She Gave Birth (Romance Line, 4,000 Words)

The SMSG's regular briefing was delivered to Nakayama Takuya's desk, but he only glanced at it before casually setting it aside. Nothing in North America was urgent at the moment.

The real emergency is at home.

Nakayama Eri's abdominal distension became more and more pronounced, and in the afternoon, she even experienced several irregular contractions.

Although it was just her body making final preparations for childbirth, and there was no bleeding or water breaking, the resident nurse still immediately gave the safest advice.

"Mr. Nakayama, it's time to prepare to go to the hospital."

In short, it's like a starting gun.

The entire Nakayama Mansion instantly shifted from a state of tranquil anticipation to a high-speed state of readiness.

The pre-prepared plan was immediately activated. Nakayama Takuya rushed back to his room, picked up the two large suitcases that had been packed in advance, while his mother, Nakayama Miyuki, acted like a commander, personally supporting Eri while methodically directing the old maid, Keiko.

"Keiko, Eri's usual blanket! And her thermos, fill it with warm water!"

"Sir, the car is ready!"

"Knew!"

Nakayama Takuya, carrying a suitcase in each hand, rushed downstairs with lightning speed, reassuring his mother who followed behind, "Mom, don't panic, I've brought everything, the hospital has everything!"

"Is the hospital as comfortable as home?" Nakayama Miyuki glared at her son, carefully supporting her daughter-in-law's back. "Eri, slow down, don't rush, keep your footing."

Eri this scene, Eri's initial tension lessened considerably, and she couldn't help but give Takuya a helpless yet amused look.

With an efficiency comparable to that of an army mobilization, the family safely and securely Eri to the highest-level VIP maternity ward at Sugiyama Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.

This is less of a hospital ward and more of a luxury hotel suite equipped with a full range of medical facilities.

Even in the most comfortable environment, when Eri changed into her hospital gown and lay on the adjustable hospital bed, the tension before the battle inevitably surged up.

During the ten months of pregnancy, you learn a lot of parenting knowledge and childbirth courses, but when the moment actually comes, there is still a chasm called "fear" between theory and reality.

Nakayama Takuya noticed his wife's unease.

Without saying a word, he put down all his work and opened the two large suitcases with a "click".

The next second, Eri was dumbfounded.

She watched as her husband, as if by magic, pulled things out of the box.

A thick photo album sat on the bedside table.

"Eri, look, this is from when we first met. You were waiting for me outside the TV station, and it started pouring rain. We shared an umbrella, do you remember?"

Takuya turned to a page and pointed to the two slightly immature young people in the photo. Eri looked at herself in the photo, her shoulder half wet, but she was smiling happily, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

Next, a stack of scripts for "Cooking Master Boy" with handwritten notes was taken out.

"And this too, back then, in order to make ' Rising Dragon Dumplings,' the props team steamed the dough hundreds of times, but still failed in the end, which made the director so angry that he almost flipped the table."

Eri was amused by his comical imitation. A slight tightening sensation came from her abdomen. She took a deep breath, and the tension in her heart dissipated a little.

That's not all.

Nakayama Takuya carefully took out small items wrapped in soft cloth from the depths of the box and placed them one by one on the windowsill.

Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle —palm-sized clay figurines were neatly arranged in a row, numbered from 001 to 251.

"The Pokédex is complete! When Baby arrives, he'll recognize all his friends at first glance!"

Looking at the impressive procession, Eri was both annoyed and amused. This guy had really brought half his house with him.

Finally, Takuya pulled a huge, round, pink plush ball from the bottom of the box and placed it on the empty sofa next to him. "Ta-da! Jigglypuff! Its job is to sing, but it's not allowed to make the doctors and nurses fall asleep, understand?" He patted Jigglypuff's head solemnly.

The entire ward instantly transformed from a cold medical environment into a cozy little haven filled with memories and childlike fun.

Eri's parents Nakagawa Jun and Nakagawa Takako, also arrived quickly.

Seeing that their daughter was being taken care of so meticulously and was in good spirits, the two elderly people were finally able to put their minds at ease.

Nakagawa Takako held her daughter's hand, babbling sweet nothings, while the company president Nakagawa Jun, patted his son-in-law on the shoulder, his eyes full of approval and entrustment.

"Takuya, thank you for your hard work."

"Dad, what are you saying?"

Before leaving, Nakagawa Takako repeatedly reminded him, "Takuya, call us immediately as soon as your water breaks!"

