Chapter 19: Shadows Over Sunshine || Taiyō no Kage

  Shunsuke’s apartment, Roppongi, Minato-ku → October 28th, 2022

  “A peaceful afternoon shattered by the past

  “Ren… He was my first love,” Shunsuke whispered, the truth heavy in the air. “Do you want to hear about it?”

  Miyu looked up at him, a warm smile on her face. "If you're comfortable telling me, I would be happy to know everything about you, Shunsuke."

  Shunsuke returned her smile and nodded, his mind drifting back to that time. "When I became a host at Club Crystal, right after my eighteenth birthday," he began, "Ren became my mentor. He taught me everything I needed to know." Shunsuke’s voice softened. "He was kind. He always treated me gently."

  His voice wavered slightly. "Then one day after a shift, Ren and I got close. We kissed, and he held me..." He sighed, a shaky sound. "For someone like me, that was everything. Yes, Ren was so much older than me—eight years apart." Shunsuke briefly shook, the memory still causing a physical reaction. "I didn't see the signs. I was just happy that someone loved me. Or... acted like he did."

  Miyu kissed his chest gently, a silent acknowledgment of his pain. His arm tightened around her shoulder. "Thank you for listening," he murmured.

  "When I was twenty-one, Ren injured a client who tried to touch me and drag me out," Shunsuke said painfully. "Ren got arrested and is still in prison because of it." He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

  "Then, a year later, I was already the owner of Club Crystal," his voice warmed slightly, recalling his success. "One of my hosts had a birthday party. I was in my host attire—sometimes I still become 'The Midnight Prince' for a night. That was one of them."

  His mind was now there, at that night. The music had been loud, the air thick with laughter, perfume, and champagne. Shunsuke had worn his best suit, mask of confidence firmly in place. The staff called him The Midnight Prince, and that night he played the role to perfection—until the door opened.

  A woman stepped inside. Her hair was loose, her clothes simple, out of place among the glitter and shine. She clutched a small photo in her hand, worn from being folded too many times.

  Her eyes found him instantly. “You… you work here, don’t you? Do you know Ren?”

  Shunsuke froze. The smile he had practiced for years faltered. “Ren?” he repeated, his voice a little too sharp.

  The woman nodded quickly, desperate. “Yes, Ren. Ren Takahashi. I’ve been searching for him for over a year.” Her voice trembled as though saying his name might shatter her.

  The photograph slipped from her fingers, landing on the table between them. Shunsuke’s gaze fell on it: Ren, smiling—not the sly, teasing smirk Shunsuke remembered, but a softer smile. His arm was around her shoulders. In her arms, a child with his eyes.

  Shunsuke’s throat closed. The music faded, the laughter dulled. All he could hear was the pounding in his chest.

  “He’s… he’s my boyfriend,” the woman whispered, her voice cracking. “We have a daughter. Please… I just want to know where he is. Please tell me.”

  Shunsuke’s hand tightened around the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. His voice, when it came, was flat, brittle. “Ren is in prison.”

  Her face crumpled, a sob tearing from her lips. But Shunsuke didn’t hear the rest. His own heart had splintered, every memory of Ren suddenly poisoned. The man he had loved, the man he had waited for—he was never really Shunsuke’s.

  Shunsuke’s voice faltered as the memory finally released him, leaving behind an ache that never quite dulled. His chest rose and fell unevenly, the weight of betrayal pressing down on him even now.

  Miyu shifted, her warmth grounding him. She pressed a kiss just over his heart, where it hurt the most. “You’re not a side piece, Shunsuke,” she whispered firmly. “Not to me. You’re everything.”

  His eyes closed, a shaky breath escaping him. For a moment, he simply held her, as if clinging to the proof that she was real—that this wasn’t another cruel dream waiting to fracture.

  “You’re here,” he murmured, the words barely audible. “You’re really here.”

  Miyu nodded against his chest, her arms tightening around him. “I am. And I’m not leaving. Not ever.”

