Spring Blooms When I'm With You

The autumn wind sent a gentle breeze to the vast area of the hospital, fluttering the leaves and rattling the branches of the trees. The sound of people's chatter was drifted away by the wind, dispelling the silence.

Tsubaki kept her gaze level on President Souma, "So what if Fujioka Masami is my mother?"

President Souma's pupils trembled in surprise. Her words fractured his calm mask.

Tsubaki didn't say anything more. She just let them be wrapped by silence. She shifted her eyes from the older man and looked at her husband who stood beside her.

Ren pursed his lips tight. He was displeased with the uncalled appearance of President Souma, more so because his appearance meant bringing more stress to his wife but, since Tsubaki wanted to confront this man, he could just relent to her.

He was incensed by this man, yet, his wife no longer wanted to turn her back to her past.

Ren gently squeezed her waist, intending to convey some of his strength to her. Tsubaki accepted it by tracing the inner of his wrist.

"If Masami is your mother..."

The two heads looked back at the older man who had just opened his mouth. They quietly waited as they wanted to know what President Souma had to say.

The older man lifted up his eyes from the ground. Something flashed in his eyes as his lips twisted from smiling to pursing to smiling again.

A foreboding sense alerted Tsubaki.

"...You're supposed to be my daughter. Yes. I'm your father. I am your birth father."

The man's words sounded so firm as if he was telling the truth. Tsubaki was vexed when he said that.

Mrs. Souma once said that President Souma still believed the children that Fujioka Masami carried were his. Even so, to Tsubaki, this man was simply deluding himself. He didn't want to admit that his beloved woman had children with another man.

Besides, it was impossible for him to not question the night that he thought he slept with her mother when the fact was the woman was Mrs. Souma. He had been married to her for more than two decades.

It was really laughable if he couldn't tell that the woman he slept on that night with was Mrs. Souma who was currently his wife.

No matter how drunk he was, it was impossible to not recall the details as he spent more time with Mrs. Souma.

He was stupid if he could be deceived by just her mother's missing bracelet that Mrs. Souma deliberately left.

"I'm your father, Tsubaki," President Souma repeated his words. He had even dared to call her by her first name, "I am your father. Tsubaki, even though your mother isn't here, you still have a father, me."

Tsubaki was thoroughly disgusted. The irritation she suppressed when she met this man during the banquet a few days ago surged up, waiting to be spattered at this shameless man's face.

"I am not your daughter," Tsubaki's voice turned a degree colder, "Go back, President Souma. We have nothing to do with each other."

"No, you are my daughter!" President Souma stubbornly refuted her words, "Why? Do you think Saeki Takahisa is your father? No, Tsubaki. Your mother..."

"My father is Saeki Takahisa, the man that my mother, Fujioka Masami, loved her entire life," Tsubaki refrained herself from lashing out. Her jaw became rigid under the tension, "You have never been in the picture."

"Tsubaki, you don't know, that Saeki stole your mother from me," President Souma hurriedly spoke, "It is true that your father is me."

"Do you really believe the woman you slept with that night is my mother?" Tsubaki snapped back, cutting President Souma from finishing his sentence.

"You know about it?" President Souma frowned again, "Did Shiori tell you?"

"Leave your wife from this matter," Tsubaki didn't directly admit to it since it couldn't be concealed anyway. She continued shattering his delusion by outrightly spoke the truth, "You are a smart man, President Souma. Don't you think, just because my mother's bracelet was left in your room, you can regard that she is the one who you're with on that night?"

President Souma's expression turned deathly pale. For a moment, he couldn't rebut what the young lady spat to him.

Tsubaki curved her lips into a sneer. Judging from how he looked right now, it seemed like her guess was correct.

"Stop deceiving yourself," Tsubaki lowered her eyes. She suddenly felt so tired yet her voice remained firm as she continued, "You actually know that my mother wasn't entangled with you on that night. Leave us be."

