"Young man, aren't you supposed to be in your room by now?" Ren asked the little guy. He sneakily glanced at the blushing Tsubaki.
"I'm going now." Kouichi flashed them his biggest smile, looking expectantly at both of them. "Come visit me too if you're coming to this hospital again. Okay, sister, uncle? See you!"
"Wait... Kou!" Before Tsubaki could reply, Kouichi had already ran to the opposite hallway. His little body disappeared around a corner.
Tsubaki retracted the hand that was hanging towards the running little boy. She calmed her heart before glancing at the man beside her. Their eyes met. For a moment, she was mesmerised with the clarity behind his dark brown eyes. They were so dark, almost appeared as black. She averted her gaze, feeling conscious with the way he looked at her.
If was as if he wanted to drink her in, afraid she was just a fleeting illusion.
"Shall we go?" Ren broke the awkward silence once he snapped out of it. He needed to hold himself back from staring at her like that.
Calm down!
"Em... yes." Tsubaki answered in a quiet voice.
Ren gestured to Tsubaki, asking her to follow him. After a few steps, he deliberately slowed down to match her pace. They walked side by side. Sensing the heat exuded by his body when they walked, Tsubaki couldn't help but clenching the hem of her cardigan. But she couldn't deny she felt safe. There was something about this man that made her felt protected and at ease, something that she still couldn't figure it out considering the short length of time they had just met.
Once they reached the car, Ren opened the door of the passenger seat for Tsubaki. He was being careful with her head when she boarded the car, placing his palm over her forehead. After making sure she was comfortable in her seat, he rounded the front of the car to get to the driver's seat.
"Where do you live?"
Ren opened his navigation system as a pretense. He shouldn't alert Tsubaki with the fact that he already knew her address.
Tsubaki gave him her address. The SUV left the hospital in a swift motion. Ren wasn't a reckless driver to begin with but he drove extra careful tonight considering the person he placed above himself was sitting next to him.
"Miss Hanada." The name sounded foreign to him. He was tempted to call her by her name but he knew it would baffle her.
"Yes?" Tsubaki tore her gaze away from the scenery outside the car. She stared at the man's side profile. He looked regal, so untouchable. Yet here he was, being with her in the enclosed space.
"Do you cater for a big event?" Ren uttered the question he already asked her before.
"Yes. We do, why?" Tsubaki was confused with the sudden question.
"I want to commission Camellia Sweets to cater for my grandmother's birthday celebration. She is fond of sweets, despite her age."
Ren smiled slightly when an image of his grandmother enjoying sweets crossed his mind. The old lady was truly fond of cakes and pastries, anything that tasted sweet. She would be delighted to have a skilled baker as her granddaughter-in-law. He could already picture his grandmother chatting happily with Tsubaki while the latter was baking a cake.
Ah... What a beautiful sight.
"I'm honoured with your interest but..." Tsubaki was hesitant before asking him truthfully. "But don't you already have your own pâtissier? Or hired one from a hotel?"
Considering the man's background, only top chefs and pâtissiers would be commissioned for such an event. Especially for an important figure like Mr. Fuse's grandmother. She was the matriarch of House of Fuse who obviously had power alongside her grandson.
"We already have my grandmother's favourite chef as the one in-charge for the main course and one pâtissier for baking her birthday cake. But, I'd like to have your bakery to prepare for the other desserts."
Besides wanting to informally introduce Tsubaki to his grandmother, Ren wanted to give her business more exposure. Currently Camellia Sweets catered to middle class customers, he thought it was time to give the bakery a chance in the high society despite the upper class usually already have their family pâtissier who came from the top class culinary academies.
"If you insist, I'd accept your offer." Tsubaki understood she couldn't just pass up the chance offered by him. If her sweets would be accepted by the party guests, it wouldn't take long for her to expand her business.
"Good." Ren smiled in satisfaction. "I'd discuss the details with you at a later date."
"Alright," agreed Tsubaki.
After a smooth drive, Ren's SUV stopped in front of a building. Tsubaki rented one of the studio apartment here. From his investigation, she rented the rooftop studio apartment since two years ago. The security around the neighbourhood was decent enough for her to live alone.
Tsubaki unbuckled her seat belt and turned her body around slightly towards him, to properly convey her gratitude. "Thank you for driving me home, Mr. Fuse."
"You're welcome. Go, it's getting late." Concern lingered in his tone.
Tsubaki nodded. She alighted from the car. After bowing once, she walked towards the stairs. Before she could take another steps, Ren's voice calling out her name. She turned around, confused. The man had already wounded the car window down.
"Why?" Did she left something in the car?
"The little boy... Kouichi isn't it?"
"Yes. What's wrong with him?" Tsubaki had already lost count on how much this man had confused her tonight. By meeting with Satsuki till he drove her home.
"He asked for both of us to visit him. Call me when you want to go to the hospital, alright?"
"Err... yes..." She could only agree with the sudden request.
To avoid from being confused by him for any longer, she quickly bid him good bye. Her steps founded their way to upstairs. Ren watched her flustered look and didn't say anything. He just smiled seeing the petite lady slowly disappeared from his sight.
After a few minutes, Ren looked up. He watched as the lights in the rooftop apartment being switched on once the owner went inside. The lights cast glow around the tiny apartment. He slowly raised up his right hand, fingers moving as if wanted to caress the gentle face in his mind.
He smiled bitterly. It wasn't the time yet. He sighed, looking defeated.
"Good night, love."
After staring at the rooftop for one last time, he drove away from the road. The clarity behind his eyes was long gone, fear and uncertainty tainted them.