Spring Blooms When I'm With You

"So... you're saying Mrs. Souma could deliberately set up the foundation to anonymously help your sister?"

"En... Maybe?"

By this time, the two of them were sitting on the couch in the living room. They had just eaten dinner. On Tsubaki's request, Ren made two omurice, a plate of chicken tempura and a bowl of cuc.u.mber salad. His wife finished all of them and now was munching on sweet gr.a.p.es. One by one, the gr.a.p.es found their way inside her little mouth.

Day by day, her appetite increased. Whether it was a jar of cookies or a plate of fruits, it didn't matter. She would happily eat all of them. It was like she was being starved by him!

"Why did you think so?" Ren reached out for a cl.u.s.ter of gr.a.p.es, plucked one out and popped it inside her mouth. Tsubaki gladly accepted the gr.a.p.e. "Because the orphanage was the first one chosen by the foundation?"

When Ren first discovered the fact, he thought it was just a coincidence but since it was already disclosed that Mrs. Souma had pretended to be Fujioka Masami and went to visit Hinata, he too was suspicious with the so-called coincidence.

"Do you think I should follow Mr. Saito's suggestion?"

Even though she knew that he was her cousin, Tsubaki still felt awkward to address him by name. She had told her husband regarding Saito Hajime's plan to bring her to meet Mrs. Souma. By now, she had already certain he was talking about the wife of President Souma.

Ren paused to think. He needed to weigh the pros and cons before letting his wife went with the man's suggestion. Although he didn't sense any malice from the older lady, he still needed to be careful. Besides, his wife was in a delicate stage of pregnancy right now. He didn't want anything to happen to her due to a slight mistake.

"Why don't we think over first?" Ren said after a period of silence. "We could attend the anniversary even without confronting either of them. It's better to take some time to think since this involves your safety."

Tsubaki obediently nodded her head, agreeing with her husband. Ren had a valid reason to be overthinking. They still needed some time to plan their move although Saito Hajime said she would need to give him her answer by tomorrow.

As she was silently thinking, the gr.a.p.es in the bowl had almost finished. Ren smiled funnily seeing his wife eating the gr.a.p.e one by one like a cute squirrel. He wondered how did she store all the food? Their dinner earlier was already quite heavy.

When he saw the last gr.a.p.e was heading to his wife's mouth, a mischievous idea popped in his head.

Without any warning, he leaned over and captured her plump lips. One of his palms secured the back of her head, cutting her escape path. Tsubaki's eyes widened due to the surprise attack. Moreover, since she sensed something was being stolen from her mouth.

After a moment, Ren let her go. He smiled sneakily, his Adam's apples bobbed down as if he was swallowing something before he said in a lazy voice, "The gr.a.p.e is sweet. But, I think your lips are sweeter."

Tsubaki puffed up her cheeks. She had realized something!

"You stole my gr.a.p.e!"

Ren shrugged nonchalantly. He had successfully stole the last gr.a.p.e from her. He laughed out loud seeing her cute angry face. He bent down and captured her waist, both of them fell on the couch. The sound of Tsubaki's nagging was muffled down by his c.h.e.s.t. She raised her fists, trying to punch his c.h.e.s.t.

Her action felt ticklish instead of hurting him. Ren laughed heartily.

"Be good, stay still," Ren crooned by her right ear as he saw his wife didn't have the intention to stop her cute action. Her cheeks were still puffed up in indignation.

"Who's going to stay still? Return my gr.a.p.e now!"

Tsubaki moved her right hand to his left one, she was tempted to pinch the back of his hand. Last time, she managed to pull his cheeks so why didn't she choose his hand next? This naughty husband of hers should be discipline well!

She had just lightly pinched his hand when a sharp sound of a hiss penetrated her ears. Tsubaki was surprised. The sound didn't seem like it was deliberately made.

"Darling? Why?"

"It's nothing, sweetheart," He tried to smile yet it was obvious he was hiding something.

Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. His action reminded her at the time when he had hurt his hand. He was acting like this too, placing his hand behind his back with a calm expression on his face.

"Did you hurt your hand again? What happened?" Tsubaki didn't beat around the bush, she immediately launched an attack. Her words managed to crack the calmness of Ren's smile.

"I didn't..."

"Show me your hand!" Tsubaki was adamant. She refused to back down.

Leaving with no choice, Ren slowly offered his palm for her to look at. Tsubaki sighed once she saw two long wounds over his palm.

"How did you get these?" Her voice was filled with worry, she gently held his hand as she inspected the wounds.

