Eri was amused by his exaggerated joke and playfully swatted his arm. "It's not that dramatic."
"Better safe than sorry," Takuya Nakayama said, holding his son. "Right, Kazuki?"
"Mmm," little Kazuki nodded along, looking like he understood.
"Kazuki, this time next year, you won't be the only child in the house anymore."
The little guy turned around, his eyes wide. He clearly hadn't grasped the implications for his status as the sole heir.
After a long pause, he pointed at Eri's belly and asked, "Will I have to share my Pikachu with him?"
"That's up to you," Takuya said, ruffling his son's hair into a bird's nest. "But if anyone bullies him, you'll have to beat them up for me."
Before Kazuki could process this daunting responsibility, the sound of hurried geta clogs echoed down the hallway.
Two figures hurried toward them.
Leading the way was Nakayama Miyuki, still in her elegant kimono, clearly having rushed over from a tea ceremony.
Following behind her was Eri's mother, Takako Nakagawa, carrying two insulated shopping bags that looked like they had just been emptied of department store purchases.
"Mother, Mother-in-law," Takuya Nakayama said, standing up with Kazuki in his arms.
The two women's gazes immediately bypassed him, locking onto Eri like radar.
Nakayama Miyuki hurried forward, taking Eri's hand and examining it from top to bottom, as if she wanted to give her daughter-in-law a full body CT scan on the spot.
Takako Nakagawa was even more direct. She set down the insulated bag on the bench and reached out to touch Eri's forehead.
"Alright, stop looking. The doctor said everything's fine, no abnormalities," Eri said helplessly, pulling her hands out of the elders' circle. "It's only been forty days—my belly hasn't even started showing yet."
Takuya Nakayama seized the opportunity to repeat the doctor's instructions.
Only when they heard that all the test results were normal did the two mothers' tense shoulders finally relax.
"Oh, right," Takuya Nakayama said, clearing his throat and glancing apologetically at his mother-in-law. "I had the flight to San Francisco scheduled for today, but I had it canceled. Even though the business in the States is important, I can't leave Eri in this condition."
Nakayama Miyuki froze for a moment, instinctively looking at her daughter-in-law.
In the business culture of that era in Japan, it was common for husbands to miss their wives' childbirths for work, let alone early pregnancy checkups.
The Nasdaq bell-ringing ceremony is a paramount event for any company, let alone Silicon Valley Online, a business almost entirely designed by Takuya Nakayama. If he were to decline, the old-guard Zaibatsu would likely mock him for letting "sentimental attachments" get in the way.
To his surprise, Takako Nakagawa didn't find this improper at all. Instead, she smiled, her crow's feet smoothing out.
She turned to her daughter, her voice full of reassurance: "I'm truly at ease with Eri marrying you. Look at your father-in-law—when I was giving birth to Eri, he was still editing film at the TV station. By the time he rushed to the hospital, she could already walk."
Eri couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, you've been harping on about this for thirty years."
"A lifetime wouldn't be enough," Takako Nakagawa retorted, giving her daughter a playful glare. She then turned back to Takuya Nakayama. "You really should go to the United States. You're practically on the board now; if you don't attend, the other shareholders might raise objections. Once Eri has observed the situation for a few days and confirmed everything is stable, you should go. In the meantime, send Eri and Kazuki back to Setagaya. We have plenty of space at home, a nanny, plus your Keiko and your mother and I can take turns watching them."
Takuya Nakayama was about to politely decline, but Takako Nakagawa waved him off, cutting him short.
"Don't be so modest," she said, lowering her voice and pointing at the ceiling. "Ever since the Kobe earthquake, your father-in-law has practically lived at the TV station. He's been doing special reports every day and preparing for new programs, staying out for two weeks straight without coming home."
She scooped up Kazuki, who was sitting on the bench lost in thought, and planted a loud kiss on the little one's cheek.
"Take Kazuki back with you," she continued. "If that old man wants to see his grandson, he'll have to come home on time. It's called 'hostage tactics'!"
Takuya looked at his mother-in-law's shrewd, calculating expression, then at his son, who looked utterly bewildered at being designated as the "bait." He couldn't help exchanging a amused glance with Eri, both of them seeing the same amusement in each other's eyes.
"Alright," Takuya nodded in agreement. "Thank you for taking care of it. I can go to the States to wrap up the remaining business with peace of mind, and I'll try to come back as soon as possible."
A robust cough echoed from the corner of the hallway.
Nakagawa Jun stood by the reception desk, still clutching the TV station ID badge he'd just removed. He'd clearly run all the way up.
He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over his wife and daughter before finally settling on his grandson, the "hostage."
"I've been working my ass off at the station, fighting tooth and nail for ratings, and now you're calling me a terrorist who needs to resort to hostage diplomacy?"
Takako Nakagawa didn't even lift her eyelids as she reached for the coat the old man handed her, casually brushing off a speck of ash.
"If you don't have the stomach for this, how have you been station manager for decades? Do you think you could have kept that chair warm without employing some... unconventional methods?"
"Nonsense," Nakagawa Jun retorted, though his voice lacked conviction.
He walked over to Takuya Nakayama and slapped his son-in-law on the shoulder, the force of the blow making the younger man wince.
"Didn't go to the States?"
"I canceled the ticket," Takuya replied. "Frank can handle the Nasdaq bell-ringing. But you're surprisingly well-informed. I only got here half an hour ago."
"Hmph, what do you think I do? Does anything in Tokyo happen that the TV station doesn't know about?" Nakagawa Jun didn't hesitate to shove Takuya aside, claiming the other end of the long bench.
He beckoned to Eri, his usually stern, board-meeting face now creased with concern. "Eri, how are you feeling?"
Eri smiled wryly. "Dad, it's only been forty days. And this is my second time—it's not that bad."
Nakayama Kazuki, who had been sitting nearby, swinging his legs, finally recognized the visitor and let out a triumphant cry as he pounced.
"Ouch!" Nakagawa Jun yelped, bracing himself and lifting his grandson overhead.
"You've gotten heavier," the old man said, weighing Kazuki in his arms. He turned to Takako Nakagawa. "Alright, I surrender. From today on, I won't work overtime. I'll be home on time every night at seven—no, seven-thirty. How's that?"
Takako Nakagawa snorted. "Just coming home isn't enough. You have to take care of the child too. You'll be responsible for watching cartoons with Kazuki so Eri can get more rest."
"Fine! Fine! I'll watch cartoons if I have to!" Nakagawa Jun placed Kazuki on his lap and began bouncing him up and down.
Takuya Nakayama watched the family—old and young—and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
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