After seeing off his parents-in-law, the ward returned to silence.

Takuya peeled an Apple and fed it to Eri piece by piece.

"Takuya-- " Eri suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"I'm still a little scared." Her hand unconsciously gripped the corner of the blanket.

Nakayama Takuya put down the fruit knife, took her cold hand in his, and wrapped it completely in his palm.

He didn't offer empty words of comfort like "Don't be afraid" or "It's okay," but simply placed her hand on his cheek and whispered:

"I'm here."

"The baby is here too."

"My son and I will be with you."

Eri felt the warmth of his palm and the touch of his cheek. Looking into his focused and determined eyes, the last bit of fear in her heart seemed to melt away slowly in this warm current.

She nodded, and just as she was about to say something, she felt another, more pronounced contraction in her abdomen.

She let out a muffled groan, her brows furrowing instantly.

Takuya immediately tensed up. "It's happening again? Should we call a doctor?"

"No---no need." Eri took a breath, a complicated smile appearing on her face. "It seems--this time is a little different again."

On the morning of the third day after I checked into Sugiyama Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, that familiar feeling of heaviness returned.

Eri had just swallowed the last mouthful of warm miso soup when her abdomen suddenly tightened, followed by an uncontrollable surge of warm fluid.

She and Takuya exchanged a glance, and the ease on their faces instantly froze.

"The water broke!"

Takuya practically sprang to his feet and pressed the emergency call button by the bedside.

The ward, which was filled with warmth and childlike fun just a few days ago, instantly returned to the somber atmosphere befitting a medical setting with the piercing sound of the alarm bell.

The nurses filed in and quickly transferred Eri to a mobile hospital bed.

"Mr. Nakayama, please wait outside."

The heavy door to the delivery room slammed shut in front of Takuya, completely separating the two worlds.

He took a deep breath, and his fingers, which were reaching for the phone, seemed to move almost uncontrollably.

"Mom, it's me. Eri —she's in the delivery room."

On the other end of the phone, Nakayama Miyuki's voice rose sharply for a moment, but quickly regained its composure. "Understood, we'll be there right away!"

Takuya, don't panic, stay with Eri!

"She went in, but I can't get in." Takuya's voice was a little hoarse.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately called his father-in-law's house and briefly reported the situation.

In less than half an hour, the corridor outside the delivery room was filled with people.

Mr. and Mrs. Nakayama Hayao and Mr. and Mrs. Nakagawa Jun arrived almost at the same time, and the same anxiety was written on the faces of all four elders.

Nakayama Hayao, the president of Sega, was at this moment just an ordinary old man who was about to hold his grandson.

He took off his suit jacket and handed it to his secretary, wearing only a white shirt. He crossed his arms and leaned silently against the wall, but his eyes, which had been so powerful in the business world, were fixed on the closed door of the delivery room.

Time passed by, second by second.

At first, the delivery room was quiet, with nurses occasionally coming in and out, bringing the same message: "Everything is going well, please wait patiently."

But as time went on, starting in the afternoon, the door could no longer contain Eri's suppressed cries of pain.

One sound after another, like whips lashing at the hearts of everyone in the waiting area.

Nakayama Takuya could no longer sit still. Like a Beast trapped in a cage, he paced back and forth in the corridor, each step heavy.

"Can't you just sit down? You're making me dizzy by turning around like this!" Nakayama Hayao finally couldn't help but speak, his voice filled with suppressed frustration.

Takuya suddenly stopped, glanced back at his father, his lips moved but he didn't say a word, and continued walking.

Nakayama Miyuki sighed and pulled her son aside, "Takuya, eat something. You haven't eaten much since this morning."

"I can't eat."

Eight hours have passed.

As night fell, the corridor lights appeared exceptionally pale.

The sounds from the delivery room had changed from suppressed cries of pain to heart-wrenching screams.

The pain contained in that voice sent chills down the spines of the grown men. Nakayama Hayao's expression grew increasingly grim. He walked over to Takuya and handed him a can of iced coffee.

"Have something to drink to perk yourself up. That's how childbirth is; women have to go through a life-or-death ordeal, and so do men."

Just then, a nurse came out of the delivery room carrying an empty tray.

Takuya rushed forward and blocked her path. "Nurse, how is my wife? Why is she screaming so loudly?"

The nurse, clearly used to this kind of situation, replied calmly, "Mr. Nakayama, please rest assured, your wife's vital signs are all normal, and she has a very strong will. This is only the first stage of labor; she hasn't reached the final exertion stage yet, so the pain is normal."

