"Eureka," Haruka called her attention when she suddenly went quiet, not that it wasn"t normal but even her mood seemed to have changed. Eureka looked up and was greeted with a very warm smile.
"What do you want to name this child once the child is born?"
An out of the blue question. Even Akihiro looked at her abruptly, where did her topic come from. Well they can just have any topic that they want but to suddenly ask for a name?
Eureka too was startled momentarily before she replied with a smile as warm as Haruka"s, "Hmmmm, if you ask me."
She then looked up thinking deeply of a name to give the child. In reality, she was happy to know that Haruka was pregnant. In that future, she was the only child. She never had a playmate or someone to take care off. Even upon arriving here, she was so focused on her mission. There really is no time for her to play with some children.
But she longed for it, the warm and innocent smile of a child. A child that was not yet tainted by the worlds darkness. She felt like maybe that will save her, from the hatred that"s slowly eating her away.
"Hikari," Eureka finally said after a short moment.
"What if it would be a boy?" Akihiro couldn"t help but to b.u.t.t in.
"Hikari, would still be the name," Haruka replied as she held her stomach.
Akihiro could only be silent, it was already decided is there anything else he can say. If it is indeed a boy, ain"t it going to be a bit girlish? Couldn"t they think of another? He has so many complaints in his mind but he just couldn"t voice it out.
Seeing this Eureka couldn"t help but to chuckle. She then stood up and walked for a bit before looking back at the two of them, her smiling face was filled with happiness, "The first child to be born after the war. Let her be the new beginning of this world. The light that shall guide each one of you after threading such a b.u.mpy and dark path. Allow her to grow into a world where everything would be much simpler and more peaceful."
Looking at her smile, Akihiro and Haruka could only think of one thing, "This smile is her most innocent one. Not the forced one, nor the bitter one, nor the sad and happy one. But instead, it was a smile filled with pure happiness, not a trace of hatred nor sadness. And she looked like an angel. A very beautiful angel.
They had known, of course, both of them are beautiful people, but the combination of Her hair color and eye color were truly very elegant and beautiful. Nana have the sharpness of Akihiro"s look. Rino have the gentle face of Haruka. But Eureka had everything.
They knew that if Eureka didn"t show her strength and was not a constant companion to Raven, a lot of the other n.o.bles would already pursue her. Her beautiful could bring a whole nation down.
But all this made them not notice one important thing from her sentence, the "you" that should have been "us". What she meant by this only she knows. But she is also someone who keeps her promise so why would she not include herself to the future of this world when she had promised that she would be there with them?
"Hikari," Akihiro stood up from his sitting position and returned her smile, "Then let it be Hikari."
A very beautiful name indeed. Haruka held her stomach, it was obviously still flat but soon it will start growing and soon she shall be holding this child in her hands. She had always grieved the fact that she can"t remember anything regarding her children but now she would be relieving that experience and she will never forget it again.
"Mother," Eureka called.
Haruka"s eyes grew wide, it was filled with nothing but a pleasant surprise. Eureka finally called her Mother.
"I was an unfilial child to you and Father. I never showed any kind of emotion before you found out who I am and I still distance myself from you even after you found out. But I know, from the very beginning. From the moment I layed my eyes on the two of you, my heart have already accepted you as my parents. I will always be grateful that I was born between the two of you, who never stopped loving each other despite the distance and the lost memories. Father never remarried and Mother never found another love even falling at first sight to father."
"You have shown me a firm and caring love and that is a lesson I will always cherish. Our family is strong and I know it will always be no matter what happens. Always be happy and loving, that is my only wish from you."
Haruka naturally walked towards her and hugged her tight, Akihiro followed after and hugged the two of them.
"We too," they"ve heard Nana"s voice before two pairs of hands hugged the three of them.
Eureka opened her eyes and looked at Kaoru who had been standing on the side for a while now, she moved making the others wonder and seeing where she is looking at, all four of them spread their hands as if telling Kaoru to come and join them.
Eureka may not have done the same but her eyes never left his. Kaoru sniffed before walking towards them.
Once, all of them were on separate places, Akihiro was alone taking care of the kingdom carrying each and every burden on his own. Rino and Nana had always been by his side but they couldn"t even help him nor comfort him. Their presence were never felt, they were in a different world.
Haruka had been in another kingdom, living her life not knowing she had another family to return to. Kaoru became alienated from his brother, he is on the same place but it felt like he wasn"t, staying as far away as possible from his brother.
Eureka grew up in a completely different world, living her life like she has no family at all. She never said it to anyone but she knows that whenever they all look up at the sky during those times, they all have the same dream and thought, "One day, will we have a family?"
Different circ.u.mstances but similar wishes. And now more than 20 years have pa.s.sed, finally on the same place under the same sky, all of them are together. They finally have a family.
A tear dropped from Eureka"s eyes but no one noticed, they were all bathing to the blissful feeling they"re having right now.
"Please let me remember this warmth. Allow me to remember the warmth of having the people precious to me this close to me."
From the same balcony of Akihiro"s office, stood five pairs, watching the beautiful scen by the lake.
"Finally, they"re finally complete," Genjiro commented first.
"All of their hards.h.i.+ps are finally paying off," Teiji added.
"How long has it been since we last saw that smile of his?" Kohei asked the others.
"Who knows, this is the happiest I"ve seen him," Ryosuke replied.
All five of Akihiro"s friends are there together with their wives. They could be said as childhood friends, they"ve witnessed every ups and downs on Akihiro"s life. Who would have thought that the time closest to what felt like their end, they would see their friend in his happiest?
"We planned on having a little party with the two of them, but I guess we can only wait?" Yukimura asked to the other 8.
No one objected, who would want to disturb such a picturesque scene? Unbeknownst to them, not far from them, Dai was also watching the family with a very complicated look on his face.