Hayao Nakayama was a light sleeper and sat up, throwing on a robe as soon as he heard the commotion.
"Master, the young master called. The young madam's water has broken, and she is now in the hospital delivery room."
Miyuki Nakayama had also woken up and reached out to turn on the bedside lamp.
"Prepare the car. Tell the driver to turn on the heat in advance," Hayao Nakayama instructed. His tone was steady, a habit formed from years of running Sega—the more unexpected the situation, the more one must remain calm.
The door to the next room opened a crack, and Kazuki, nearly five years old, poked his head out, rubbing his eyes.
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He was wearing cotton pajamas printed with Sonic, his bare feet padding on the wooden floor.
"Grandma, where are you going?"
"Kazuki's mommy is going to have a little baby, so we're going to the hospital. You be a good boy and stay home and sleep. You'll be able to see your little brother or sister tomorrow morning. Aunt Keiko will stay here with you," Miyuki Nakayama said, walking over to try to coax her grandson back to his room.
Kazuki shook off his sleepiness, ran out, and hugged Miyuki Nakayama's leg.
"I want to go too. I want to wait for Mommy."
The little guy rarely made unreasonable requests, but he was unusually stubborn about this.
Hayao Nakayama walked over and looked down at his grandson.
"Going to the hospital in the middle of the night means staying up late. You can't cry, make a fuss, or run around while we're there. Can you do that?"
"I won't cry, and I won't run around," Kazuki said, looking up and making his promise.
Hayao said nothing more and turned to tell Keiko to change Kazuki's clothes.
At the same time, the Nakagawa family in Minato Ward also received the notification.
TV Tokyo President Jun Nakagawa and his wife, Takako Nakagawa, drove through the night to the Sugiyama Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
Two high-end black sedans drove through the streets of Tokyo late at night, their tires crushing the thin snow and leaving clear tracks behind.
1:00 AM.
The two families met in the lounge of the hospital's VIP maternity ward.
The lounge was elegantly furnished with leather sofas, solid wood coffee tables, and an air purifier in the corner that hummed with a low drone as it operated.
Hayao Nakayama, wearing a dark gray overcoat, sat on a single sofa, his hands folded over the handle of his cane.
Jun Nakagawa sat opposite him.
"I've seen the recent ratings reports for the station. The late-night variety shows you've been pushing are doing quite well," Hayao said, opening the conversation.
"After the bubble economy burst, the public needed low-cost entertainment. Television programs and video games became the best safe havens." Nakagawa Jun picked up a paper cup and took a sip of warm water. "Sega's year-end sales figures are looking good too. I heard the hardware sales in North America have broken records again."
"With Sony entering the game and Nintendo fighting back, the market pie has grown bigger. We had the first-mover advantage, and with a software lineup that keeps up, it's only natural we'd get the biggest slice," Nakayama Hayao responded.
The two business tycoons used the discussion of the economic situation and company business to ease their anxiety while waiting.
Nakayama Miyuki and Nakagawa Takako were holding hands, whispering and asking about various data indicators.
"The due date was just these two days, so her water breaking is normal. It's just that Eri has been afraid of pain since she was a child, I wonder if she can endure it," Nakagawa Takako said, full of worry.
"Takuya is in there with her, and the hospital's medical facilities are top-notch, don't worry, in-law," Nakayama Miyuki comforted her.
Kazuki sat on the bench, his short legs dangling.
He was gripping a Sega GamePocket in his hand, the screen black, just habitually pressing the directional pad.
Nakayama Takuya walked out of the delivery room, came over to the bench, and sat down next to his son.
"The cervix has dilated to three centimeters. The fetal heart rate monitoring data is normal." He reported the progress to the elders.
"What did the doctor say?" Takako Nakagawa asked.
"The second labor is usually faster than the first. The doctor estimates things will start happening by early morning. There are currently no signs of intrauterine infection, so there's no need for oxytocin."
Kazuki leaned on his father's arm and let out a yawn.
"Dad, does it hurt for Mom?"
"Giving birth always hurts. It's the body making way for the little baby. Mom is very brave." Takuya Nakayama stroked his son's hair.
Time passed until three in the morning.
Suppressed cries of pain from Eri echoed from the delivery room.
The physiological characteristic of a second birth is that the overall time for the fetus to be delivered is shortened, but the density and intensity of the pain increase significantly.
The intervals between contractions shortened from ten minutes to three, and then to one.
Takuya Nakayama changed into sterile clothing and stayed by Eri's bedside.
Eri's forehead was covered in sweat, with a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks.
Her hands gripped the bed rails, the veins on the back of her hands standing out.
"Deep breaths, inhale, exhale. Don't push too hard, save your strength." The midwife guided the rhythm from the side while observing the numerical curves on the fetal heart rate monitor.
Takuya Nakayama held her hand, using a warm towel to wipe away her sweat.
"Compared to when I gave birth to Kazuki, the pain is coming on much too quickly this time. There's not even time to catch my breath." Eri gritted her teeth, her voice trembling.
"I'm here, I'm always here. The doctor said everything is progressing smoothly," Takuya Nakayama responded softly, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
In the waiting room outside, Kazuki had finally succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep in his grandmother's arms.
The GamePocket he had been holding slipped onto the sofa cushion.
A sharp cry of pain rang out from the delivery room.
Kazuki was startled awake and sat upright.
He rubbed his eyes, his eye sockets turning red.
Just then, Takuya Nakayama came out to get some hot water. Kazuki ran over and hugged his leg.
"Dad, Mom is crying out."
"Mom is working hard to bring the little baby into this world," Takuya Nakayama said, crouching down to pull his son into a hug.
Kazuki buried his face in his father's neck and sobbed quietly.
"I don't want a younger brother or sister anymore. I don't want Mom to be in pain. This isn't like playing a game; in a game, if you lose health, you can use an item to restore it, but Mom doesn't have any items." Kazuki used the limited framework of his understanding to express his worry.
"Mom has us. We can use recovery magic on her. Mom will be so happy when she hears how much Kazuki cares about her." Takuya Nakayama patted his son on the back.
At 4:30 in the morning, the doctor on duty performed an internal examination and announced that the cervix was fully dilated.
Eri was wheeled into the delivery room.
The moment the door closed, only the elders and Takuya Nakayama and his son were left in the hallway.
Hayao Nakayama stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night outside.
The snow had stopped, and the snow piled up under the streetlights glowed white.
He took out his pocket watch to check the time, then put it back in his pocket.
Jun Nakagawa paced back and forth, the sound of his leather shoes hitting the floor in a rhythmic pattern.
Time stretched on indefinitely.
The delivery room was extremely soundproof, and no sounds from inside could be heard.
This uncertainty only deepened the anxiety outside the door.
Takuya Nakayama sat on the bench, holding Kazuki.
Kazuki grabbed his collar, his eyes fixed on that tightly closed door.
5:20 in the morning.
A crisp, loud cry of a baby pierced through the door of the delivery room.
It was a resonant, vigorous sound, even louder than Kazuki's cry when he was born.
The few people in the hallway all froze in place.
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