  Shunsuke buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent, letting her words soak into the cracks Ren had left behind. For the first time in years, the shards of his past didn’t cut so deeply.

  “I didn’t tell her that Ren cheated on her with me. I couldn’t,” he whispered, the memory still carrying a sting of shame. “I helped her financially for some time. I told her I was a friend and former colleague of Ren’s. That he was my mentor.” It was a half-truth that felt heavy on his conscience.

  Miyu snuggled closer against him. “Do you want to confront Ren about it?” she asked softly.

  Shunsuke shook his head, a decisive movement. “No. I’m done with that.”

  Miyu nodded gently, accepting his decision. “Do you want to pick up Yuki with me later from school?” she asked softly, offering a quiet transition back to the present.

  Shunsuke smiled, kissing her forehead. “I would love to go with you and pick her up. And then we go to your parents, I guess?”

  Miyu giggled and nodded. “Yes. Then we go to my parents, and my Purin-kun gets a little birthday celebration.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Shunsuke chuckled, the sound lighter now. “Purin-kun, huh? Do I get candles and cake too, or just the title?”

  Miyu beamed up at him. “Both,” she said playfully. “Cake, candles, and the title of my Purin-kun forever.”

  Shunsuke kissed her forehead again, his heart settling into a rare, blissful peace. “Then I wouldn’t want anything else.”

  Miyu and Shunsuke lay cuddled together on his bed for a time, neither one speaking, just taking in the presence of the other and the occasional soft snores from the still-sleeping Kuro.

  "We should probably get up and dressed," Shunsuke murmured, giving Miyu a soft kiss. "We don't want to make Yuki-Chan wait."

  Miyu nodded, smiling at him. "Yes, we should. What are we doing with our sleepyhead?" she said playfully.

  Shunsuke chuckled and scooped up Miyu, carrying her into the walk-in closet. One side of the closet was impeccably organized with Shunsuke's clothes; the other side, which had been empty until recently, was now filled with Miyu's wardrobe. He set her down gently, then kissed her again. "Thank you for coming into my life... and for loving me, Miyu-Chan," he murmured against her lips.

  Miyu’s cheeks warmed as she looked at her dresses neatly hanging beside Shunsuke’s suits. “It really feels like home here now,” she whispered.

  Shunsuke brushed a strand of hair from her face. “It is your home,” he said firmly, his voice filled with quiet certainty.

  Miyu’s heart fluttered. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest for a moment before pulling back with a playful smile. “But if we don’t hurry, Yuki will scold us for being late.”

  Shunsuke chuckled softly, stealing one last kiss before letting her go. “And we can’t risk that. Her scolding is worse than Ryuichi’s.”

  Shunsuke’s car was parked by the curb, with Miyu and Shunsuke sitting in the front, and Kuro still asleep in the backseat.

  They had arrived early to pick Yuki up from school, leaving them a quiet moment to simply sit in the car.

  Miyu glanced at the time, careful not to be late. “Thank you for coming with me, Shunsuke,” she said softly. “Yuki will be so happy to see you, too.”

  Shunsuke smiled, took her hand in his, and leaned closer. “And I’m happy to have you both, Miyu.”

  She returned his smile, then leaned in, and they shared a kiss.

  Kuro stirred in the backseat, opening his eyes while still snug in the cashmere towel. The little raccoon looked up, seemingly surprised he was in the car.

  He chirped anxiously, but then spotted Shunsuke and Miyu and immediately relaxed.

  Shunsuke glanced back at him. “I’m here, Kuro. We’re just picking up Yuki,” he said softly to his fluffy companion.

  Kuro gave a gentle chirp, as if he understood every word.

  Miyu smiled softly. “We should start walking slowly and wait for her at the gate. Want to take Kuro with us?” she asked, looking first at Shunsuke, then at the raccoon.

  Shunsuke’s smile widened. “If Kuro promises me he won’t escape and will wear his leash,” he chuckled.

