Chapter 188：Pre-Marital Syndrome

When Takeshi comes out from the changing room, Aiko is no longer on the couch. All is left there is her coat. "Where is Waseda-san ?" he asks to a young lady who is standing behind the receptionist desk. "Oh, she just left a minute ago. She walked to the left," the young lady answers. Takeshi sighs. After saying thank you, he grabs Aiko's coat then walks fast to find her.

As Takeshi expected, Aiko is walking in daze. He fastens his walk then grabs her wrist and pulls her in his embrace. "You can not continue your habit of walking carelessly like this," he whispers to her hair. "Let me go," Aiko struggles to get off from his embrace. Takeshi holds her even tighter.

"What's up with you today ?" He asks in confused. His eyes stare at her in worry. Aiko drops her head to avoid his stare. "Tell me, what is bothering .."

"Do you really want us to be married ? Or you just have to do it ?" Aiko suddenly asks him after raising her head.

Takeshi is dumbfounded. "Wh.. What ? Where did you get that idea ?" he asks.

"Just answer it!" Aiko urges him.

"I really want to marry you, okay," Takeshi answers with softer voice.

"Really ?"

Takeshi nods to confirm then kisses her forehead before bringing her deeper into his embrace. While petting her back he whispers, "That's what I wanted to tell you back then. I do care about our wedding, but I care more about our marriage. So what if our wedding is not perfect ? What matter more is our marriage to be perfect and happy."

"So, you said that I don't care about our future marriage ?" Aiko once again makes Takeshi dumbfounded with her question.

"Honey, what's wrong with you today ?" Takeshi asks her in confused after he can manage his dumbstruck. He lets go his embrace and parts Aiko's body an arm away so he can see her in the eyes. "You've turned my words upside down since the beginning," Takeshi expresses his worry. Instead of answering, Aiko shakes her head repeatedly and then bursts out in cry. Still in confusion, Takeshi can only embraces her again and pets her back to calm her down. "Let's just go back to the hospital," he finally can only say that.

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"Is it probably has something to do with pre-marital syndrome ?" he asks the doctor. He read about it somewhere that a bride-to-be tends to have anxiety and stress about their upcoming wedding. "Probably," the doctor says.

Takeshi sighs. "What should I do ?" he asks cluelessly. "Just.. be more patient with her. The stress and paranoia might affect her physical health also," the doctor says. "Maybe you can bring her to hot spring for relaxing," the doctor adds. Takeshi nods to agree with his suggestion.

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"Don't look," Aiko says while standing on the edge of the hot spring, wearing a towel up on her chest. Takeshi smiles teasingly. "What are you shy about. We will be marry in less than three months," he says in light . He is already inside the hot spring, totally naked. "This is my first time with different gender in a hot spring," Aiko tells her reason. Takeshi chuckles, but he decides to follow her request by gazing away from her and covers the side of his face that facing her. He can hear Aiko is entering the hot spring as the water ripples. Aiko sits next to him slowly. With a heavy sighs she tells him that he can dismiss his act now.

Takeshi looks at her with tender smile. Aiko's head is now lying back on the rock behind her. Her eyes are closed, her pale face is slightly having color due to the warm water. The weather around them is misty and foggy. After content with his sight, Takeshi lays back his head and closes his eyes. It is very peaceful there.

"I apologized to Kohei-san of my previous behavior yesterday," Aiko tells him in an almost whispering voice.

"Good girl," Takeshi responds to her.

"I'm sorry for my act to you also"

Takeshi opens his eyes and turns to her. Aiko is already staring at him. "I was not mad at you. I was worry."

"Then, can you forgive me ?"

Takeshi touches her jaw gently. "Of course I forgive you."

Aiko rubs her cheek to his palm. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"The food and cutlery is set. The music also.."

"Honey.." Takeshi puts his finger in front of Aiko's lips. "Let's forget about the preparation for a while, will you ?" he requests her, adding a loving gaze to persuade her. Aiko looks at him for a second then smiles.

"Alright," she finally agrees, putting back her head on the rock. "It's so relaxing here," she murmurs while closing her eyes. When she opens her eyes after a while, only then she realizes that Takeshi has been laid his eyes on her for this long with a caring gaze. "Don't look at me like that," she says shyly.

"Let me scrub your back," Takeshi offers her while grabbing a clean towel that specially prepared for scrubbing. Aiko raises her body and giving Takeshi a view of her back by shifting all her hair to her right shoulder. Takeshi narrows his eyes a little to see her back. Aiko must has dropped a lot of weight. She is so thin that her backbone is vividly shown under her skin. Takeshi dampens the towel and starts to scrub it on her back.

"I don't want you to be stress with the preparation, you know. It affects your health," Takeshi utters his worry as gentle as possible.

"I want our wedding to be perfect," Aiko says in murmur as she almost falls to sleep.

"Perfect is a condition people almost impossible can reach. Beautiful is enough for me. And I believe it will be, no matter what, because you are my bride," Takeshi stops his move, "I hope it will be also beautiful for you just because I'm your groom."

Aiko turns her body to him. "You're right. It will be beautiful no matter what." She is snaking her arms around his neck. "Because I will be your wife, right ?" Takeshi nods at her while caring his head closer to her face until their lips are met.