Not at the final stage yet?

Is the first stage of labor really this painful?

Takuya felt as if his heart had been ripped open, a mix of helplessness and heartache washing over him.

He took two steps back, leaning against the cold wall with his forehead against it, and slammed his fist into his outstretched left hand with a dull thud that pierced the silent corridor.

Nakayama Hayao's eyes flickered, but he did not utter another word of rebuke.

Suddenly, a scream, sharper and more piercing than ever before, echoed from the delivery room, a sound that seemed to have exhausted all of Eri's strength.

Then, everything came to an abrupt end.

The corridor fell into dead silence.

Takuya suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the door.

Why is it so quiet?

After that piercing scream, a suffocating silence fell both inside and outside the delivery room.

Time seemed to stand still.

Takuya stood frozen in place, his blood seemingly freezing in an instant. The tightly closed door, in his eyes, had transformed into a colossal beast that devoured everything.

He could even hear his own heart pounding like a drum, one beat after another, striking his eardrums.

Why is it so quiet?

Eri

Just as this deathly silence was driving him mad, "Wah--! Waaah--!"

A loud, clear, and vibrant baby cry pierced the still air!

That sound was like heavenly music!

Takuya's tense body suddenly went limp, as if all his bones had been removed. He leaned against the wall and relaxed, his eyes welling up with tears.

"It's born! It's born!" Overjoyed, mothers Nakayama Miyuki and Nakagawa Takako embraced each other tightly.

Nakayama Hayao's perpetually tense face softened instantly, and he let out a long breath, finally relaxing his clenched fists.

"Click," the delivery room door opened.

A nurse removed her mask, a professional smile mixed with a hint of fatigue on her face, "Congratulations everyone, it's a healthy baby boy, weighing 2.93 kg. Mother and child are both safe."

"Peaceful... I'm glad she's safe..." Takuya rushed to the nurse, "How is my wife... Eri?"

"Mrs. Nakayama is very strong; she's just exhausted and needs to rest. Please don't worry."

Upon receiving a positive response, everyone completely relaxed.

Nakayama Hayao walked over and slapped his son hard on the back.

"You brat, stand up straight! From today onwards, you're a father too."

Although it was a reprimanding tone, there was an undisguised excitement in his voice.

While waiting for the baby to be cleaned up, Takuya was the first to rush back to the cozy VIP ward.

A few minutes later, when the nurse pushed in the incubator and mobile hospital bed, he had already made the bed and moved the huge Jigglypuff to the corner, afraid that it would get in the way.

Eri was carefully moved back to the hospital bed. Her face was pale, and her hair was soaked with sweat, sticking to her cheeks and forehead. She looked as if she had just been pulled out of the water, extremely exhausted, yet she had an unprecedented radiance.

Without Takuya rushed to the bedside, bent down, gently brushed the wet hair from his wife's face, and carefully wiped her cheeks and neck with a warm towel.

He said nothing, but took her hand and placed it on his lips, pressing a burning kiss.

A thousand words are contained in this kiss.

Eri weakly opened her eyes, looked at her husband's bloodshot eyes and the bluish stubble on his chin, and forced a smile.

"Where are our children?" Her voice was soft and gentle, like a feather.

"Here it is, Eri, look." Nakayama Miyuki had carefully taken Qianglu from the nurse's hands. Holding the third generation of the family, she smiled from ear to ear, quickly walked to the bedside, and gently pressed the child next to Eri's face.

The little guy was wrapped up tightly, with only his wrinkled little face showing. His skin had a healthy red glow, his eyes were tightly closed, but he would occasionally smack his lips.

"So ugly--." Eri looked at her masterpiece and couldn't help but mutter under her breath, tears streaming down her face.

"What's ugly about him!" Takuya immediately retorted. He leaned closer, scrutinizing his son closely. The strange feeling of being connected by blood was clearer than ever before. "Look at this nose, so straight! These eyebrows and eyes, they look just like yours. He'll definitely be a handsome man when he grows up!"

Nakayama Hayao also came over. This Sega president, who was a powerful figure in the business world, was now looking at his eldest grandson like an ordinary old man, wearing reading glasses.

Takuya looked at his father, then at his wife and son, and the last bit of unease in his heart vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of peace and fulfillment.

He took Eri's hand again and could feel her gripping it tightly.

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.