  In response, Kuro sat up and chirped eagerly.

  Shunsuke opened his door, got out, and made his way to the car’s trunk, where he kept a leash for just such an occasion.

  He retrieved it, closed the trunk, and then moved to the backseat door.

  As he opened it, Kuro looked up, chirping eagerly.

  “You’re happy to go outside again, aren’t you?” Shunsuke murmured.

  He carefully attached the collar and leash to the raccoon and scooped him up, then closed the back door before opening the passenger door for Miyu.

  Miyu smiled up at him. “Thank you,” she said, stepping out.

  Shunsuke set Kuro down, and the three of them walked toward the elementary school gate to wait for Yuki.

  Kuro sniffed every corner, intensely curious about the unfamiliar scents.

  Shunsuke kept a constant eye on him, knowing he had to be careful. He wasn’t normally allowed to take Kuro outside, as raccoons were considered an invasive species.

  Most of the time, he managed to get away with jokingly claiming Kuro was a tanuki—many people either didn’t spot the difference or simply didn’t know it.

  After a while, other parents began arriving to pick up their children. One of the mothers approached them.

  “Yuki-chan must be so happy to have such a good sister picking her up,” the woman said, then turned her attention to Shunsuke. “Is that your brother?”

  Miyu shook her head. “No, he’s my boyfriend. He was kind enough to come with me today,” she replied politely.

  Shunsuke gave Miyu’s hand a gentle squeeze.

  He knew how painful it was for her to keep up the pretense in public—to act as Yuki’s older sister, masking the truth that she was the child’s mother. It was done for the sake of the family’s reputation, and her own.

  Miyu looked at Shunsuke, offering a soft smile and a nod.

  Just then, another woman approached them, clearly nervous.

  “I-isn’t that Shun Ishihara?” she stuttered softly.

  Shunsuke met the woman’s gaze, visibly uncomfortable. He wrestled with himself, caught between denial and the truth, but his priority was keeping Miyu and Yuki out of a dangerous situation.

  “No. I’m not Shun Ishihara,” he stated firmly but politely.

  The woman studied him, her curiosity evident; clearly, she did not believe him.

  “I see. My apologies, then. You look very similar,” she said, bowing politely before she retreated.

  Miyu glanced at Shunsuke, offering a small smile and mouthing a silent thank you.

  Both of them knew what would have happened had the truth been revealed.

  Shun Ishihara had an overzealous female fan community, and some of them fiercely resented the idea of him being near any woman.

  Miyu had seen too much on social media from these “fans,” who allegedly talked about going so far as stalking and destroying the life of a potential love interest.

  All of this, so he would remain single—fueling their delusion that they might somehow win him.

  Kuro chirped softly, tugging at his leash.

  Shunsuke looked down; the raccoon was sitting next to him, nudging his leg.

  Shunsuke knelt, gently stroking Kuro’s fur. “It’s fine, Kuro. For you, Miyu, and Yuki, I’m just Shunsuke,” he whispered. “There is no Shun.”

  Just then, the air filled with the sound of children.

  Shunsuke straightened, Kuro sitting obediently by his side.

  “Nee-san! Shun-nii!” Yuki squealed when she saw them. “Oh! Kuro is here, too!” she added happily.

  Miyu hugged Yuki gently. “It’s good to see you, Yuki-chan,” she murmured. “Let’s go home now. Mother and Father are waiting.”

  Yuki nodded, immediately falling in behind Shunsuke and Miyu as they headed for the car.

  They reached the car.

  Shunsuke opened the back door for Yuki and Kuro, then leaned in to help Yuki fasten her seatbelt.

  He settled into the driver’s seat, but before he could start the engine, a notification flashed on his public phone—the one he used as Shun Ishihara.

  As he picked up the device, he froze: a social media alert. He had been tagged in a photo.

  With mounting dread, he tapped the screen. It was a picture of him, Miyu, and Yuki, bearing the caption: Shun Ishihara spotted with a girl with child.