The Yakuza’s Mute Bride novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Tadashi had been busier than ever these past few days.

–

Meetings, phone calls, unexpected visits his presence faded into the sterile rhythm of hospital corridors, the antiseptic scent clinging to his tailored suits as if it were a second skin.

Naomi rarely saw him now. Sometimes, she caught only a glimpse of his reflection in a glass door, a flecting shadow before he vanished again, leaving behind the faint echo of his polished shoes and the weight of unspoken words.

Yet Shun-sama’s condition was improving. His skin regained warmth and color, the lines of pain around his eyes softening into the gentle creases of a smile. When Naomi sat beside him, reading aloud from one of the novels she carried, she sometimes caught him watching her with quiet gratitude, and it warmed her heart in a way she had never expected. In those moments, he became a father figure she had never known, a steady presence against the turbulence of her past.

This morning, golden sunlight spilled softly through the curtains, brushing the room in warm light.

Naomi hummed quietly, arranging fresh flowers by the window, her fingers brushing the petals as if to coax life from them. She breathed in the faint scent of roses mixed with antiseptic and the lingering aroma of the herbal teas she had brewed for Shun-sama. It was a small ritual – fragile, ordinary — that gave her a sense of calm.

Then a voice interrupted her.

“Miss Naomi,” said a young nurse standing at the door, her white uniform crisp and impeccable. Naomi did not recognize her. “There’s a package for you at the reception desk.”

Naomi blinked in surprise.

In this place, English was not commonly spoken, yet the nurse’s voice carried it effortlessly, politely.

Naomi nodded, grateful, quickly scribbling a note on her notebook and signing politely to the guards stationed just outside the door.

‘I’ll just get it from the reception. Please take care of Shun-sama.’

The guards inclined their heads, eyes briefly assessing her before returning to their silent vigil.

Naomi’s steps echoed faintly across the polished floor as she left the room. It only took a few minutes to walk to reception. sign the necessary form, and receive the small, nondescript brown box. No return address. No indication of origin – only her name written in careful, precise handwriting.

A chill crept up her spine as she held it.

She turned the box over in her hands, studying the neat, almost meticulous letters.

A shiver ran down her back, and for a fleeting moment, her imagination painted a hundred dark scenarios: could it be from Tadashi? From Shun-sama’s staff? Or… something else? But she brushed it away. Hospitals often sent parcels, and she had never received many anyway. Maybe it was a gift. Maybe it was nothing at all.

With the box secured under one arm, Naomi returned to Shun-sama’s room.

Click…

But the air inside felt… wrong. Subtle, almost imperceptible – a tension that pricked at the edge of her senses.

Her instincts honed over years of cautious living whispered that something was off.

—

–

Inside, beside Shun-sama’s bed, a nurse stood. A syringe hovered dangerously close to the IV tube.

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Chapter 13

Naomi’s heart lurched. Who?

She did not recognize this woman.

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“Excuse me,” Naomi said softly, knowing that writing will be too late, her voice cracking slightly despite her efforts to remain calm. She raised one hand to sign at the same time, a mixture of instinct and learned habit. “Who are you? What are you doing?”

The woman froze.

Then she smiled when she turned her head to her. It was thin, wrong, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Something in it set Naomi’s nerves on edge.

“Just a little something to ease his pain,” the woman said, her tone sugary, deceptively sweet.

Naomi’s steps were instinctive.

She moved closer, her hands steady even as her pulse quickened before she shook her head. “The doctor said no one is allowed to treat him without permission. Where’s your ID?”

The nurse ignored her, fingers inching the syringe closer to the IV line.

Naomi’s chest tightened; panic threatened to rise. She lunged forward, gripping the nurse’s wrist. “No! Stop!”

SMACK..!!!!!

Pain exploded across her cheek before she could react further.

A sharp, brutal slap sent her crashing against the metal tray table. It clattered loudly to the floor, instruments jingling, drawing every eye in the room.

Naomi’s head spun, tears stinging, shock freezing her in place.

“Naomi!” Shun-sama’s voice rang out, urgent and raw, breaking through the haze of pain.

His trembling hand slammed the emergency button beside the bed, the shrill alarm blaring immediately.

Within seconds, two guards burst through the door, moving with lethal precision.

The woman turned to flee, but one guard blocked her path. The other grabbed her wrist, yanking her away from the IV line. A brief, brutal struggle ensued. She fought with the desperation of someone with nothing to lose, thrashing and clawing, her movements sharp and unpredictable.

Oh my God, what is happening?

Naomi could only clutch her burning cheek, eyes wide with horror, frozen in fear.

Finally, the guards forced the woman to the floor.

One ripped off her white mask, revealing a face cold, unfamiliar, and cruel- a stranger in appearance, yet her intent had

been clear.

