit Izu. The moment I set foot on the island, I knew I was right. Hoshino had been living here all along, raising our son in quiet anonymity.

Seeing Yuutaka for the first time was... indescribable. He was everything I had imagined and more. Small, energetic, and full of life. There was no doubt he was mine. The resemblance was striking, though it was clear Hoshino had poured his heart into raising him. Watching Yuutaka laugh and play, I felt a strange warmth in my chest—something I hadn't felt in years.

I began visiting the nursery daily, introducing myself as Hoshino's relative. The staff trusted me easily enough, allowing me to take Yuutaka for lunch and return him before Hoshino arrived. I told myself it was the only way to connect with my son, but deep down, I knew it was more than that. I wanted Hoshino to know I hadn't forgotten about him, that I hadn't given up.

When Hoshino finally confronted me, the fire in his eyes reignited everything I'd felt five years ago. He didn't remember my name or my face, only fragments of the night we'd shared. But the connection was undeniable, even if he refused to acknowledge it.

"Hoshino has always been stubborn, hasn't he?" I muttered, a small smile playing on my lips as I took a sip of water.

"Do you want us to follow him, Yuusuke-sama?" Azuma's voice broke my thoughts.

I shook my head. "No, there's no need. I'll bring Hoshino and Yuutaka back to Tokyo myself. On their terms, of course," I added with a knowing smile.

Azuma gave me a sceptical look but didn't press further.

Hoshino thought he could keep running, but I wasn't the type to give up easily. He could slap me, yell at me, and insist that Yuutaka was only his child, but none of that would change the truth. Yuutaka was my son, and Hoshino... he was something more. I wasn't sure what yet, but I intended to find out.

For now, I'd let him have his space. But this wasn't over—not by a long shot.

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