Tsubaki took a step forward. Ren quickly followed her. He pressed on the small remote of the car, unlocking its doors. Both of them walked past the old man who now became as stiff as a statue.

Ren helped his wife getting inside the car. He rounded the car, walking to the driver's seat after latching Tsubaki's seatbelt. From the spot where he stood, he cast one last look to President Souma.

"President Souma, one word of advice from me," Ren's grip on the car door was tight. The frost in his eyes added more layers as coldness exuded from his whole being.

President Souma listlessly turned his head around, locking eyes with the man who was decades younger than him.

"Your action has destroyed my wife's family. If you're filled with guilt, do us a favor to never appear in front of my wife again. She doesn't need to be reminded of the love and hatred of your generations."

"...I refuse. I demand a DNA test!" President Souma talked back, "Surely... it would show that we're parent-and-child..."

Ren frowned in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. At this moment, he couldn't see the respectable Souma Shinjiro in the business field that had always amazed both of his allies and opponents in the man who was standing in front of him.

Surely, a long-time delusion could ruin a man's heart.

"If you want a DNA test, I could do it. Granted that you would leave me alone after this."

Tsubaki wounded down the window and threw the words to President Souma. This man was so stubborn. She believed he would continue to pester her as long as she didn't give him what he wanted.

Let this be the first and last one kindness from her to him.

President Souma's face twisted again. He wasn't sure if he should be glad or not to hear what the young lady said.

"You have heard my wife," Ren didn't give the chance for the older man to say more, "We'll do the DNA test at National Genome Institute. I believe you wouldn't stoop so low to fabricate the result."

Ren's warning was clear. President Souma sullenly nodded.

"You have my word," The older man murmured. His shoulders slumped as if all of his energy had been drained.

Ren shifted his eyes from President Souma. He added coldly, "My wife is tired today. We'll meet there at 9 AM tomorrow. And, you'd better watch out for your younger brother. Only God knows what he's planning."

President Souma abruptly lifted up his head. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask Ren what was the meaning behind his words but the young man had already entered the car. He swiftly drove the car away from the hospital parking space.

Even after the car had long disappeared from his line of sight, President Souma continued standing at the same spot.

"Hisato still couldn't let go of what happened... Nor could I."

He let out a repressed sigh.

President Souma understood, the moment the result came out, what he believed hard all these two decades would crumble, leaving him with nothing.

But, even so... He could only hold on to his belief.

Inside the car, both Tsubaki and Ren were quiet. They didn't speak until they reached Fuse Corporation. Ren parked the car at his designated spot. There was no one in sight as most employees were currently working.

As she was unable to stand the silence any longer, Tsubaki broke it.

"Are you mad with me, for following that man's plan?"

Ren pressed his lips tight. He glanced at his wife whose face appeared so exhausted. The self-blame in her voice made his heart throbbing in pain.

Ren leaned nearer to her. He placed one palm over her cheek. His fingers softly c.a.r.e.s.sing her skin. Under Tsubaki's forlorn eyes, he inched closer and closer until their lips met.

The tenderness of his kiss dispelled Tsubaki's worry.

"I'm mad at him, not you," Ren whispered above her lips, "I know someday, sooner or later, he would come to you but... I'm still mad when he did so."

The truth about Tsubaki's mother's whereabouts added another layer of chaos in their findings. And, now, President Souma brazenly came to seek her out.

How could he not be mad when all of them added more stress to his wife?

"Darling, this would be the first and last one," Tsubaki promised, "I might sound vicious but, if the result could add to his guilt toward my parents, I want him to have it for the rest of his life. I know vengeance would lead me nowhere but, I can't accept what he did to my parents."

Ren nodded. He leaned down and kissed her again.

"There are people who do not deserve our forgiveness. Don't think that you're bad."

Tsubaki smiled softly. No matter what she decided, this man would offer her his unconditional support.

With him by her side, she feared none.