The commotion had drawn more staff. Nurses, doctors, and even a few passing patients watched in confusion and fear. Someone shouted for the police, and within minutes, the authorities arrived.

The syringe fell to the floor with a metallic clatter.

Naomi noticed the faint trace of a dark liquid inside – ominous and unfamiliar.

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Chapter 13

Her stomach twisted.

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Shun-sama’s breath came in uneven bursts, but his voice remained firm. “Naomi… are you hurt?”

She shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks, pressing her palm against the swollen, stinging skin.

The real doctor arrived moments later, checking both Naomi and Shun-sama, eyes narrowing as he assessed the scene. He ordered Naomi to a different room for proper treatment, away from the chaos and the lingering threat.

It was thirty minutes later when Tadashi arrived.

The moment he stepped into the room, his expression was unreadable – a dangerous calm that made the air itself feel taut. He listened silently as the guards recounted every detail, jaw tightening at the mention of the slap.

“What? She stopped her?” Tadashi’s voice was low, controlled, but it carried the weight of restrained fury.

“Hai, Tadashi-sama,” one guard said firmly. “If not for her, Shun-sama might have…” The sentence hung unfinished.

Tadashi did not need it completed; he understood perfectly.

Without another word, he strode down the hallway.

His long, measured steps echoed sharply, commanding the space. People instinctively stepped aside, whispers and stares trailing behind him, but he ignored them all.

He found the doctor first. “How is she?” he demanded, voice edged with the kind of authority that brooked no argument.

“She’s fine,” the doctor said cautiously. “Just swelling on her left cheek, a few bruises. She’s shaken but coherent. She hasn’t said much.”

Tadashi nodded once.

Then, without hesitation, he pushed the door open.

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Inside, Naomi sat on the bed, head lowered, an ice pack pressed against her cheek. Her skin looked pale, almost translucent under the fluorescent hospital light. Her fingers trembled in her lap. She didn’t look up as he entered.

For a long moment, Tadashi simply stood, watching. Observing. Breathing quietly.

The quiet in the room thickened, almost physical, pressing against Naomi’s shoulders.

Then, finally, his voice came, soft but unyielding. “You saved him?”

Naomi remained still, unsure what to say, unsure if she should say anything.

“You did,” he repeated, firmer this time. “If you weren’t there-”

“I just… I just did what anyone would do,” she whispered finally, voice raw and trembling, too weak to write anything and just blurt it, aware that Tadashi knew she could speak.

“No,” Tadashi interrupted, firm, unwavering, hiding his shock to hear her voice talking to him for the first time. “Not anyone would risk their life for him.”

He slid into the chair beside her bed.

For the first time, the sharp edges of his usual demeanor softened, replaced by something almost… gentle, almost human.

Naomi’s lips quivered, caught between wanting to smile and the remnants of fear that still lingered.

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Chapter 13

The silence stretched, heavy but comforting, as if the world outside the hospital had disappeared.

–

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but in that room, there was only this

Outside, the hallway was still chaotic Clan members, staff, whispers, footsteps fragile bubble of quiet, punctuated by Naomi’s shallow breaths and Tadashi’s calm presence.

Just them.

Just heartbeats.

Just silence that felt… warm.

Naomi swallowed. Her voice barely a breath when she remember something: “Tadashi-san…”

His gaze snapped to her, sharp and alert when he realize her panic expression. “What is it?”

“The package,” she whispered. “I received a package before the nurse came.”

The world stilled…

Tadashi’s face hardened.

“Damn it!!” He stood abruptly and strode out the door without a word.

Naomi blinked – panic spiking. She slid off the bed, knees weak, legs trembling. Tried to follow.

Too fast. Too dizzy. Her legs buckled -She collapsed to the floor.

Stupid… stupid… how could I forget…?!

Her thoughts shattered..

An instant later-BOOOOOOMMMMM.

The building trembled.

Windows rattled.

The ground lurched violently under her hands.

The explosion roared through the hospital halls like a beast freed from chains.

Naomi’s heartbeat stopped.

No.

No-Her blood ran cold.

“Shun-sama…!! Tadashi..!!” Her scream tore from her throat, raw and burning as she pushed herself to her feet.

Pain shot through her ribs but she didn’t stop.

She ran.

Barefoot, breath broken, mind screaming.

Smoke. Shouts. Panic rising like a tide.

“TADASHI-SAN!! SHUN-SAMA!!”

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Chapter 13

Silence had protected her all her life.

But now – she needed her voice.

She would scream the whole world down if she had to.

And pray – desperately – that the only warmth she had found in this life hadn’t just been swallowed by flame.

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10:37 Tue, Jan 6 •