The wounds weren't as deep as he got before. One wouldn't notice them if they didn't look at them properly. Tsubaki herself didn't realize that her husband had hurt his hand since when he was cooking earlier, she was upstairs taking a bath.

"They are not serious. I accidentally grazed my palm with a cutter," Ren tried to appease his wife. He wasn't telling the entire truth yet he wasn't lying.

"Be careful every time you want to use sharp objects! You've hurt your hand before," Tsubaki couldn't help but nag. Her husband was too worrisome! He played around too much and now was punished with two new wounds. How could she not worry?

"Did you have to use a cutter? Or, were you doing something else?" It was rare for a white-collar like her husband needed to use such sharp objects, especially he had subordinates doing menial tasks for him.

"I just helped Takuma opened his parcel. Alright, alright. I'll listen to you," Before she started asking her in detail about how he got the wounds, it was better for him to divert her attention to elsewhere. He had even used Takuma's name to save himself.

Ren retracted his palm from her small hands. He placed his hand at the back of her head, tilting her chin to raise up. "Well, let's continue our cuddling session. Or, do you want me to kiss you? I won't object to that. Your lips taste like gr.a.p.es, sweetheart."

Tsubaki's face flushed red. How could he be so shameless?

As Ren had mischievously thought, she had forgot to ask him how did the cutter cut him.

The husband and wife continued to bicker.

The next day, Tsubaki called Saito Hajime to convey her intention to delay the matter first. Unsurprisingly, the man didn't agree with her decision.

"Are you really not seeing that person soon?" Once again, he tried to persuade her.

"It's too sudden, I still need to think about it," Tsubaki was calm as she replied to the man at the end of the line. Her stance was unwavering even under Saito Hajime's cold voice. "It has been a smooth journey so far, I can't help but be on my guard."

"Up to you. I'm ready whenever you want to meet that person," Saito Hajime didn't waste another breath to make Tsubaki changed her mind. If she was unwilling, there was nothing he could do. He understood why did she was being careful.

Tsubaki felt exhausted even though she was just making a short call. She slumped her back on the comfy cushion behind her, both of her feet curled up on the couch. Ren elevated his gaze from his laptop, it went straight to his wife who was fiddling with her phone on the long couch. The corners of his lips raised up.

"You're still thinking of it?" Ren closed his laptop, he slowly stood up and rounded the mahogany desk, walking toward Tsubaki. He sat at the edge of the couch, his body facing her.

They were currently in his office. Tsubaki was being clingy since the moment she woke up so Ren, with a happy heart, decided to bring her to work. He would say no to the extra time he could be with her. Once Takuma saw how they were clinging to each other like sticky rice when they met in front of the elevator earlier, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"I can't help it," Tsubaki sighed heavily. "I feel like going to Mrs. Souma and ask everything of what she knew all these years. Maybe... I feel guilty because doubting her. I want to trust her but... what if I misplaced my trust?"

To say she was close to Mrs. Souma, it was kind of baseless thinking since she had only just met the elegant older lady for a few times. But, it was inevitable for Tsubaki to feel sorry for painting a bad image on Mrs. Souma. From the times they spent together, she had never sense any malice or deception from Mrs. Souma.

And, she had still remembered the advice she received from Mrs. Souma on the first time they met.

Do not attempt to be someone else you're not.

It wasn't a piece of mere advice. From the way her eyes carried a hint of sorrow and the small smile on her face, she spoke those words as if to remind herself too instead of giving it to Tsubaki just on a whim.

He loved the feeling of her soft body being closed to him, the surge of pride that filled his heart when he thought he was the only one who had the ability to make her feel safe. The feeling intensified every time her slender arms returned his gesture.

He was so much in love with this young lady.

"You're not just worried about that, am I right?" His voice was low by her ears, his warm breath lightly tickling her neck. "What else are you thinking, sweetheart? Tell me?"

Tsubaki smiled as she couldn't contain the sweetness that was overflowing in her heart. She buried her face against his c.h.e.s.t, both of her hands were placed around his narrow waist. Her husband was always so understanding of her.

But, when she thought of what was troubling her, the sweet feeling gradually faded away.

"Do you think it's true? Of what I have said before?" Tsubaki pulled away slightly from her husband. She tilted her head, her eyes went to his concerned gaze. "About the person who orc.h.e.s.trated the accident five years ago?"

Ren pursed his lips into a straight line. The distress that was clearly reflected in her eyes caused a stabbing pain in his heart. He didn't know what to say to her as he refused to lie.

A face with a sinister smile came into his mind.