All Chapters of Unbreakable Bonds: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Aika Takahashi of Yokohama was nine months pregnant when her world began to unravel.The night her water broke, rain pounded against the hospital windows. Nurses rushed her down the hallway in a wheelchair, her fingers trembling as she gripped her swollen belly.“Please… it’s time,” she whispered.But the labor room was occupied.Aika waited in the corridor, contractions tearing through her body. Then suddenly—Another pregnant woman was rushed past her.“She’s carrying twins!” a nurse shouted.Before Aika could protest, the doors closed.Something inside her snapped.“I was here first!” she screamed, pain and fury mixing in her voice.Minutes later, she could no longer wait.Her body forced the decision for everyone.In the chaos, doctors rushed her into a smaller emergency room. The lights were too bright. The room too tight. Her breathing uneven.Twenty agonizing minutes later, a cry pierced the air.A baby boy.Aika wept as she held him.“I’ll make sure you become someone strong,”

“I can’t breathe!” Haru gasped, his voice half-laughing, half-panicking as Tae Min tightened his arms around him.“Where were you?” Tae Min demanded, still holding him like he might vanish again. “Why did you suddenly disappear?”“I said I can’t breathe!”Tae Min finally loosened his grip—but only slightly.“You scared me,” he muttered. “You were gone at the pool. I thought—”“You thought what?” Haru challenged.“That you left.”Haru stared at him.“Didn’t you say you wanted me to leave?”The words struck harder than Tae Min expected.Silence settled between them.“What happened to your new playmate?” Haru asked, his tone carefully casual.Tae Min looked away. “I got rid of her.”“Why? I thought you liked playing with her more than me.”“I made the wrong choice,” Tae Min admitted quietly. “I regretted replacing you the moment you walked out.”Haru blinked.“Did you really look for me?” he asked. “Did you go to my house?”“Of course. I wouldn’t lie about that.”For a moment, Haru’s exp

The morning air was still cool when Tae Min, Tae Yeon, and Haru hurried across the parking lot.“Shotgun!” Tae Yeon declared, racing ahead and jumping into the front seat.“You always say that,” Tae Min muttered, sliding into the back seat beside Haru.“Buckle up, boys,” Tae Ha called gently from the driver’s seat.“Okay, Mrs. Tae Ha!” Haru replied brightly, fastening his seatbelt.Tae Min mumbled, “Okay, Mom,” without looking up from his phone.“We’ll stop by Haru’s house first,” Tae Ha continued as she started the engine.Haru straightened slightly. “Thank you, Mrs. Tae Ha. Did my mom know we’re coming?”“I texted her before we left,” Tae Ha said with a smile. “She said she prepared your favorite dishes.”Haru’s eyes lit up. “She did? Thank you for telling her!”Beside him, Tae Min’s fingers paused briefly over his screen.Favorite dishes.He remembered the way Haru smiled at dinner last night, the way he clung to him in his sleep.Stop thinking about that.“You know what?” Tae Ha s

“Yeah! I knew you would agree! Yes! Woohoo!” Tae Min shouted, throwing both arms into the air as if he had just won a championship.A few students near the rooftop door turned to stare.Haru’s eyes widened in embarrassment. “Hey! Sit down! You’re not a kid anymore.”“Why?” Tae Min laughed, spinning once. “This is a celebration!”“I said sit down!” Haru hissed, grabbing Tae Min’s sleeve and pulling him back toward the bench near the railing.Tae Min stumbled forward and nearly fell on top of him.Haru’s grip tightened. “People are looking at us.”Tae Min glanced around casually. “Let them. What do they care?”Haru’s jaw clenched. His voice dropped. “I care.”That made Tae Min pause.There was something in Haru’s tone—something heavier than embarrassment.“…Okay. Fine,” Tae Min muttered, sitting properly this time. “But don’t pretend you’re not excited.”Haru avoided his eyes for a second before answering. “Of course I am. I just don’t need to announce it to the whole school.”Tae Min l